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

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs)/applications for five incidental take permits (ITPs). Maronda Homes, Inc., of Florida (Applicant) requests five ITPs, two for a 1-year term and three for a 10-year term, pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Applicant anticipates taking about 1.09 acres combined of Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) (scrub-jay) foraging and sheltering habitat incidental to lot preparation for the construction of five single-family homes and supporting infrastructure in Brevard County, Florida (Projects). The destruction of 1.09 acres of foraging and sheltering habitat is expected to result in the take of three families of scrub-jays. The Applicant's HCPs describe the mitigation and minimization measures proposed to address the effects of the Projects to the Florida scrub- jay.

The following permit was issued.

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

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has prepared a final programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) for proposed seismic surveys in the Arctic Ocean Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in 2006. In this PEA, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2006-038, MMS examined the potential environmental effects of the proposed action and its alternatives. Based on MMS's examination in the draft PEA of the potential impacts associated with the Proposed Action and review of comments received from the public and agencies, Alternative 6 (Seismic Surveys for Geophysical Exploration Activities would be Permitted with Existing Alaska OCS Geological and Geophysical Exploration Stipulations and Guidelines and Additional Protective Measures for Marine Mammals, including a 180/190 dB Specified-Exclusion Zone) is MMS's Selected Alternative. The Selected Alternative and the incorporated mitigation measures fulfill MMS's statutory mission and responsibilities and the stated purpose and need for the Proposed Action (to issue geophysical exploration permits for seismic surveys that are technically safe and environmentally sound) while considering environmental, technical, and economic factors. By incorporating mitigation measures into the Selected Alternative and designating them as permit stipulations and/or conditions of approval, MMS has determined that no significant adverse effects (40 CFR 1508.27) on the quality of the human environment would occur from the Selected Alternative. Therefore, an environmental impact statement is not required and MMS has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The National Marine Fisheries Service was a cooperating agency on the PEA.

We, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are amending the regulations governing subsistence use of fish and wildlife in Alaska by creating an additional subsistence resource region for the Kenai Peninsula. This addition of a separate subsistence resource region will allow for the creation of a separate Federal subsistence regional advisory council for that region. A new regional council responsible for only the Kenai Peninsula area will better ensure that residents with personal knowledge of the Kenai Peninsula area will have a meaningful role in the complex issues and management challenges of subsistence management on the Federal lands of the Kenai Peninsula.

This rule would revise the list of nonrural areas identified by the Federal Subsistence Board (Board, we, us). Areas determined to be nonrural are not eligible to participate in the Federal Subsistence Management Program on Federal public lands in Alaska. We propose to change Adak's status to rural. We also propose to add Prudhoe Bay and the Kodiak Area, including the City of Kodiak, the Mill Bay area, Womens Bay, Bell's Flats, and the Coast Guard Station to the list of nonrural areas. The following areas would continue to be nonrural, but we propose changes in their boundaries: the Kenai Area; the Wasilla/ Palmer Area, including Point McKenzie; the Homer Area, including Fritz Creek East (except Voznesenka) and the North Fork Road area; and the Ketchikan Area. We propose no other changes in status. However, new information could lead to changes not proposed at this time.

This notice announces a meeting of the Arizona Resource Advisory Council (RAC). The business meeting will be held on September 6, 2006, in St. George, Utah, at the Arizona Strip District Office located at 245 East Riverside Drive. It will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. The agenda items to be covered include: Review of the March 2 and June 8, 2006, Meeting Minutes; BLM State Director's Update on Statewide Issues; Presentations BLM's Vermilion Cliffs National MonumentCoyote Buttes North; and growing interest in uranium mining on the Arizona Strip; Updates on the Recreation Resource Advisory Committee, and Arizona Land Use Planning; RAC Questions on written reports from BLM Field Managers; Field Office Rangeland Resource Team Proposals; Reports by the Standards and Guidelines, Recreation, Off-Highway Vehicle Use, Public Relations, Land Use Planning and Tenure, and Wild Horse and Burro Working Groups; Reports from RAC members; and discussion of future meetings. A public comment period will be provided at 11:30 a.m. on September 6, 2006, for any interested publics who wish to address the Council.