Department of the Interior May 3, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This order partially revokes a Public Land Order insofar as it affects 200 acres of National Forest System lands withdrawn for the Clear Creek Recreation Area.

We are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Kentucky regulatory program (hereinafter, the ``Kentucky program'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Kentucky submitted three separate items proposing revisions pertaining to prepayment of civil penalties, easements of necessity for reclamation on bankruptcy sites, and various statutes to eliminate outdated language. Kentucky intends to revise its program to be consistent with the corresponding Federal regulations and SMCRA. This document gives the times and locations that the Kentucky program and this submittal are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list a distinct population segment (DPS) of the roundtail chub (Gila robusta) in the lower Colorado River basin, and to list the headwater chub (G. nigra) as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The petition also asked the Service to designate critical habitat. After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that the petitioned action is not warranted for a DPS of the roundtail chub in the lower Colorado River basin, as explained below, but that listing is warranted for the headwater chub. Currently, however, listing of the headwater chub is precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Upon publication of this 12-month petition finding, the headwater chub will be added to our candidate species list. We will develop a proposed rule to list the headwater chub as our priorities allow. Any determinations on critical habitat will be made during development of the proposed rule.

The third meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Bird Banding Laboratory (Committee) will take place June 13 and 14, 2006, at the Western Regional Office for Ducks Unlimited, 3074 Gold Canal Drive, Rancho Cordova, California 95670-6116. The meeting runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. The purpose of the Advisory Committee, which is co-chaired by the USGS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is to represent the interests of the bird banding community, including both game and non-game birds, in advising the U.S. Department of the Interior, USGS, on current and future management of the Bird Banding Laboratory. The agenda for this meeting will focus on a full Committee review of the results of the work done since the last meeting by the writing subgroup. The subgroup was charged with developing draft one- page position papers on the following topics: (1) Bird banding permits; (2) data collection and storage; (3) data dissemination; (4) partnerships; and overarching issues. Subsequent to the review discussion, the Committee will finalize statements for each issue and begin developing recommendations for action. The meeting is open to all members of the interested public, and time on the agenda has been reserved at the conclusion of each day's work for the Committee to receive verbal comments (limited to 5 minutes per person) from the public. To speak before the Committee, please register in advance with Mr. Daniel James (see contact information below), the USGS Designated Federal Official (DFO) for the Committee.