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

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a public teleconference of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council).

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found suitable for classification for lease and subsequent conveyance under the provision of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, 43 U.S.C. 869 et seq., and under sec. 7 of the Taylor Grazing Act, 43 U.S.C. 315f, and E.O. 6910, eighty acres of land in Archuleta County, Colorado. Archuleta County proposes to use the land for public recreation purposes.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. We are combining three surveys in this ICR because the surveys are interrelated and/or dependent upon each other: (1) Migratory Bird Hunter Surveys, currently approved under OMB Control No. 1018-0015, which expires February 28, 2008. (2) Parts Collection Survey, also approved under OMB Control No. 1018-0015. (3) Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey, currently approved under OMB Control No. 1018-0023, which expires November 30, 2007. 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507 et seq.) and 5 CFR Part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a revision of a currently approved collection (OMB 1024-0038).

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 670 acres of public land in Clark County, Nevada. The City of Mesquite proposes to use the land for a regional park.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2007. 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB.

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. This IC is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2008. 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.

This notice extends the period for comments on the burden, estimates or any other aspects of the information collection requirements for the proposed Class II game classification standards (72 FR 60483) published in the Federal Register on October 24, 2007.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), revise our August 15, 2006, proposal to designate critical habitat for 12 species of Hawaiian picture-wing flies (Drosophila aglaia, D. differens, D. hemipeza, D. heteroneura, D. montgomeryi, D. mulli, D. musaphilia, D. neoclavisetae, D. obatai, D. ochrobasis, D. substenoptera, and D. tarphytrichia) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 9,238 acres (ac) (3,738 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of this revised proposed critical habitat designation. The revised proposed critical habitat is located in four counties (City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai) in Hawaii.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on the proposed designation of critical habitat for Acanthomintha ilicifolia (San Diego thornmint) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce corrections to proposed critical habitat subunits 3C, 3D, 3F, 4A, 4B, and 4C as described in the preamble to the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on March 14, 2007 (72 FR 11946); announce the availability of the draft economic analysis for the proposed critical habitat designation; and announce amended Required Determinations for the proposal. The draft economic analysis provides information about the pre-designation costs and forecasts post-designation costs associated with conservation efforts for Acanthomintha ilicifolia. The draft economic analysis estimates potential future costs to be approximately $0.6 to $2.8 million in undiscounted dollars over a 20-year period in areas proposed as final critical habitat and approximately $1.6 to $5.1 million in undiscounted dollars over a 20-year period in areas proposed for exclusion from critical habitat under section 4(b)(2) of the Act. The amended Required Determinations section provides our determination concerning compliance with applicable statutes and Executive orders that we have deferred until the information from the draft economic analysis of the proposal was available. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule, corrections to the preamble of the proposed rule, the associated draft economic analysis, and the amended Required Determinations section. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they will be incorporated into the public record as part of this comment period and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

This notice publishes the Liquor Ordinance of the Karuk Tribe of California. The Ordinance regulates and controls the possession, sale and consumption of liquor within the Karuk tribal lands. The land is located on trust land and this ordinance allows for the possession and sale of alcoholic beverages within the Karuk Tribe of California tribal lands. This ordinance will increase the ability of the tribal government to control the distribution and possession of liquor within their reservation and at the same time will provide funds for the continued operation and strengthening of the Karuk tribal government and the delivery of tribal government services.

Under the Class II provisions of title IV, Public Law 97-451, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease NMNM 98795 from the lessee, Nadel and Gussman Permain, LLC, for lands in Eddy County, New Mexico. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

On October 19, 2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) issued a section 10(a)(1)(B) permit, pursuant to Section 10(a) of the Endangered Species Act (Act), for incidental take of the golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia)(GCWA) to Thomas Scarpato and Janet Neyland-Scarpato (Applicant). The permit (TE-042733-0) was for a period of five years and expired on October 19, 2006. The requested permit renewal by Mr. and Mrs. Scarpato will extend the permit expiration by five years from the date the permit is reissued.

The Charlotte County Board of Commissioners (Applicant) requests an incidental take permit (ITP) pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) for the take of the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) (scrub- jay). The Applicant anticipates taking 84.2 acres of occupied scrub-jay breeding, foraging, and sheltering habitat, incidental to otherwise lawful activities of road construction and community redevelopment (Projects) in Charlotte County, Florida. The development of this habitat is expected to result in the take of 11 families of scrub-jays. The Applicant's habitat conservation plan (HCP) describes the mitigation and minimization measures proposed to address the effects of the Projects to the scrub-jay. These measures are outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) will meet to select North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant proposals for recommendation to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (Commission). This meeting is open to the public, and interested persons may present oral or written statements.

We announce our receipt of applications to conduct certain activities pertaining to enhancement of survival of endangered species.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we will submit to OMB a new information collection request (ICR) for approval of the paperwork requirements for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, Cooperative Agreements Program (NSDI CAP). To submit a proposal for the NSDI CAP three standard OMB forms and project narrative must be completed and submitted via on Grants.gov. This notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these forms. The forms are available at https://www07.grants.gov/agencies/approved standardforms.jsp and the NSDI CAP project narrative guidance is available at https://www.fgdc.gov/grants/2008CAP/2008CAPSolicitation ver6.doc.

The National Park Service is proposing this rule to provide for the protection of the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus), a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Western Snowy Plovers overwinter within Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) at both Crissy Field and Ocean Beach. This rulemaking will provide temporary protection for two areas until a permanent determination is made through the planning process for the entire park. The park is developing a Dog Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and special regulations for dog management at GGNRA is expected to be completed by winter 2009.

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

The Bureau of Land Management published a Notice of Minor Amendments to the Charter of the Science Technology Advisory Panel for the North Slope Science Initiative in the Federal Register on November 5, 2007 [72 FR 62487]. This notice corrects the e-mail address of John Payne and the statement in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section which stated that appointees would serve with monetary compensation. This sentence is corrected to read: ``Appointees will serve without monetary compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses at current rates for Federal government employees.''

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the draft revised recovery plan for the Attwater's prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri). This is the second revision of the recovery plan for this species; the original was completed in 1983. We are soliciting review and comment from the public on this draft revised recovery plan.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et. seq., as amended, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq., as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Shoshone Field Office, announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Bald Mountain Ski Resort Master Development Plan EIS. The FEIS analyzes and discloses the effects of the updated Bald Mountain Ski Area Master Development Plan and 40-year term ski permit application for the Bald Mountain Ski Area near Ketchum, Idaho.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arizona Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet on December 6, 2007, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the BLM Arizona State Office, One North Central Avenue, 8th floor. It will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. Morning agenda items include: Review of the September 6, 2007, meeting minutes for RAC and Recreation Resource Advisory Council (RRAC) business; BLM State Director's update on statewide issues; presentations on: BLM Energy Corridors in Arizona, BLM Recreation Webpage Redesign, BLM Route Evaluation and Designation Process; and Recreational Shooting on Public Lands; review and discussion of the 2008 RAC Annual Work Plan; and, reports by RAC working groups. A public comment period will be provided at 11:30 a.m. on December 6, 2007, for any interested publics who wish to address the Council on BLM programs and business. Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, the RAC has been designated the RRAC, and has the authority to review all BLM and Forest Service (FS) recreation fee proposals in Arizona. The afternoon meeting agenda on December 6, will include discussion and review of the Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) Working Group Report, the Fiscal Year 2008 quarterly schedule for BLM and FS recreation fee proposals, and proposed modifications to the RRAC protocol, business cycle, and fee proposal guidelines. After completing their RRAC business, the BLM RAC will discuss future meetings and locations.