Department of the Interior April 30, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Interior, through the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service, proposes to amend regulations presently codified in 36 CFR part 2 and 50 CFR part 27, which provide guidance and controls for the possession and transportation of firearms in national park areas and national wildlife refuges. The proposed amendments would update the regulations to reflect current state laws authorizing the possession of concealed firearms, while maintaining the existing regulatory provisions that ensure visitor safety and resource protection such as the prohibitions on poaching and limitations on hunting and target practice.

The MMS published a Notice in the Federal Register on Friday, April 18, 2008 (73 FR 21152), announcing proposed areas of the OCS for limited alternative energy leasing and requesting indications of competitive interest in such proposed lease areas. That original Notice also requested public comment on the areas proposed for limited leasing. This correction Notice corrects the table in the original Notice identifying the proposed lease areas for alternative energy resource data collection and technology testing activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite the public to comment on the following application to renew an existing permit to conduct certain activities involving endangered species.

The Salt River Project (SRP) has submitted an application for an incidental take permit (ITP) for species currently listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA) and species that may become listed in the future (collectively, ``covered species''). The proposed take would occur in Maricopa and Yavapai Counties, Arizona, as a result of impacts on covered species and occupied habitat from modified operation of Horseshoe Dam and Reservoir (Horseshoe) and Bartlett Dam and Reservoir (Bartlett). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has issued a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the impacts of and alternatives for the possible issuance of an ITP. SRP has completed the final Horseshoe-Bartlett Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), along with a proposed Implementing Agreement as part of the application package submitted to the Service (collectively, the ``Application'') as required by the ESA, for consideration of issuance of an ITP. The Application provides measures to minimize and mitigate the effects of the proposed taking of covered species and effects to the habitats upon which they depend. The final EIS includes all comments received on the draft EIS, and responses to those comments. No decision will be made on the proposed action until at least 30 days after publication of this notice of availability of the final EIS in the Federal Register. After the 30-day waiting period, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will complete a Record of Decision (ROD) that states the action that will be implemented and discusses all factors leading to the decision.