Department of the Interior June 19, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The MMS has received a request from Long Island Offshore Wind Park, LLC (LIOWP) for a lease, easement, or right-of-way to construct and operate a wind energy facility in Federal waters off Long Island, 3.6 miles southwest of Jones Beach Island, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York. The purpose of this project is to provide a utility-scale renewable energy facility providing power to the New York electrical grid. Forty wind turbine generators are proposed to generate 140 megawatts of electricity and deliver it to an existing substation near West Amityville by means of a buried transmission line. By this notice, the MMS announces: (1) Its intention to prepare an EIS; (2) an invitation for participation by interested cooperating agencies in the review; and (3) the beginning of EIS scoping under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and (4) the dates and locations for two public meetings to receive comments on the scope of the EIS.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), on behalf of the Department of the Interior (DOI) as the sole natural resource trustee, announces the release for public review of the Draft Restoration Plan (RP) for the Cortese Landfill Superfund Site (Site). As a result of remedial activities and the off-site migration of Site-related contaminants, 1.6 acres of wetland were destroyed and/or degraded. Adversely affected natural resources include waterfowl, wading birds, hawks, woodpeckers, swallows, migratory songbirds, invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians. In addition, the section of the Upper Delaware River watershed near the Site hosts the largest population of wintering bald eagles in the Northeast. The embayment provides feeding and/or spawning habitat for forage fish, American shad, striped bass, and American eel. The funds available from this settlement for restoration activities total approximately $85,000. The restoration project proposed in the Draft RP involves wet meadow/wetland restoration and protection. The Draft RP presents a preferred alternative consisting of a restoration project that compensates for impacts to natural resources caused by contaminant releases and remedial activities associated with the Site.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Western Montana Resource Advisory Council will meet as indicated below.

The notice announces that the Federal coal lands within the nine (9) Oklahoma Counties of Atoka, Coal, Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore, McIntosh, Muskogee, Pittsburgh, and Sequoyah continue to qualify as a Category 5 royalty rate reduction ``Area'' as set forth in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Royalty Rate Reduction Guidelines (55 FR 6841 and 55 FR 18401) and BLM Manual 3485, Reports, Royalties, and Records. Analysis by the Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office indicates that there have been no significant changes in the coal market for the Area during the last 5 years. Therefore, the State Director of the New Mexico State Office of the BLM has determined to extend the qualification of the Area for Category 5 Royalty Rate Reductions for five (5) additional years.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and in response to an application filed by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Royal Gorge Field Office, announces its intention to prepare an EIS and conduct public scoping. The artists propose to hang fabric panels over a portion of the Arkansas River as an artistic exhibition. The reason for preparing an EIS is based upon several factors, including a specific request from the applicants; the increasing complexity of the project; the level of controversy related to the project; and the level of involvement during the scoping process.

The purpose of this notice is to request public nominations for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory Council (RAC) specifically in ``Category 2,'' which includes representatives of nationally or regionally recognized environmental organizations, archaeological and historic organizations, dispersed recreation users, and wild horse and burro organizations. The RAC provides advice and recommendations to BLM on land use planning and management of the public lands within northwestern Colorado. The BLM will consider public nominations for 30 days after the publication date of this notice.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), have determined that it is appropriate to remove Agave arizonica (Arizona agave) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. This determination is based on a thorough review of all available data, which indicate that this plant is not a discrete taxonomic entity and does not meet the definition of a species under the Act. Evidence collected subsequent to the listing indicates that plants attributed to Agave arizonica do not constitute a distinct species but rather are individuals that have resulted from recent and sporadic instances of hybridization between two species. Current taxonomic practice is not to recognize such groups of individuals as a species. Since Agave arizonica is not recognized as a species, it no longer qualifies for protection under the Act.