Department of the Interior February 17, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Crop Acreage and Yields and Water Distribution (Water User Crop Census Report [Form 7-332], and Crop and Water Data [Form 7-2045]), OMB Control Number: 1006-0001. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost burden.

Under the provisions of Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service is preparing a Coral Restoration Plan/Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (RP/PEIS). This plan is intended to guide all future coral restoration activities performed within Biscayne National Park (BISC). NPS is undertaking restoration planning and an impact analysis to identify and assess potential impacts of performing restoration activities on injured coral reef communities at vessel grounding sites within BISC. As part of this process NPS will evaluate a range of alternatives for coral reef restoration to determine the potential impacts of those alternatives, including those on land use, water quality, biological resources, geology, cultural resources, human health and safety, and aesthetics. The alternatives that may be evaluated for coral restoration are specific for each injury type including geological, biological, and other. Preliminary alternatives for geological injuries include seal/fill fractures, removal of material/rubble, filling fractures with rubble or other materials, translocate biota to stabilize surface, promote natural depositional processes, re-attachment of displaced substrate, re-establish topography, stabilize rubble, and relocation of rubble. Preliminary alternatives for biological injuries include re-attachment on-site, translocation/transplanting, seeding, removal of toxic material (e.g., bottom paint), and removal of acute and chronic point source and on-site treatment of water column contaminants. Preliminary alternatives for other injuries would include removal of debris. The purpose of the coral RP/PEIS is to develop a restoration plan that can be used by the NPS to restore coral reefs. This plan is needed to remedy injuries and damage caused by vessel groundings. To facilitate sound planning and consideration of environmental resources, the NPS intends to gather information necessary for the preparation of the coral RP/PEIS and to obtain suggestions and information from other agencies and the public on the scope of issues to be addressed in the RP/PEIS. Vessel groundings are common occurrences in BISC due to shallow water conditions outside marked channels. When a vessel runs aground on a coral reef, injuries associated with the grounding and subsequent extrication include surficial scraping of the hard bottom substrate and reef structure, blowhole formations (displacement of unconsolidated substrate that occurs when the vessel attempts to power off) fractured substrate, loss of topography, displacement of substrate (rubble), loss of living organisms, hull paint deposition on scarred substrate, introduction of contaminants to the water column (e.g., fuel, cargo) and keel scars. Coral reefs are some of the oldest, most unique, and productive ecosystems. The coral reefs within BISC are natural resources that the NPS preserves and protects for the education, inspiration, recreation, and enjoyment of present and future generations. Vessel groundings often cause structural injury to the reef matrix increasing the potential for continued erosion. Lack of management intervention after a grounding incident often results in a continued degradation and enlargement of the impacted site over time. The Park System Resource Protection Act (PSRPA) authorizes the NPS to seek compensation for injuries to Park System resources and use the recovered funds to restore, replace, or acquire equivalent resources, and to monitor and study such resources. It is the intent of NPS to prepare this coral RP/ PEIS to facilitate so that a tiered process can be used to facilitate further site-specific coral reef restoration actions within BISC.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has determined land located in San Miguel County, New Mexico is suitable for classification for lease or conveyance to El Valle de Cristo Church, a non-profit organization, under authority of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.).

A 3.21 acre parcel of public land in Conejos County, Colorado is being considered for direct sale to Hal and Mindy Wilson to resolve an unauthorized use of public land.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), extend for not more than six months, the time to make a decision on the proposal to delist the Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) and announce the reopening of the comment period. Since the close of the public comment period, we have received additional information which may be influential in our final decision. The extension is sought pursuant to section 4(b)(6)(B)(i) of the ESA because a recently completed and unpublished study substantially disagrees with the determination contained in the proposed rule that Preble's is not a distinct subspecies. Some of this new information conflicts with information given significant weight in the proposed rule. In order to ensure the public has full access to and an opportunity to comment on all available information, we are reopening the public comment period for 60 days. The Service will make a final decision based on the best scientific and commercial information available. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they have already been incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in the final decision and rule.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are approving an amendment to the Texas regulatory program (Texas program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Texas proposed revisions to the Texas Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act (TSCMRA) and the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) regarding the State's annual fees that are required from coal mining permit holders. Texas proposed to change the requirement for the current annual fee and to add two new annual fees. Texas intends to revise its program to reduce the economic cost to the coal mining industry as a whole and to require coal mining permit holders that have ceased mining to pay annual fees.