Department of the Interior August 12, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In response to the inherent risks of gaming enterprises and the resulting need for effective internal controls in Tribal gaming operations, the National Indian Gaming Commission (Commission or NIGC) first developed Minimum Internal Control Standards (MICS) for Indian gaming in 1999, and then later revised them in 2002. The Commission recognized from the outset that periodic technical adjustments and revisions would be necessary in order to keep the MICS effective in protecting Tribal gaming assets and the interests of Tribal stakeholders and the gaming public. To that end, the following final rule revisions contain certain corrections and revisions to the Commission's existing MICS, which are necessary to clarify, improve, and update other existing MICS provisions. The purpose of these MICS revisions is to address apparent shortcomings in the MICS and various changes in Tribal gaming technology and methods. Public comment on these final MICS revisions was received by the Commission for a period of 48 days after the date of their publication in the Federal Register as a proposed rule on March 10, 2005. After consideration of all received comments, the Commission has made whatever changes to the proposed revisions that it deemed appropriate and is now promulgating and publishing the final revisions to the Commission's MICS Rule, 25 CFR part 542.

On June 30, 2005, the Director of MMS signed the Final Notice of Sale for Sale 196, and on July 7, 2005, the FNOS was published in the Federal Register at 70 FR 39329. This notice informs potential bidders that the Energy Policy Act of 2005, signed by the President on August 8, 2005, requires that royalty suspension provisions contained in the Energy Policy Act must be used for OCS lease sales occurring during the five-year period beginning on the date of its enactment. Therefore, deepwater royalty suspension volume provisions contained in the FNOS 196 are superseded in part by provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has filed the plats of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Wyoming State Office, Cheyenne, Wyoming, on August 3, 2005.

This notice advises the public and other agencies of the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA)/Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Incidental Take Permit (ITP) application for review and comment. The draft EA/HCP and ITP application were submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) by Predevelopment LTD proposing residential development of a 6.45-acre property on Long Point, Kelleys Island, Erie County, Ohio. Federally threatened Lake Erie watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon insularum) occupy the project area, and it has been determined that the proposed actions will result in incidental take of this species. Predevelopment LTD submitted an ITP application to the Service for incidental take pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (Act, 16 U.S.C. 1531, et seq.). The submission of the ITP application requires the development of an HCP by the applicant detailing measures to be taken to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts to Lake Erie Watersnakes. This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(a) of the Act and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Commission Act and 36 CFR part 65 that a meeting of the Landmarks Committee of the National Park System Advisory Board will be held beginning at 1 p.m. on October 24, 2005 and at the following location. The meeting will continue beginning at 9 a.m. on October 25.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the National Park and Recreation Act of 1978, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the BLM and the NPS have jointly prepared a Proposed Plan/Final EIS for the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. The Proposed Plan would provide direction for the management of approximately 740,000 acres of federally-managed land in Blaine, Butte, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Power Counties in south- central Idaho. In would replace the NPS' Craters of the Moon National Monument General Management Plan and portions of the following BLM plans: Big Desert, Big Lost, and Sun Valley Management Framework Plans; and the Monument RMP.