Department of the Interior June 15, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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

We are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Kentucky Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation (AMLR) Plan under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). The amendment makes several revisions to Kentucky's AMLR Plan and is intended to update and improve the effectiveness of the AMLR plan. Kentucky submitted the amendment in response to the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act Amendments of 2006. This document gives the times and locations that the Kentucky 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.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared three Proposed Resource Management Plans/Final Environmental Impact Statements (PRMPs/FEISs) for public lands managed by the Eagle Lake Field Office, Susanville, California; the Alturas Field Office, Alturas, California; and the Surprise Field Office, Cedarville, California. These plans are now available for public review.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering amending its migratory bird regulations to allow Native Americans to acquire parts and feathers from birds other than eagles for religious or spiritual use. No current regulations govern the acquisition and possession of migratory bird parts and feathers of birds other than eagles for Native American religious or spiritual use. We have a compelling interest in protecting the traditional religious and spiritual resource values of Native Americans as part of our trust relationship with federally recognized Native American tribes. We recognize the need to balance this compelling reason against the equally compelling basis for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. We seek information necessary to prepare an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act and its implementing regulations for a possible proposed rule.