2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

There has been a change in location of the previously noticed Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Salmon Technical Team (STT), Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Salmon Subcommittee, and Model Evaluation Workgroup (MEW) joint work session, which is open to the public.

To comply with 43 CFR 8365.1-4(a)(2) Public Health, Safety and Comfort, approximately 6,000 acres of public lands in the Table Mesa Road area, north of Phoenix, Arizona, will be temporarily closed to recreational shooting and all other potentially unsafe or conflicting activities on October 20, 2007 during an all-day BLM sponsored National Public Lands Day (NPLD) volunteer clean-up project.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a collection of information entitled ``Guidance for Industry on Special Protocol Assessment'' has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Six Rivers National Forest proposes to address hazardous fuels and forest health concerns through the Orleans Community Fuels Reduction and Forest Health (OCFR) Project, under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. The area affected by the proposal includes National Forest System lands surrounding the community of Orleans, California, which includes Tribal Trust Lands and portions of the Panamnik World Renewal Ceremonial District. The objective of these treatments is to provide strategic suppression locations across the landscape while reducing contiguous fuel accumulations and chance of catastrophic fires. Approximately 2,721 acres of forest would be treated by either ground-based, skyline, or hand systems. The planning area is located on National Forest System lands administered by the Orleans Ranger District in Humboldt County, California, specifically, within the upper tributaries of the Lower Middle Klamath watersheds. The units are located in portions of: T. 10 N., R. 5 E., Sections 1, 12, 13; T. 10 N., R. 6 E., Sections 4-9, 16- 17; T. 11 N., R. 5 E., Sections 1, 12, 13, 24, 25, 36; and T. 11 N., R. 6 E., Sections 4-9, 16-21, and 28-33.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, Rock Creek Park and the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, Washington, DC. On June 6, 2007 the National Capital Regional Director approved the Record of Decision for the General Management Plan for the Final Environmental Impact Statement. Specifically, the NPS has selected the preferred alternative (Alternative A) as described in the Final General Management Plan for the Environmental Impact Statement based on consideration of economic, environmental, technical, and other factors. The selected alternative and three other alternatives, including a no-action alternative, were analyzed in the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements. Each alternative considered (a) how traffic should be managed in the park and on the parkway; (b) the most appropriate levels of service and locations for visitor interpretation and education in the park; (c) the appropriate balance between rehabilitation of historic structures and cultural landscapes and preservation of natural resources; and (d) the most appropriate locations to support park administration and operations functions to minimize resource disturbance. The full range of foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed. The NPS believes Alternative A would best accomplish its goals for managing Rock Creek Park and the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway. Alternative A was selected by the NPS based on its ability to maintain traditional visitor experiences and activities, enhance resources protection, improve control over non- recreational use of park roads to heighten safety and the quality of the visitor experience, and optimize the use of structures for park purposes. The selected alternative will not result in the impairment of resources and values. The most difficult decision to be made in this general management planning process was the management of traffic on the park road system because these park roads are recognized historic resources and are also the primary means for most visitors to experience the park. They are also heavily used as commuter routes. Under the selected alternative, the existing park roadway system will be retained and non-recreational through-traffic will be accommodated. It continues weekday auto travel throughout the park, but will use traffic-calming and speed enforcement measures to reduce traffic speeds and volumes to improve visitor safety and better control traffic volumes and speeds through the park. Speed tables and additional traffic signs will be installed on Beach Drive in the gorge area. The selected alternative will also enhance interpretation and education opportunities and improve the use of park resources, especially cultural resources. It generally retains the current scope of visitor uses. Additional aspects of this alternative include trail improvement; rehabilitation of the Peirce Mill complex to better focus on history; the moving of park administrative offices from the Peirce- Klingle Mansion at Linnean Hill which will be rehabilitated for adaptive use compatible with park values; the relocation of the U.S. Park Police substation from the Lodge House on Beach Drive with the Lodge House converted to a visitor contact station; and that the nature center will be rehabilitated and expanded, and the planetarium upgraded. The Record of Decision includes a statement of the decision made, synopses of other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, a finding of no impairment of park resources and values and an overview of public involvement in the decision-making process. This decision is the result of a public planning process that began in 1996. The official responsible for this decision is the NPS Regional Director, National Capital Region.

The Surface Transportation Board's (STB or Board) Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) is making available to the public, the official ``Section 106'' consulting parties, Indian tribes, and Federal, State, and local agencies, a Draft Programmatic Agreement (PA) for review and comment in the rail line construction and operation proposal described below. The Draft PA addresses historic preservation and cultural resource issues and is being developed to satisfy the requirements of section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470f) and the regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.14 (b). Comments on the PA must be post-marked to the address below by November 19, 2007. To be considered, comments must focus on the contents of the PA. Comments addressing matters outside the PA or post-marked after the due date will not be considered. On February 27, 2003, the Southwest Gulf Railroad (SGR) filed a petition with the STB seeking the Board's authorization to construct and operate a new rail line in Medina County, Texas (Finance Docket No. 34284). SGR's proposal involves the construction and operation of a rail line approximately seven miles long from a Vulcan Construction Materials, LP (VCM) proposed limestone quarry to the Union Pacific (UP) rail line near Dunlay, Texas. The Board issued a decision on May 19, 2003, finding that, from a transportation perspective, the proposed construction and operation met the standards of 49 U.S.C. 10502. SEA issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for public review and comment in this proceeding in 2004. The DEIS assessed four potential rail routes for SGR's proposed rail line to the VCM proposed quarry, as well as the No-Action Alternative (the use of trucks to transport the limestone to the UP rail line if SGR's rail line were not built). Based on the comments received on the DEIS, SEA decided to prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for public review and comment. SEA issued the SDEIS on December 8, 2006. The SDEIS included additional historic property evaluation and analyzed three additional rail routes to the east of the routes originally considered. The SDEIS preliminarily concluded that two of these eastern routes would be environmentally preferable to the routes previously studied in the DEIS because they would avoid or minimize impacts to rural historic landscapes in the project area discovered during the course of the environmental review. The comment period on the SDEIS closed on January 29, 2007. SEA is currently reviewing the comments received and preparing a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that responds to the comments received on the DEIS and SDEIS. Once SEA issues the FEIS, the environmental review process will be concluded, and the Board will issue a final decision on SGR's proposal. Before issuing the FEIS, SEA will first complete the ``Section 106 process'' of the NHPA, which requires Federal agencies to consider the effects of their licensing actions on historic sites and structures. An executed PA is evidence of the agencies compliance with section 106. The Draft PA is available for review on the Board's Web site at https://www.stb.dot.gov by clicking on the ``Environmental Matters'' link, then ``Key Cases'' then the ``Medina County, Texas'' link. Please refer to Finance Docket No. 34284 in all correspondence, including any e-filings.

The proposed information collection requirement described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal. Recertification information is submitted by homeowners to mortgagees to determine their continued eligibility for assistance and to determine the amount of assistance a homeowner is to receive. The information collected is also used by mortgagees to report statistical and general program data to HUD.

This final rule amends the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program regulations to specify the conditions under which IHBG funds may be used for project-based or tenant-based rental assistance. The final rule clarifies that such rental assistance may be provided in a manner consistent with assistance provided under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 on behalf of a tenant receiving assistance under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self- Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA). This final rule follows publication of a June 8, 2007, proposed rule, and adopts the proposed rule without change. HUD received one public comment on the June 8, 2007, proposed rule, expressing unqualified support for the proposed regulatory changes.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is extending the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Dry Fork Station and Hughes Transmission Line. The Draft EIS was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231, et seq.) in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508) and RUS regulations (7 CFR part 1794). The Draft EIS is to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of and alternatives to the Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (Basin Electric) application for a loan guarantee to construct a generation facility referred to as the Dry Fork Station, consisting of a single maximum net 385 Megawatt (MW) unit, at a site near Gillette, Wyoming, along with other proposed pollution controls collectively known as Best Available Control Technology (BACT). In addition, Basin Electric also proposes to construct and operate 136 miles of 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Campbell and Sheridan counties, referred to as the Hughes Transmission Project. Basin Electric is not, however, requesting a loan guarantee from RUS for this action. However, the Hughes Transmission Project is evaluated as a connected action for this EIS because the Dry Fork Station would interconnect with it if the Station is built. The Draft EIS was filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on August 24, 2007. Requests for extension of public comment periods may be honored per 40 CFR 1506.10. The initial 45-day public comment period was to end on October 15, 2007. With the 30-day extension, the new deadline for public comments is now November 19, 2007.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on an information collection requirement concerning Cost Submission. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)).

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on an information collection requirement concerning Declaration of Ultimate Consignee That Articles Were Exported for Temporary Scientific or Educational Purposes. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)).

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on an information collection requirement concerning the Canadian Border Boat Landing Permit. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)).

This action corrects a final rule published in the Federal Register August 10, 2007 (72 FR 44955), Airspace Docket No. 06-ANM-12, FAA Docket No. FAA-2006-26364. In that rule, an error was made in the legal description for Beaver, UT. Specifically, the longitude referencing V-293 stated ``* * * long. 133[deg]00'00'' W.'' instead of ``* * * long.113[deg]30'00'' W.'' This action corrects that error.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the Kansas City and St. Louis portions of the Missouri State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision consists of transportation conformity criteria and procedures related to interagency consultation and enforceability of certain transportation-related control measures and mitigation measures.