Department of the Interior 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Per 30 U.S.C. 188(d), the lessee, Quicksilver Resources Inc. timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease MTM 93129, Hill County, Montana. The lessee paid the required rental accruing from the date of termination, April 1, 2005. No leases were issued that affect these lands. The lessee agrees to new lease terms for rentals and royalties of $10 per acre and 16\2/3\ percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate. The lessee paid the $500 administration fee for the reinstatement of the lease and $155 cost for publishing this Notice. The lessee met the requirements for reinstatement of the lease per Sec. 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188). We are proposing to reinstate the lease, effective the date of termination subject to: The original terms and conditions of the lease; The increased rental of $10 per acre; The increased royalty of 16\2/3\ percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate; and The $155 cost of publishing this Notice.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is preparing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) intends to gather information necessary for preparing the CCP and EA pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The Service is furnishing this notice in compliance with Service planning policy, to (1) advise other Federal and State agencies and the public of our intention to conduct detailed planning on this refuge; and, (2) obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to include in the environmental document. The Service will involve the public through open houses, informational and technical meetings, and written comments. Special mailings, newspaper articles, and announcements will provide information about opportunities for public involvement in the planning process.

A public meeting is being held by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to solicit suggestions from the public and industry on how to best implement the geothermal provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

The following permits were issued.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent a request to OMB to renew approval for our information collection associated with the North American woodcock singing ground survey. The current OMB control number for this information collection is 1018-0019, which expires October 31, 2005. We have requested that OMB renew approval of this information collection for a 3-year term.

The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge are available for distribution. The plan and environmental impact statement were prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and describe how the refuge will be managed over the next 15 years. The compatibility determinations for hunting, fishing, environmental education and interpretation, trapping of selected furbearers for management, forest management, and resource research studies are also available within the plan.

This notice announces a meeting of the Arizona Resource Advisory Council (RAC). The business meeting will be held on December 6, 2005, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Arizona State Office located at One North Central Avenue, 8th floor. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. The agenda items to be covered include: Review of the August 23, 2005 Meeting Minutes; BLM State Director's Update on Statewide Issues; New RAC Member Orientation; Presentations on San Pedro Water Rights Issues; Rangeland Inventory and Monitoring; Arizona Land Use Planning Update; RAC Questions on Written Reports from BLM Field Managers; Field Office Rangeland Resource Team Proposals; Reports by the Standards and Guidelines, Recreation, Off-Highway Vehicle Use, Public Relations, Land Use Planning and Tenure, and Wild Horse and Burro Working Groups; Reports from RAC members; and Discussion of future meetings. A public comment period will be provided at 11:30 a.m. on December 6, 2005, for any interested publics who wish to address the Council.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing its intention to request approval for the collection of information for 30 CFR PART 783, Underground Mining Permit ApplicationsMinimum Requirements for Information on Environmental Resources.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/EIS) for public land and resources in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Montana. BLM invites the public to review and comment on the range and adequacy of the draft alternatives and their associated environmental effects. The DRMP/EIS provides direction and guidance for the management of about 375,000 acres of public land and 42,800 acres of existing oil and gas leases.

The Secretary's approved 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2002-2007 provides for 3 sales: Sales 186, 195, and 202 to be held in the Beaufort Sea Programlanning Area. The presale process incorporated planning and analysis for all three sales. From the initial step in the process (the Call for Information and Nominations (Call)) through the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/ Consistency Determination (CD) step, the process covered the multiple- sale proposals. However, we indicated that we would conduct and did conduct complete National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), OCS Lands Act, and Coastal Zone Management Act processes for each sale, including a proposed and final Notice of Sale. The environmental analysis and the CD for Sale 202 will focus primarily on new issues, new scientific information, and/or changes in the state's federally-approved coastal management plan. The Call NOI to Prepare an EIS for Sales 186, 195, and 202 was published in the Federal Register on September 19, 2001, at 66 FR 48268. The Beaufort Sea Multiple-Sale Final EIS for these sales was released in February 2003 (OCS EIS/EA, MMS 2003-001). Sales 186 and 195 were held on September 24, 2003, and March 30, 2005, respectively. When the multiple-sale EIS was prepared, MMS indicated it would do an EA for Sales 195 and 202 if no significant new issues or impacts are identified. The MMS is now initiating a RFI for Beaufort Sea Sale 202.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), give notice that we are suspending import of and foreign commerce in beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) caviar and meat originating in the Black Sea littoral states of Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Turkey, and Ukraine effective immediately. This suspension applies to shipments that have been exported directly from these countries, re-exported through an intermediary country, or transported as personal or household effects, and it prohibits foreign commerce in the course of a commercial activity. We are taking this action under the special rule that was promulgated to control the trade of threatened beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) (70 FR 10493; March 4, 2005). Interstate commerce in beluga sturgeon caviar or meat from the Black Sea basin that was legally imported into the United States before the trade suspension is not prohibited.

The plats of survey of the following described land will be officially filed in the Colorado State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Lakewood, Colorado, effective 10 a.m., October 18, 2005. All inquiries should be sent to the Colorado State Office (CO-956), Bureau of Land Management, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093. The plat (in two sheets) which includes the field notes, and is the entire record of this survey of Tract 37, in suspended Township 44 North, Range 5 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted August 17, 2005. The supplemental plat of section 24, in Township 1 North, Range 72 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, created new Lots 106, 107 and 108 in the NW\1/4\NW\1/4\ of Section 24, and is based upon the boundaries of the Whitedare unpatented Mining Claim, CMC-115653, as defined by the dependent resurvey accepted August 20, 2003, was accepted August 16, 2005. The supplemental plat of Tract 39, patented April 3, 1986, Patent No. 05-86-0022 in Township 1 North, Range 72 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, which added the patented acreage value of Tract 39, that was omitted from the June 20, 1985 plat which created Tract 39, was accepted August 16, 2005. The supplemental plat which corrects and supersedes the supplemental plat accepted April 19, 2005, which incorrectly depicted the mineral survey number of the Mayflower and Little Boy Lodes in Township 48 North, Range 2 East, Sec. 29, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on July 27, 2005. The plat and field notes of the dependent resurveys and surveys, facilitating a land exchange in Township 1 North, Range 79 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted August 11, 2005. The field notes, as depicted on two plat-only plats, of the remonumentation of certain corners was requested by the Geographic Coordinate Data Base Program Manager, Washington Office, under BPA: NAB-000008, Task Order No. NAD-000095, in Townships 12 North, Ranges 68 and 69 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on September 1, 2005. The supplemental plat of section 20, creating new Lot 111 in the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of Section 20, is based upon Mineral Survey No. 19744, Roberta, Golden Rule, and Queen of the Valley approved October 19, 1916, and the dependent resurvey accepted March 13, 1963, in Township 1 North, Range 71 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was requested by the Canon City Field Office and was accepted on September 12, 2005. The plat and field notes, of the dependent resurvey and surveys was requested by the Uncompahgre Field Office, with the approval of the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify public land boundaries and a portion of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Boundary, in Township 51 North, Range 9 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on September 28, 2005. These plats and resurvey notes were requested by the Bureau of Land Management for administrative and management purposes. The plat and field notes of the dependent resurveys and surveys requested by the USDA Forest Service, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests, through the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the National Forest boundaries in Township 6 North, Range 77 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on August 24, 2005. The plat and field notes of the dependent resurvey and survey requested by the Regional Director of Lands, Rocky Mountain Region, USDA, Forest Service, through the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the National Forest boundaries for management purposes in Township 10 North, Ranges 73 and 74 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on August 26, 2005. The plat (in 2 sheets), which is the entire record, of the dependent resurvey and survey, requested by the Pike and San Isabel National Forests, through the State Director, Colorado, in order to locate certain forest service boundaries that pertain to fuel reduction projects north of Gardner, CO., in Township 25 South, Range 70 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on September 1, 2005. The plat and field notes, of the dependent resurvey and survey, was requested by the Rocky Mountain Region, USDA, Forest Service, through the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the National Forest boundaries for fuels reduction management purposes in Township 5 South, Range 72 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on September 7, 2005. The plats and field notes, representing the dependent resurvey and surveys in Townships 36 and 37 North, Range 14 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Group 1391,Colorado, were accepted August 10, 2005. These surveys were requested by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with the approval of the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the boundary of Ute Mountain Ute lands for management purposes. The plat and field notes, of the completion survey of Township 33 North, Range 19 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, was requested by the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the approval of the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the reservation boundaries, was accepted September 7, 2005. 8,404.14 acres are included in this original survey.

This final rule designates areas where personal watercraft (PWC) may be used in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan. This final rule implements the provisions of the National Park Service (NPS) general regulations authorizing parks to allow the use of PWC by promulgating a special regulation. The NPS Management Policies 2001 require individual parks to determine whether PWC use is appropriate for a specific park area based on an evaluation of that area's enabling legislation, resources and values, other visitor uses, and overall management objectives.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is extending the call for nominations for ten membership positions on the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area Advisory Council. The original notice calling for nominations published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2005 [70 FR 54403]. The original deadline for the call for nominations was October 14, 2005. The purpose of this notice is to extend the nomination period until October 31, 2005. The Council advises the Secretary and the BLM on resource management issues associated with the McInnis Canyons NCA and Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness.

Notice is hereby given that certain public lands are temporarily closed to public use for the purpose of discharge of firearms, from September 1, 2005 to August 31, 2006. The authorized BLM officer has determined that shooting within one-quarter mile of Frenchglen, Oregon, may be a safety hazard to the residents. During the closure period, BLM will prepare National Environmental Policy Act documentation to consider a permanent closure. The closed area occurs on BLM land around Frenchglen, Oregon, in Willamette Meridian, T. 32 S., R. 32 E., Section 02, Lots 3 and 4 east of the 115 kV power transmission line OR-012617, S\1/2\NW\1/4\ east of the 115kV power transmission line OR-012617, N\1/2\SW\1/4\ north of Hwy 205, E\1/2\SW\1/4\ east of Elbow Springs Road, SW\1/4\SE\1/4\ east of Elbow Springs Road. Closure signs will be posted at main entry points to the area and along the boundary as necessary. Maps of the closure area and information may be obtained from the BLM Burns District Office and at various locations in Burns, Hines, and Frenchglen.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), announce a 90- day finding for two petitions(1) the first that sought removal of the gray wolf from the designation of endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA); and (2) the second that requested to establish the northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment (Rocky Mountain DPS) of gray wolf (Canis lupus) and to remove the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountain DPS from the Federal list of threatened and endangered species, pursuant to the ESA. Although only one of these petitions presented substantial information, we have considered the collective weight of evidence indicating that the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves may qualify as a DPS and that delisting may be warranted. We are initiating a status review to determine if delisting the species is warranted. To ensure that the review is comprehensive, we are soliciting information and data regarding this species.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, we are inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The title of this information collection request (ICR) is ``30 CFR Part 227Delegation to States; 30 CFR Part 228Cooperative Activities with States and Indian Tribes; and 30 CFR Part 229 Delegation to States.'' We changed the title of this ICR to clarify the regulatory language we are covering under 30 CFR parts 227, 228, and 229 and to reflect OMB approval of consolidation of two ICRs, titled: 1010-0087: 30 CFR Part 228Cooperative Activities with States and Indian Tribes; and 1010-0088: 30 CFR Part 227Delegation to States. In the two ICRs, much of the general information was repeated and cross referenced. This consolidated ICR 1010-0087 eliminates that duplication of effort and redundancy of data and, also, includes 30 CFR part 229 information collection burden hours, which were not included in the previous information collections (1010-0087 and 1010-0088).

The Bureau of Reclamation will hold an additional public scoping meeting to solicit input on the scope of the environmental document, alternatives, concerns, and issues to be addressed in the EIS to be prepared. The notice of intent to prepare the EIS and notice of public scoping meetings was published in the Federal Register on October 7, 2005 (70 FR 58744).

The National Park Service published a document in the Federal Register of October 5, 2005 concerning the Two Hundred Fifty-Fifth Notice of Meeting of the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission. The document contained an incorrect date.

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission (the Commission) will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2005, at 1:30 p.m., at the National Building Museum, Room 312, 401 F Street, NW., Washington, DC. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss currently authorized and proposed memorials in the District of Columbia and its environs. In addition to discussing general matters and conducting routine business, the Commission will review the status of legislative proposals introduced in the 108th Congress to establish memorials in the District of Columbia and its environs, as follows:

The National Park Service (NPS) announces an SRC meeting within the Alaska Region for Gates of the Arctic National Park. The purpose of the meeting is to develop and continue work on subsistence hunting program recommendations and other related subsistence management issues. This meeting is open to the public and will have time allocated for public testimony. The public is welcomed to present written or oral comments to the SRC. The NPS SRC program is authorized under Title VIII, Section 808, of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Public Law 96-487, to operate in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Meeting minutes will be available for public inspection approximately six weeks after the meeting.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the reopening of the comment period on the proposed designation of critical habitat for the distinct population segment (DPS) of the California tiger salamander in Sonoma County and the availability of the draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat. The draft economic analysis identifies potential costs of approximately $336 million over a 20-year period or approximately $17 million per year as a result of the proposed designation of critical habitat, including those costs coextensive with listing. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule and the associated draft economic analysis. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they will be incorporated into the public record as part of this comment period, and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.