October 23, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Interior proposes to extend the duration of Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6664 for an additional 20-year term. PLO No. 6664 withdrew 840 acres of public lands in Carbon County, Montana, from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the general land laws, including the United States mining laws to protect the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Petroglyph Canyon and Weatherman Draw archeological sites. This notice also gives an opportunity to comment on the proposed action and to request a public meeting. The lands have been and will remain open to mineral leasing.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the summer-run Issaquah Creek kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the summer-run Issaquah Creek kokanee may represent a distinct population segment, and therefore a listable entity, under section 3(16) of the Act. Therefore, we will not be initiating a further status review in response to this petition.

This gives a consolidated notice of all positions excepted under Schedules A, B, and C as of June 30, 2007, as required by Civil Service Rule VI, Exceptions from the Competitive Service.

EPA is finalizing the updates of the Outer Continental Shelf (``OCS'') Air Regulations proposed in the Federal Register on March 23, 2006, August 18, 2006 and May 31, 2007. Requirements applying to OCS sources located within 25 miles of states' seaward boundaries must be updated periodically to remain consistent with the requirements of the corresponding onshore area (``COA''), as mandated by section 328(a)(1) of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (``the Act''). The portions of the OCS air regulations that are being updated pertain to the requirements for OCS sources for which the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District is the designated COA. The intended effect of approving the requirements contained in ``Ventura County Air Pollution Control District Requirements Applicable to OCS Sources'' (September 2007) is to regulate emissions from OCS sources in accordance with the requirements onshore.

NMFS issues this proposed rule that would implement a joint Amendment 27 to the FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Reef Fish FMP) and Amendment 14 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (Shrimp FMP)(Amendment 27/14) prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This proposed rule would reduce the commercial and recreational quotas for red snapper, reduce the commercial minimum size limit for red snapper, reduce the recreational bag limit for red snapper, prohibit the retention of red snapper under the bag limit for the captain and crew of a vessel operating as a charter vessel or headboat, require the use of non-stainless steel circle hooks when using natural baits to fish for Gulf reef fish, require the use of venting tools and dehooking devices when participating in the commercial or recreational reef fish fisheries, and provide for seasonal closures of the Gulf shrimp fishery to reduce red snapper bycatch consistent with the Amendment's framework procedure. In addition, the proposed rule would establish a target reduction of shrimp trawl bycatch mortality of red snapper, assume a 10-percent reduction in post-hurricane fishing effort and landings when evaluating alternative TACs and management measures or in the alternative, not assume the 10% effort reduction, and establish a framework procedure to adjust the target effort level and closed season for the Gulf shrimp fishery. The measures contained in this proposed rule are intended to satisfy a U.S. District Court Order to establish a revised red snapper rebuilding plan by December 12, 2007, and to end overfishing of the red snapper resource in the Gulf of Mexico.

NMFS announces that the 2007 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the State of New York has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in New York for the remainder of calendar year 2007, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise New York that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in New York.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the guidance entitled ``FY 2008 Medical Device User Fee Small Business Qualification and Certification.'' This guidance explains how a business headquartered in the United States or headquartered in a foreign nation may respectively qualify as ``small business'' under the medical device user fee provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act). A ``small business'' may pay certain medical device user fees at a substantial discount from the standard (full) fee rates and may obtain a one-time fee waiver for its first premarket application (a premarket approval application (PMA), biologics license application (BLA), product development protocol (PDP), or premarket report (PMR)).

In accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 (FLREA), the Recreation Subcommittee will hold a meeting to finalize draft protocol and guidelines and to discuss membership needs for fiscal year 2008.

Under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, (5. U.S.C. Appendix, as amended), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.65, the Department of Defense gives notice that it intends to establish a new Federal advisory committee. This discretionary advisory committee, the Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel, will provide the Secretary of the Navy independent advice and recommendations on the critical matters concerning the Department of the Navy. The Panel's focus will include acquisition reform, the shipbuilding defense industrial base, intelligence organization, and related maritime issues. In accordance with DoD policy and procedures, the Secretary of the Navy is authorized to act upon the advice emanating from this advisory committee. The Secretary of the Navy Panel shall be authorized to establish subcommittees, as necessary and consisted with its mission, and these subcommittees or working groups shall operate under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976, and other appropriate Federal regulations. Such subcommittees or workgroups shall not work independently of the chartered committee, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees or workgroups have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered committee nor can they report directly to the Department of Defense or any Federal officers or employees who are not members of the Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel. The Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel shall be composed of not more than 15 members, who are eminent authorities in the fields of national security policy, intelligence, science, engineering, or business and industry. The Secretary of the Navy Panel, in keeping with the DoD policy to make every effort to achieve a balanced membership, shall include a cross section of experts that are directly affected, interested and qualified to advise on U.S. defense and naval issues. Panel and subcommittee members appointed by the Secretary of Defense, who are not full-time Federal officers or employees, shall serve as Special Government Employees under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109. Panel and subcommittee members shall be appointed on an annual basis by the Secretary of Defense, and with the exception of travel and per diem for official travel, they shall serve without compensation. The Secretary of the Navy shall select the Panel's chairperson from the total Panel membership. The Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel shall meet at the call of the Panel's Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the chairperson. The Designated Federal Officer, pursuant to DoD policy, shall be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee, and shall be appointed in accordance with established DoD policies and procedures. The Designated Federal Officer or duly appointed Alternate Designated Federal Officer shall attend all committee and subcommittee meetings. Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or interested organizations may submit written statements to the Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel membership about the Panel's mission and functions. Written statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned meeting of the Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel. All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal Officer for the Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel, and this individual will ensure that the written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact information for the Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel's Designated Federal Officer can be obtained from the GSA's FACA Databasehttps://www.fido.gov/ facadatabase/public.asp. The Designated Federal Officer, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150, will announce planned meetings of the Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel. The Designated Federal Officer, at that time, may provide additional guidance on the submission of written statements that are in response to the stated agenda for the planned meeting in question.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a public hearing concerning FDA's policies regarding salt (sodium chloride) and sodium in food. FDA also is announcing the availability for comment of a citizen petition, submitted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), requesting that FDA make changes to the regulatory status of salt, require limits on salt in processed foods, and require health messages related to salt and sodium. The purpose of the hearing is for FDA to share its current framework of policies regarding salt and sodium and to solicit information and comments from interested persons on this current framework and on potential future approaches, including approaches described in the citizen petition.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a second meeting of RTCA Special Committee 215, Aeronautical Mobile Satellite (Route) Services, Next Generation Satellite Services and Equipment.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are designating critical habitat (CH) for the guajon (Eleutherodactylus cooki) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 260.6 acres (ac) (105.6 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of the CH designation. The critical habitat is located within the municipalities of Humacao, Juncos, Las Piedras, Maunabo, Patillas, San Lorenzo, and Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.