Department of the Interior July 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the North Dakota regulatory program (hereinafter, the ``North Dakota program'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). North Dakota intends to revise its program to incorporate the additional flexibility afforded by the revised Federal regulations, clarify ambiguities, and improve operational efficiency. This document gives the times and locations that the North Dakota program and proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

OSM is announcing the receipt of a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania regulatory program (hereinafter, the ``Pennsylvania program'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). The proposed amendment (Administrative Record Number PA 887.00) was submitted to clarify the requirements for shaft and slope development and other issues relating to blasting at a mine site. This document gives the times and locations that the Pennsylvania 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.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we intend to gather information necessary to prepare, in coordination with the City of Santee (Applicant), a joint Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the City of Santee's Subarea Plan (Subarea Plan) under the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) in accordance with section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the State of California's Natural Community Conservation Planning Act. The Service provides this notice to: Describe the proposed actions and possible alternatives; (2) advise other Federal and State agencies, affected tribes, and the public of our intent to prepare an EIS/EIR; (3) announce the initiation of a public scoping period; and (4) obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues and alternatives to be included in the EIS/EIR.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (Pub. L. 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), and 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), together with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), hereby gives notice that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Southern California Edison Company (SCE) Devers-Palo Verde No. 2 Transmission Line Project is available for public review and comment. The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the preparation of this EIS in compliance with the requirements of NEPA. The CPUC is the lead State of California agency for the preparation of this EIR in compliance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This notice serves as an invitation for the public and other cooperating agencies to provide comments on the scope and content of the Draft EIS/EIR.

Under the provisions of 30 U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR 3108.2-3(a) and (b)(1), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease COC68455 from Western Energy Resources Inc. for lands in Gunnison County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

Under the provisions of 30 U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR 3108.2-3(a) and (b)(1), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease COC64777 from Vessels Coal Gas Inc for lands in Delta County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

This notice advises the public of the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Final EIS/EIR) for the Bair Island Restoration and Management Plan. The Record of Decision will be signed no sooner than 30 days after this notice. The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) plan to restore to tidal action 1,400 acres of former salt ponds on Bair Island, a unit of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) and the Bair Island State Ecological Reserve in South San Francisco Bay. The restoration would involve breaching existing former commercial salt pond levees, adding flow restricters to Corkscrew Slough, and adding wildlife-oriented public use facilities. It could also include rerouting Smith Slough to its former slough bed and raising the bottom elevation of Inner Bair Island with dredge and/or fill material or adding water control structures to Inner Bair Island.

The public is invited to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act that meetings of the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Advisory Commission will be held to discuss the development of the Park's general management plan. Dates and Locations: September 21, 2006 at the Warren County Government Center, 220 N. Commerce Ave., Front Royal VA; November 16, 2006 at the Strasburg Town Hall Council Chambers, 174 East King St., Strasburg, VA; January 18, 2007 at the Middletown Town Hall Council Chambers, 7875 Church St., Middletown, VA; March 15, 2007, at the Warren County Government Center; May 17, 2007 at the Strasburg Town Hall; and July 19, 2007 at the Middletown Town Hall. All meetings will convene at 9 a.m. and are open to the public.

The Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Council (SEORAC) will hold a meeting Monday, August 7 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Ontario, 1249 Tapadera Avenue, Ontario, Oregon 97914. A field trip to the Bully Creek area of the Vale District Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for SEORAC members will follow on Tuesday, August 8. Agenda items for Monday's session include liaison reports from SEORAC members; updates from Designated Federal Officials; follow-up information sharing on the Grazing Administration Rule, the Recreation Resource Advisory Council (RAC), and Statewide transportation planning and a joint sub-committee with the John Day/Snake RAC; review of SEORAC jurisdictional boundaries and district-by-district planning efforts through fiscal year 2007; and discussion on the Malheur National Forest Plan, energy issues, the monitoring pilot project, and possible RAC involvement. Other matters that may reasonably come before the SEORAC may also be addressed. The public is welcome to attend all portions of the meeting and may contribute during the public comment session at 11 a.m. Those who verbally address the SEORAC during public comment are asked to also provide a written statement of their comments or presentation. Unless otherwise approved by the SEORAC Chair, the public comment period will last no longer than 30 minutes, and each speaker may address the SEORAC for a maximum of 5 minutes. If you have information you would like distributed to SEORAC members, please send it to Sally Nelson at the Burns District Office, 28910 Hwy 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738, prior to the start of the meeting.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Grand Junction Field Office located in Grand Junction, CO, will be directing the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Red Cliff Coal Mine near Loma, Colorado, including Right-of-Way and Land Use Applications for facilities on Federal Lands, submitted by CAM-Colorado, LLC (CAM). The EIS will analyze the development of surface facilities for coal mining associated with CAM's proposed underground Red Cliff Mine, including roads, a water pipeline, coal stockpile and waste disposal areas, a coal preparation plant, the mine portal, other administrative and operations facilities, and a railroad spur line that would connect to the existing Union Pacific Railroad line near Mack, Colorado. Cooperating agencies include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Office of Surface Mining, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Mesa County, and Garfield County. The BLM invites the public to participate in the NEPA process.

In accordance with the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act of 2000 (43 U.S.C. 2303) (FLTFA), this notice provides the public the opportunity to nominate lands within the State of Arizona for possible acquisition by the Federal agencies identified below. Such lands must be (1) inholdings within a federally designated area or (2) lands that are adjacent to federally designated areas and contain exceptional resources.

This order extends Public Land Order No. 6619 for an additional 20-year period. This extension is necessary to allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue to manage the land as part of the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge.

Notice is hereby given that the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah State Office will offer certain coal resources described below as the Mill Fork West Tract (UTU-84285) in Emery County, Utah, for competitive sale by sealed bid, in accordance with the provisions for competitive lease sale notices in 43 CFR 3422.2(a), and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended and supplemented (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq).

Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the National Park Service invites comments on a proposed new collection of information (1024-xxxx).

The following permits were issued.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announces the availability of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a drought management plan for the operation of the Kerr Hydroelectric Project, Flathead Lake, Montana. In addition to mailing the draft EIS to cooperating agencies and those who previously requested the document, the BIA has made the draft EIS available at the Polson City Library, 2 First Avenue East, Polson, Montana, and the Flathead County Library, 247 First Avenue East, Kalispell, Montana. Additionally, the draft EIS may be obtained on the following Web site: https://www.flatheadlake- eis.com. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public, other Federal agencies, tribal, State, and local governments, organizations and businesses of the availability of the draft EIS and to announce public hearings to discuss the draft EIS.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that a Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) is available for Horicon and Fox River NWRs, Wisconsin. The CCP was prepared 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. Goals and objectives in the CCP describe how the agency intends to manage the refuge over the next 15 years.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), on behalf of the Department of the Interior (DOI) as a Natural Resource Trustee (Trustee), announces the release for public review of the Draft Natural Resource Restoration Plan and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) for the W.R. Grace Superfund Site, Wayne Township, Passaic County, New Jersey. The Draft RP/EA describes the DOI's proposal to restore natural resources injured as a result of contamination at the W.R. Grace Superfund Site.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), plan to reintroduce northern aplomado falcons (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) (falcon) into their historical habitat in southern New Mexico for the purpose of establishing a viable resident population in New Mexico and Arizona. The falcon is being re-established under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and would be classified as a nonessential experimental population (NEP). The geographic boundary of the NEP includes all of New Mexico and Arizona. This action is part of a series of reintroductions and other recovery actions that the Service, Federal and State agencies, and other partners are conducting throughout the species'' historical range. This final rule provides a plan for establishing the NEP and provides for limited allowable legal taking of the northern aplomado falcon within the defined NEP area. Birds can only be released when they are a few weeks old, and this condition only occurs in the spring and summer of each year. In order to accomplish a release in 2006, we must expedite on-the-ground implementation.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region, intends to gather information necessary to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and its implementing regulations. The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, requires the Service to develop a comprehensive conservation plan for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose in developing a comprehensive conservation plan is to provide refuge mangers with a 15- year strategy for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and Service policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction on conserving wildlife and their habitats, plans identify wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and interpretation. The purpose of this notice is to achieve the following: (1) Advise other agencies and the public of our intentions, and (2) Obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to include in the environmental document.