Department of the Interior March 14, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has determined that 2,808.67 acres of isolated public lands in Grand County, Utah, are suitable for lease pursuant to section 302 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (90 Stat. 2762; 43 U.S.C. 1732) using noncompetitive (direct) lease procedures.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the Draft Conservation Agreement for the Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) for public review and comment.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended) and the implementing regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1505.2), the Department of the Interior, National Park Service has prepared, and the Regional Director, Pacific West Region has approved, the Record of Decision for the Fire Management Plan for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The formal no-action period was officially initiated December 23, 2005, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Register notification of the filing of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Decision: As soon as practicable the park will begin to implement as its updated Fire Management Plan the ``Mechanical Fuel Reduction/ Ecological Prescribed Fire/Strategic Fuels Treatment'' alternative (also described and analyzed as the Preferred Alternative (2)) contained in the Draft and Final EIS. The selected plan provides the maximum potential environmental benefits and minimizes adverse effects of fire management activities. Alternative 2 is the most flexible alternative, utilizing all available fire management strategies deemed to be appropriate for the mediterranean type conditions found in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. As documented in the EIS, this plan was also deemed to be the ``environmentally preferred'' alternative. This course of action and three alternatives were identified and analyzed in the Final EIS, and previously in the Draft EIS (the latter was distributed in June 2004). The full spectrum of foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriate mitigation measures identified, for each alternative. Beginning with early scoping, through the preparation of the Draft and Final EIS, numerous public meetings were conducted (in Thousand Oaks, Malibu, Los Angeles, Agoura Hills, Calabasas) and newsletter updates were regularly provided. Approximately 25 written comments responding to the Draft EIS were received and duly considered. Key consultations which aided in preparing the Draft and Final EIS involved (but were not limited to) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State Historic Preservation Office, native American Tribes, air quality management districts, adjoining land managing agencies, and U.S. Geological Survey. Local communities, county and city officials, and interested organizations were contacted extensively during initial scoping and throughout the fire planning process. Copies: Interested parties desiring to review the Record of Decision may obtain a complete copy by contacting the Superintendent, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and 401 West Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-4223 or via telephone request at (805) 370-2300.

Notice is hereby given that in accord with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and pursuant to the Council of Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-08), the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, in consultation with the Department of Energy, is initiating the conservation planning and environmental impact analysis process for a Special Resource Study concerning the preservation and interpretation of historic sites associated with the Manhattan Project. The scope of the study includes the Los Alamos National Laboratory and townsite, New Mexico; the Hanford Site in Washington; the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee; and Dayton-area sites in Ohio. Following completion of the scoping phase an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is to be prepared. The authority for publishing this notice is contained in 40 CFR 1506.6. The Special Resource Study will assess the national significance, suitability, and feasibility of designating one or more of these sites as a unit of the National Park System according to the standards and criteria for such determinations established in the National Park Service (NPS) Management Policies. In addition, management alternatives for the protection and interpretation for each of the sites will be evaluated according to NPS standards and criteria, and the potential environmental impacts (and appropriate mitigation strategies) of each alternative will be analyzed in the Draft EIS. Through the preliminary scoping process, the NPS welcomes suggestions from the public regarding preservation, interpretation, and management of the sites.