Department of the Interior September 6, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Minerals Management Service has prepared an environmental assessment and a Finding of No New Significant Impact for the proposed Alaska Region Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Beaufort Sea Planning Area Lease Sale 202. In this EA, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2006-001, MMS reexamined the potential environmental effects of the proposed action and its alternatives based on any new information regarding potential impacts and issues that were not available at the time the Alaska Region OCS Beaufort Sea Planning Area Oil and Gas Lease Sales 186, 195, and 202, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Volumes I through IV (multiple- sale EIS) was completed in February 2003.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), in cooperation with the Spokane Tribe of Indians (Tribe), intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) for the Spokane Indian Reservation, Washington, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and that the DEIS is now available for public review. The purpose of the proposed action is to update the Tribe's existing IRMP, in order to provide for the development of long-term resource management policies that will ensure direction and stability for sustained growth of reservation economics, compatible with traditional values and needs for a quality human environment. This notice also announces a public hearing to receive public comments on the DEIS.

The public is invited to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species and/or marine mammals.

Under the provisions of section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the BLM announces its intentions to prepare an EIS and to solicit public comments regarding issues and resource information for the proposed Hiawatha Regional Energy Project, a natural gas development project consisting of conventional natural gas well development in established, producing fields.

Notice is hereby given that certain lands located in northwestern Nevada partly within the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area will be temporarily closed or restricted and certain activities will be temporarily prohibited in and around the Burning Man event site administered by the BLM Winnemucca Field Office in Pershing County, Nevada. The specified closures, restrictions and prohibitions are made in the interest of public safety at and around the public lands location of an event known as the Burning Man Festival. This event is authorized on public lands under a special recreation permit and is expected to attract approximately 37,000 participants this year. In summary, these lands will be closed or restricted with regard to the following: August 11, 2006 through September 18, 2006 inclusive: Discharge of firearms, possession of weapons, waste water disposal, camping, and circumstances and procedures for eviction of persons from public lands. August 25, 2006 through September 4, 2006 inclusive: Aircraft landing, possession of fireworks, possession of alcohol by minors, vehicle use, and all public uses.

The Bureau of Land Management published in the Federal Register of August 18, 2006, (71 FR 47826) a notice inviting all interested parties to participate with Jacobs Ranch Coal Company on a pro rata cost sharing basis in its program for the exploration of coal deposits owned by the United States of America. Inadvertently, the following lands included in the exploration license application were omitted from the notice.