June 11, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of a new information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on March 20, 2008, vol. 73, no. 55, page 15042. This project involves the random and representative sampling of Flight Attendants currently employed by U.S. air carriers.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for an Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan (ORV Management Plan) for Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Texas. This effort will result in an ORV Management Plan/EIS that will be used to guide the management and control of ORVs at the Recreation Area for approximately the next 15 to 20 years. It will also form the basis for a special regulation that will regulate ORV use at the Recreation Area. The ORV Management Plan/EIS will assess potential environmental impacts associated with a range of reasonable alternatives for managing ORV impacts on park resources such as soils, wetlands, wildlife, cultural resources, visitor experience, and public safety. Lake Meredith Recreation Area was established in 1964 for the administration of public recreational facilities at the Sanford Reservoir area, Canadian River project, Texas. In 1990 Congress designated Lake Meredith a National Recreation Area to ``provide for public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment of the lands and waters associated with Lake Meredith in the State of Texas, and to protect the scenic, scientific, cultural, and other values contributing to the public enjoyment of such lands and waters,'' (Pub. L. 101-628, 16 U.S.C. 46Oeee, November 28, 1990). Lake Meredith offers many recreational uses including boating, swimming, fishing, hunting and ORV use. Lake Meredith currently has two areas designated as ORV areas, Rosita (~1,740 acres) and Blue Creek (~275 acres). These areas were designated by special regulation, 36 CFR 7.57. Both areas were utilized by the local community for recreational use prior to the establishment of the Sanford Reservoir Project in 1965. Executive Order 11644, issued in 1972 and amended by Executive Order 11989 in 1977, states that Federal agencies allowing ORV use must designate the specific areas and trails on public lands on which the use of ORVs may be permitted, and areas in which the use of ORVs may not be permitted. Agency regulations to authorize ORV use provide that designation of such areas and trails will be based upon the protection of the resources of the public lands, promotion of the safety of all users of those lands, and minimization of conflicts among the various uses of those lands. Executive Order 11644 was issued in response to the widespread and rapidly increasing use of ORVs on the public lands ``often for legitimate purposes but also in frequent conflict with wise land and resource management practices, environmental values, and other types of recreational activity.'' Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 36 Sec. 4.10 requires that ``Routes and areas designated for off-road motor vehicle use shall be promulgated as special regulations.'' ``In addition, such routes and areas may only be designated in national recreation areas, national seashores, national lakeshores and national preserves.'' Therefore, in accordance with the Executive Order, the purpose of this plan/EIS is to manage ORV use in compliance with the Recreation Area's enabling legislation, NPS management policies, and other laws and regulations to ensure protection of the natural, cultural, and recreational values of the Recreation Area's environment for present and future generations. An ORV Management Plan is needed to address the inconsistent management of ORV use over time, address the impacts to both cultural and natural resources, and address ORV use outside of the authorized areas. Specifically, an ORV Management Plan is needed to: (1) Comply with Executive Orders 11644 and 11989 respecting ORV use, and with NPS laws, regulations (36 CFR 4.10), and policies to minimize impacts to Recreation Area resources and values; (2) Provide for sustainable recreational ORV use areas; (3) Address the lack of an approved plan, which has led to ORV use outside of authorized areas; (4) Address resource impacts resulting from ORV use; and (5) Address the change in numbers, power, range and capabilities of ORVs. The ORV Management Plan/DEIS will cover all lands administered by the NPS at the Recreation Area. Through internal scoping efforts, several draft objectives were outlined for the EIS: Visitor Use and Safety: Manage ORV use to minimize conflicts among different ORV users; promote safe operation of ORVs and safety of all visitors. Management: Build stewardship through public awareness and understanding of NPS resource management and visitor use policy and responsibilities as they pertain to the recreation area and ORV management; develop a monitoring plan that allows the park to establish the number of ORVs the park is able to support. Park Operations: Identify needs and costs necessary to implement an ORV plan; minimize impacts to park operations and costs necessary to implement an ORV plan. Natural Resources: Minimize adverse impacts to threatened, endangered, and other protected species and their habitats; define effective strategies for soil erosion control and restoration of plant resources to support wildlife populations. Cultural Resources: Preserve and protect significant cultural resources within the recreation area; work with interested parties to identify cultural resources that could be adversely affected by ORV use. The draft and final ORV Management Plan/EIS will be made available to all known interested parties and appropriate agencies. Full public participation by Federal, State, and local agencies as well as other concerned organizations and private citizens is invited throughout the preparation process of this document.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the General Management Plan, Saguaro National Park, Arizona. On April 2, 2008, the Regional Director, Intermountain Region approved the Record of Decision. As soon as practicable after March 31, 2008, on which the 30-day waiting period ends, the National Park Service will start implementing the selected action as in the FEIS issued on February 29, 2008, the date the FETS was published in the Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Register notice (Volume 73, Number 41, Page 11112). The ROD explains that alternative 2 is the selected action over no-action and the other action alternative. To reduce habitat fragmentation, the selected action emphasizes ecological processes and biological diversity by creating and preserving wildlife movement corridors among isolated habitats, while still providing a range of visitor opportunities. The selected action includes a parkwide management zone for the preservation of cultural resources. The no-action alternative would mean no change from existing conditions. The other action alternative would mean some but less emphasis on wildlife movement corridors among isolated habitats to address habitat fragmentation, and more visitor opportunities. The selected action calls for road, trail, and visitor center improvements as well as monitoring for certain natural and cultural resources and vehicular traffic patterns for preservation and safety, respectively. The Record of Decision includes a statement of the decision made, synopses of the other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, a description of the environmentally preferable alternative, and findings of no unacceptable impacts and no impairment to park resources and values. There is a listing of measures to minimize environmental harm, and an overview of public involvement in the decision-making process.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, and -900 series airplanes. This AD requires various repetitive inspections to detect cracks along the chemically milled steps of the fuselage skin or missing or loose fasteners in the area of the preventative modification or repairs, replacement of the time-limited repair with the permanent repair if applicable, and applicable corrective actions if necessary, which would end certain repetitive inspections. This AD results from a fatigue test that revealed numerous cracks in the upper skin panel at the chemically milled step above the lap joint. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct such fatigue-related cracks, which could result in the crack tips continuing to turn and grow to the point where the skin bay flaps open, causing decompression of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as: * * * * * The assessment and lightning tests showed that certain fuel tube self-bonded couplings do not provide sufficient lightning current capability. The assessment also showed that single failure of the integral bonding wire of the self-bonded couplings could affect electrical bonding between the tubes. Insufficient electrical bonding between fuel tubes or insufficient current capability of fuel tube couplings, if not corrected, could result in arcing and potential ignition source[s] inside the fuel tank during lightning strikes and consequent fuel tank explosion. * * *

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 777 airplanes. This AD requires an inspection to determine the manufacturer and manufacture date of the oxygen masks in the center and outboard passenger service units, crew rests, and lavatory and flight attendant oxygen boxes, as applicable. This AD also requires related investigative/corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from a report that several passenger masks with broken in-line flow indicators were found following a mask deployment. We are issuing this AD to prevent the in-line flow indicators of the passenger oxygen masks from fracturing and separating, which could inhibit oxygen flow to the masks and consequently result in exposure of the passengers and cabin attendants to hypoxia following a depressurization event.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

The Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to add one refuge to the list of areas open for hunting and/or sport fishing programs and increase the activities available at six other refuges for the 2008- 2009 season.