Department of the Interior – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) are announcing our intention to request renewed approval for the collection of information which requires that each regulatory authority conduct periodic inspections of coal mining activities, and prepare and maintain inspection reports and other related documents for OSMRE and public review. This information collection activity was previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and assigned control number 1029-0051.

This Public Land Order (Order) withdraws approximately 30,370 acres of National Forest System lands from location and entry under the United States mining laws for a period of 20 years, subject to valid existing rights. The lands have been and will remain open to leasing under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) are proposing a new information collection.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on our March 11, 2015, proposed designation of critical habitat for the black pinesnake (Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are reopening the comment period to accept comments on our proposal, including revisions to proposed Units 7 and 8 that are described in this document. As a result of these revisions, we are now proposing to designate a total of 338,379 acres (136,937 hectares) as critical habitat for the black pinesnake across eight units within portions of Forrest, George, Greene, Harrison, Jones, Marion, Perry, Stone, and Wayne Counties in Mississippi, and Clarke County in Alabama. This is a small increase in acreage from the area we proposed to designate in our March 11, 2015, proposed rule but constitutes less privately owned lands. In addition, we announce two public informational meetings on the proposed rule. We are reopening the comment period on our March 11, 2015, proposed rule to allow all interested parties the opportunity to comment on the revised proposed rule. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

This PLO partially revokes 18.67 acres of public land from a withdrawal created by two Secretarial Orders dated July 19, 1904, and January 28, 1905, which withdrew land for the Bureau of Reclamation's (BOR) Klamath River Project. The land will remain closed to surface entry and mining under the public land laws including the United States mining laws due to an overlapping withdrawal for the Tule Lake Segregation Center, World War II Valor of the Pacific National Monument created by Presidential Proclamation No. 8327, dated December 5, 2008.

The plats of surveys for the lands described in this notice are scheduled to be officially filed 30 calendar days after the date of this publication in the BLM Montana State Office, Billings, Montana. The surveys, which were executed at the request of the BLM, are necessary for the management of these lands.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to recover and enhance endangered species survival. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

The boundary of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is modified to include approximately 12.97 acres of land with all improvements thereon, situate in Harpers Ferry District, Jefferson County, West Virginia lying on the south side of U.S. Route 340, on the east side of the relocation of Route 27 and on the west side of Old Route 27, more particularly bounded and described in a plat of survey made by Appalachian Survey, Inc., dated June 6, 1981, and recorded with a deed dated August 28, 1981 in the Office of the Clerk of the County Commission of Jefferson County, West Virginia, in Deed Book 490, at Page 384. The property will be donated to the United States by the American Battlefield Trust formerly known as the Civil War Preservation Trust.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month petition finding on a petition to list the eastern black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. After review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the eastern black rail is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the eastern black rail, a bird subspecies that occurs in as many as 35 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and several countries in the Caribbean and Central America, as a threatened species under the Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this subspecies and, accordingly, add this subspecies to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We also propose a rule under the authority of section 4(d) of the Act that provides measures that are necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the eastern black rail. We have determined that designation of critical habitat for the eastern black rail is not prudent at this time, but we are seeking public comment on that determination.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the Department of the Interior proposes to modify the Department of the Interior ``DOI-16, DOI LEARN (Department-wide Learning Management System)'' system of records notice. This system of records helps the Department of the Interior maintain and validate training records, manage class rosters and transcripts, meet Federal mandatory training and statistical reporting requirements, and manage other functions related to training and educational programs. This modified system will be included in the Department of the Interior's inventory of record systems.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the black-capped petrel (Pterodroma hasitata), a pelagic seabird species that nests on the island of Hispaniola and forages off the coast of the eastern United States, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species. We are also proposing a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act to provide for the conservation of this species. We have determined that designation of critical habitat for the black-capped petrel is not prudent at this time, but are seeking public comment on that determination.

In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS), and the resulting Consent Decree, the Federal natural resource trustee agencies for the Florida Trustee Implementation Group (FL TIG) have prepared a Draft Restoration Plan 1 and Environmental Assessment (Draft RP1/EA). The Draft RP1/EA describes restoration alternatives considered by the FL TIG and proposes 24 preferred alternatives intended to continue the process of restoring natural resources and services injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which occurred on or about April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of the availability of the Draft RP1/EA and to seek public comments on the document.

The Office of the State Archeologist Bioarcheology Program has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains should submit a written request to the Office of the State Archeologist Bioarcheology Program. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing a non- competitive (direct) sale of 10 acres of public land to the City of Henderson, Nevada, pursuant to the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 (SNPLMA), as amended, and applicable provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and BLM land sale regulations. This parcel was nominated by the local government for future development of homes and businesses for the expansion of growing communities in the City of Henderson.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the San Juan Islands National Monument, and, by this notice, is announcing the opening of the comment period.

This Order partially revokes five Public Land Orders (PLO) insofar as they affect approximately 229,715 acres of public lands. The lands were reserved for study and classification as appropriate by the Department of the Interior (DOI). The purposes for which these lands were withdrawn no longer exist as described in the analysis and decisions made through the Bay Resource Management Plan (RMP) and associated Environmental Impact Statement. Of the lands described within the Orders being revoked, approximately 83.30 acres have been conveyed out of Federal ownership and the revocation of the Order on these lands is a record-clearing action only.

The plats of survey of the following described lands are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Oregon State Office, Portland, Oregon, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication. The surveys, which were executed at the request of the BLM, are necessary for the management of these lands.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing our collection of information which authorizes Federal, State, and Tribal governments to reclaim private lands and allows for the establishment of procedures for the recovery of the cost of reclamation activities on privately owned lands.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing our intention to request renewed approval for the collection of information to protect alluvial valley floors from the adverse effects of surface coal mining operations west of the 100th meridian. This information will be used by the regulatory authorities to make that determination.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing our intention to request renewed approval for the collection of information for persons seeking permit revisions, renewals, transfer, assignment, or sale of their permit rights for coal mining activities.

The purpose of this Notice is to reopen the request for public nominations for certain Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Advisory Councils (RAC) and other chartered Advisory Councils that have members whose terms are scheduled to expire. These Advisory Councils provide advice and recommendations to the BLM on land use planning and management of the National System of Public Lands within their geographic areas. The Advisory Councils covered by this request for nominations are identified below. The BLM will accept public nominations for 30 days after the publication of this Notice.

The National Park Service is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before September 8, 2018, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

This proposed rule would revise the regulations for seasons, harvest limits, and methods and means for the subsistence taking of fish in the Cook Inlet Area of Alaska. This action would also reorganize specific regulations addressing the Kenai River, which would provide clarity for the public, and allow the Federal Subsistence Board to correct regulatory conflicts that have arisen based on recent rulemaking.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) Caribou-Targhee National Forest (CTNF), have prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed East Smoky Panel Mine Project (Project), and by this Notice announce the opening of the public comment period.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to revise an existing information collection.