Department of the Interior September 26, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Public comment period is being extended on the Proposed Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project. The comment period is being extended due to extensive public comment and a high level of public interest.

We invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species.

Pursuant to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Minerals Management Service (MMS) will hold Public Hearings to solicit comments on the Draft EIS for the Proposed 2007-2012 OCS Oil and Gas 5-Year Leasing Program, as announced in the Federal Register notifying the availability of the Draft EIS on August 25, 2006. Statements, both oral and written, will be received at the venues listed below. Persons wishing to speak may be put on the speakers' list by the MMS contacts in advance of the specific public hearing or may sign up at the hearing. Time limits may be set on oral testimony to allow time for all speakers to participate. The following Public Hearings are planned for the DEIS.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the public comment period on the proposal to designate critical habitat for Astragalus ampullarioides (Shivwits milk-vetch) and Astragalus holmgreniorum (Holmgren milk-vetch) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of the draft economic analysis for the proposed designation of critical habitat for Holmgren and Shivwits milk-vetches. The draft economic analysis finds that, over 20 years, post-designation costs for Holmgren and Shivwits milk-vetch conservation-related activities are estimated to range between $8.8 and $14.1 million in undiscounted 2006 dollars. In discounted terms, potential post- designation economic costs are estimated to be $8.5 to $13.0 million (using a 3 percent discount rate) or $8.2 to $12.1 million (using a 7 percent discount rate). In addition, we announce the availability of a draft environmental assessment that has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) (NEPA). Finally, we propose to revise boundary descriptions for two critical habitat subunits: Holmgren milk-vetch's Unit 2a (Stucki Spring) and Unit 2b (South Hills).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the northern Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops) as threatened or endangered with critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The petitioners provided three listing scenarios for consideration by the Service: (1) Listing the United States population as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS); (2) listing Thamnophis eques megalops throughout its range in the United States and Mexico based on its rangewide status; or (3) listing Thamnophis eques megalops throughout its range in the United States and Mexico based on its status in the United States. After thorough analysis and review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing of the subspecies, under any of the three scenarios, is not warranted. Of the three listing scenarios specified above, we found scenario two provided the most rigorous evaluation of the status of the northern Mexican gartersnake and herein provide detailed discussion of our conclusions in that context. We also provide additional discussion of our evaluation of scenarios (1) listing the United States population as a DPS and (3) listing Thamnophis eques megalops throughout its range in the United States and Mexico based on its status in the United States.