Department of the Interior March 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

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) Central California Resource Advisory Council will meet as indicated below.

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

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (Pub. L. 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), and Title 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) hereby gives notice that the Final Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) 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 the EIS in compliance with the requirements of NEPA. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is the lead State of California agency for the preparation of the EIR in compliance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. If the project is approved, BLM and CPUC would issue right-of-way grants to SCE.

To protect fragile, wintering mule deer, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is closing to human entry seasonally, during each of three consecutive years starting in 2007, certain public lands near the South Fork of the Snake River, east of Heise, Idaho. Also, BLM will be considering a permanent, seasonal closure to protect wintering mule deer herds.

The U.S. Department of the Air Force (USAF) has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management that proposes to extend the duration of Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6705 for an additional 20- year period. PLO No. 6705 withdrew approximately 3,630 acres of public land from surface entry and mining, to protect the USAF Beaver Creek Research Site. The land has been and will remain closed to mineral leasing. This notice also gives an opportunity to comment on the proposed action and to request a public meeting.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Department of the Interior, BLM John Day Snake RAC will meet as indicated below: The John Day/Snake RAC is scheduled to meet on April 3, 2007, at the Oxford Suites at 2400 S.W. Court Place, Pendleton, OR 97801. The meeting time will be from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A public comment period will begin at 1 p.m., and end at 1:15 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time). The meeting may include such topics as off-highway vehicle and travel management, noxious weeds, planning, Sage grouse, and other matters as may reasonably come before the council. Meeting Procedures: The meeting is open to the public. The public may present written comments to the RAC. Depending on the number of persons wishing to provide oral comments and agenda topics to be covered, the time to do so may be limited. Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance such as sign language interpretation, tour transportation or other reasonable accommodations, should contact the BLM representative indicated below. For a copy of the information to be distributed to the RAC members, please submit a written request to the BLM Prineville District Office 10 days prior to the meeting.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing that the information collection requests for the following titles have been forward to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. These collections are for: 30 CFR parts 816 and 817 relating to the permanent program performance standards surface mining activities and underground mining activities, and 30 CFR part 850 authorizing State regulatory authorities to develop blaster certification programs. These information collection activities were previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and assigned clearance numbers 1029-0047 and 1029-0080, respectively.

This notice lists programs or portions of programs that are eligible for inclusion in fiscal year 2007 funding agreements with self-governance tribes and lists programmatic targets pursuant to section 405(c)(4) of the Tribal Self-Governance Act.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. Appendix (1988)), that the Preservation Technology and Training Board (Board) of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), National Park Service will meet on Wednesday and Thursday, April 4-5, 2007, in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The Board was established by Congress to provide leadership, policy advice, and professional oversight to the National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (National Center) in compliance with Section 404 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, (16 U.S.C. 470x-2(e)). The Board will meet at Lee H. Nelson Hall, the headquarters of NCPTT, at 645 University Parkway, Natchitoches, LA 71457telephone (318) 356-7444. The meeting will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 4 and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on April 5. The Board's meeting agenda will include: review and comment on National Center FY2006 accomplishments and operational priorities for FY2007; FY2007 and FY2008 National Center budget and initiatives; proposed Wingspread Conference on Sustainability in Preservation; revitalization of the Center's Friends group, and Board workgroup reports. The Board meeting is open to the public. Facilities and space for accommodating members of the public are limited, however, and persons will be accommodated on a first come, first served basis. Any member of the public may file a written statement concerning any of the matters to be discussed by the Board. Persons wishing more information concerning this meeting, or who wish to submit written statements, may contact: Mr. Kirk A. Cordell, Executive Director, National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 645 University Parkway, Natchitoches, LA 71457telephone (318) 356-7444. In addition to U.S. Mail or commercial delivery, written comments may be sent by fax to Mr. Cordell at (318) 356-9119. Minutes of the meeting will be available for public inspection no later than 90 days after the meeting at the office of the Executive Director, National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 645 University Parkway, Natchitoches, LA 71457telephone (318) 356-7444.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on the proposed designation of critical habitat for the plant Catesbaea melanocarpa (no common name) and the availability of the draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The draft economic analysis identifies potential costs of approximately $132,300 to $441,000 over a 20-year period as a result of the proposed designation of critical habitat, including those costs coextensive with listing. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule and the associated draft economic analysis. If you previously submitted comments on the proposed rule, you need not resubmit them, because we have incorporated them into the public record and will fully considered them in preparation of our final rule.

Pursuant to the California Wilderness Act of 1984, and in accordance with National Park Service (NPS) Management Policies 2006 section 6.2.1, the NPS has completed a Wilderness Suitability Assessment (assessment) to determine if the Mineral King, Chimney Rock (AKA Jennie Lakes), and Dillonwood additions to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks meet criteria indicating suitability for preservation as wilderness. The assessment divided the Mineral King addition into two segments, the ``backcountry'' or undeveloped/unroaded segment, and the ``developed'' segment, which includes the Mineral King Road and its associated developments. Each of these two segments was separated evaluated for wilderness suitability. The assessment found that the ``backcountry'' segment of the Mineral King Addition, and the Chimney Rock Addition: (1) Are predominantly roadless and undeveloped; (2) are greater than 5000 acres in size or of sufficient size as to make practicable their preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (3) meet the five wilderness character criteria listed in the 2006 NPS Management Policies. The assessment also found that the ``developed'' segment of the Mineral King Addition, and the Dillonwood Addition: (1) Are not predominantly roadless and undeveloped; (2) are not greater than 5000 acres in size or of sufficient size as to make practicable their preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (3) do not meet the five wilderness character criteria listed in the 2006 NPS Management Policies. Based on the findings of this Assessment, the NPS has concluded that the ``backcountry'' segment of the Mineral King Addition and the Chimney Rock Addition meet the criteria necessary for wilderness designation and therefore warrant further study for inclusion in wilderness. The NPS has also concluded that based on the findings of this Assessment, the ``developed'' segment of the Mineral King Addition and the Dillonwood Addition do not meet the criteria necessary for wilderness designation and therefore do not warrant further study for inclusion in wilderness. A transition zone between the Suitable (non- developed) and Non-Suitable (developed) segments in the Mineral King Addition, to allow for existing non-wilderness uses, is appropriate to consider in boundary delineation during the wilderness study process.

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Advisory Commission will be held at 9:30 a.m., on Friday, April 13, 2007, at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Headquarters, 1850 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, Maryland 21740.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of two supplements to the Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) Recovery Plan. The supplements, appended to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, present revised methods to estimate population size and sustainable mortality limits for the Yellowstone grizzly bear population, and establish habitat-based recovery criteria for the Yellowstone grizzly bear population.

The following permits were issued.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the San Diego Gas and Electric Company (Applicant) for a 40-year incidental take permit for one covered species pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The application addresses the potential for ``take'' of the federally endangered Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino) associated with the operation and maintenance of the existing gas and electric system, and construction of new facilities. A conservation program to mitigate for the project activities would be implemented by the Applicant as described in the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan for the San Diego Gas and Electric Company, San Diego, Riverside and Orange Counties, California (Plan), which would be implemented by the Applicant. We are requesting comments on the permit application and on the preliminary determination that the proposed Plan qualifies as a ``low- effect'' Habitat Conservation Plan, eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. The basis for this determination is discussed in the Environmental Action Statement and the associated Low Effect Screening Form (Screening Form), which is also available for public review.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to sell 51 parcels of public land in the Riverside County, California, aggregating approximately 274.37 acres. The sale will be conducted as a competitive sealed bid auction, in which interested bidders must submit written sealed bids equal to or greater than the appraised fair market value of the land. The sale will be completed under the authority of Sections 203 and 209 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1713 and 1719) and the implementing regulations at 43 CFR 2710 and 2720. The purpose of the sale is to dispose of lands which are difficult and uneconomic to manage as part of the public lands.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found suitable for classification for lease and subsequent conveyance under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, approximately 25 acres of public land in Clark County, Nevada. The City of Las Vegas proposes to use the land for a public park. This land disposal action has been coordinated with the unit of local government in whose jurisdiction such lands are located for Joint Selection purposes pursuant to Sec. 4 (d)(1) of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, Pub. L. 105-263, (112 Stat. 2345).

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Office of the Secretary is issuing public notice of its intent to amend an existing Privacy Act system of records notice, Interior, OS- 01, ``Computerized ID Security System,'' to implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and to clarify its interpretation of 5 U.S.C. 6106. HSPD-12 requires federal agencies to use a common identification credential for both logical and physical access to federally controlled facilities and information systems. Accordingly, the National Business Center, within the Office of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, is integrating its computerized smart-card physical security system with the identity management system which automates the process of issuing credentials to all Departmental employees, contractors, volunteers and other individuals who require regular, ongoing access to agency facilities, systems and networks based on sound criteria to verify an individual's identity, that are strongly resistant to fraud, tampering, counterfeiting, and terrorist exploitation, and that provide for rapid, electronic authentification of personal identity, by a provider whose reliability has been established through an official accreditation process. It is also expanding the coverage of this system to include all locations, Departmentwide, both Federal buildings and Federally-leased space, where paper-based physical security logs and registers have been established, in addition to or in place of smart-card access control systems. For this reason, it is renaming and renumbering this Privacy Act system notice as Interior, DOI-46: ``HSPD-12: Physical Security Files.''

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Office of the Secretary is issuing public notice of its intent to amend an existing Privacy Act system of records notice, Interior, DOI 30, ``Enterprise Access Control Service (EACS),'' to implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12). HSPD-12 requires federal agencies to use a common identification credential for both logical and physical access to federally controlled facilities and information systems. Accordingly, the National Business Center, within the Office of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, is planning to link, via Web services, its enterprise information technology directory, the Enterprise Access Control Service (EACS), with the identity management system (operated by the National Business Center) which automates the process of issuing HSPD-12 compliant credentials to all Departmental employees, contractors, volunteers and other individuals who require regular, ongoing access to agency facilities, systems and networks, based on sound criteria to verify an individual's identity, that are strongly resistant to fraud, tampering, counterfeiting, and terrorist exploitation, and that provide for rapid, electronic authentification of personal identity, by a provider whose reliability has been established through an official accreditation process. For this reason, it is renaming and renumbering Interior, DOI- 30, ``Enterprise Access Control Service (EACS)'' as Interior, DOI-47: ``HSPD-12: Logical Security Files (Enterprise Access Control Service/ EACS).''

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Recreation Survey, New Melones Lake Project, Sonora, CA. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and hour burden.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, intend to gather information necessary to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan and associated environmental documents for the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge. We furnish this notice in compliance with our comprehensive conservation planning policy to advise other agencies and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be considered in the planning process.