Bureau of Land Management January 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) California Desert District Advisory Council (DAC) will meet as indicated below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) authorizing the issuance of a right-of- way grant (ROW) to Pacific Power to construct, operate, and maintain an electric transmission line on land administered by the BLM for the Vantage to Pomona Heights 230 kilovolt (kV) Transmission Line Project (Project). The Coeur d'Alene and Spokane District Manager signed the ROD on January 13, 2017, which constitutes the final decision by the BLM.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Dominguez- Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA) located in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties, Colorado. The Colorado State Director signed the ROD on January 9, 2017, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective immediately.

This order withdraws, subject to valid existing rights, approximately 5,216.18 acres of public domain and Revested Oregon and California Railroad lands and 95,805.53 acres of National Forest System lands from settlement, sale, location, and entry under the public land laws; location and entry under the United States mining laws; and operation of the mineral and geothermal leasing laws for a period of 20 years while Congress considers legislation to permanently withdraw those areas and to protect the Southwestern Oregon watershed from possible adverse effects of mineral development.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to continue the collection of information from those who wish to adopt and obtain title to wild horses and burros. The OMB previously approved this information collection activity, and assigned it control number 1004-0042.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below:

On February 22, 1945, the Secretary of the Interior issued an Order restoring to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians of Minnesota (``Tribe'') certain lands that the Tribe had previously ceded to the United States for use by non-Indians. The lands restored to the Tribe by the 1945 Order are lands that were continuously held in trust by the United States since the cessions, that were never sold or otherwise disposed of, and for which the Tribe was never paid. This notice provides a partial list of the legal descriptions of lands restored to the Tribe by the 1945 Order. The Secretary included in the 1945 Order ``lands which have been assessed for drainage works by the State of Minnesota under the authority of the Volstead Act of May 20, 1908 . . . subject to any existing valid rights.'' The Department has reviewed and resolved title issues that arose regarding applicability of the Volstead Act. Thus, without further delay, these legal descriptions are published as representing lands among the lands restored to the Tribe as trust lands.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) hereby amends its existing Onshore Oil and Gas Order Number 1 (Onshore Order 1) to require the electronic filing (or e-filing) of all Applications for Permit to Drill (APD) and Notices of Staking (NOS). Previously, Onshore Order 1 stated that an ``operator must file an APD or any other required documents in the BLM Field Office having jurisdiction over the lands described in the application,'' but allowed for e-filing of such documents as an alternative. This change makes e-filing the required method of submission, subject to limited exceptions. The BLM is making this change to improve the efficiency and transparency of the APD and NOS processes.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Records of Decision (RODs) for the Approved Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for the Fortymile, Draanjik, Steese, and White Mountains planning areas located in Eastern Interior Alaska. The Alaska State Director signed the RODs on December 30, 2016, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMPs effective immediately.

As authorized under the provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is giving notice that certain public lands located near Johnson Valley, California, within the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, will be temporarily closed to all public use to provide for public safety during the 2017 King of the Hammers Race Event.