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

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Office of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior is issuing public notice of its intent to amend an existing Privacy Act system of records notice, Interior, DOI-18, ``Discrimination Complaints.'' The revisions will update the system name, addresses of the system locations and system managers, the categories of individuals covered by the system statement, the routine uses of the records, and the storage, retrievability, and safeguards statements.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) and National Park Service (NPS) policy in Director's Order 12 (Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision Making), the NPS in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the North Shore Road Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Park), North Carolina. The ROD was approved by the Southeast Regional Director on December 28, 2007. The NPS has selected the preferred alternative (Monetary Settlement Alternative) as described in the Final EIS to ensure that resources of the Park and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (Trail) will be unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations, and fulfill project goals and objectives including the protection of natural, cultural, and recreational resources. The selected alternative and four other alternatives, including a No-Action Alternative, were analyzed in the Draft and Final EIS. The full range of foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed. The NPS believes the Monetary Settlement Alternative will best accomplish the goals of the Park and the Trail. NPS selected the Monetary Settlement because it protects the significant and diverse natural resources and ecosystems of the Park (forest communities, water resources, protected species, and soundscapes). It will avoid disturbance to the Park and allow the Park to protect resources from adverse effects of problematic geologic formations and acidic runoff. The Monetary Settlement will also protect the tangible (archaeological sites, historic structures, landscapes, cemeteries, and traditional cultural properties) and intangible (feelings of attachment, family life, myth, folklore, and ideology) aspects of cultural resources in the Park. The Monetary Settlement Alternative is consistent with NPS management of the Park within the study area as backcountry. The Monetary Settlement Alternative allows for the traditional recreational activities of hiking, camping, fishing, and horse use in this backcountry area of the Park. It maintains the existing balance of visitors and resource use in this backcountry area and preserves the associated peace and solitude currently available there. The ROD includes a statement of the decision made, other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, a finding of no impairment of Park resources and values, and an overview of public involvement in the decision-making process. This decision is the result of a public planning process that began in 2003. The official responsible for this decision is the NPS Regional Director, Southeast Region.

The following permits were denied.

This notice informs the public that the General Services Administration (GSA), Greater Southwest Region, Fort Worth, Texas, has transferred approximately 790.70 acres, of excess property, more or less, in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, to the Secretary of the Interior, to be held in trust for the benefit and use of the Cherokee Nation.

This provides notice of the Federal Subsistence Board's in- season management actions to protect caribou populations in Unit 9D and female deer populations in the Northeast Chichagof Controlled Use Area and Unit 4. These actions provide an exception to the Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska, published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2007. Those regulations established seasons, harvest limits, methods, and means relating to the taking of wildlife for subsistence uses during the 2007-08 regulatory year.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), will host the second meeting of the Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee (Committee), on April 23-24, 2008. The meeting is open to the public. The agenda will include the review and approval of Committee groundrules; reports from the Subcommittees on: Existing Guidelines, Guiding Principles, Legal, Landscape Habitat (Mapping), and Other Models/Uncertainty; and briefings from Service regional offices on wind/wildlife issues.

The surface owner of the land described in this notice, containing approximately 200 acres, has filed an application for the purchase of the federally-owned mineral interest. Publication of this notice temporarily segregates the mineral interest from appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining laws.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to extend the duration of Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6693 for an additional 20-year term. PLO No. 6693 withdrew 357.34 acres of public lands from settlement, sale, location, and entry under the general land laws, including the mining laws, to protect the Natural Corrals Archeological Site in Sweetwater County. This notice also gives an opportunity to comment on the proposed action and to request a public meeting.

This notice publishes the current list of 562 tribal entities recognized and eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs by virtue of their status as Indian tribes. The list is updated from the notice published on March 22, 2007 (72 FR 13648).

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces its intent to name an area of the public lands administered by the Cody Field Office. These lands include the Little Mountain Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), a portion of the West Slope Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA), and recently acquired lands near Little Mountain. In recognition of the late United States Senator Craig Thomas' support and assistance in furthering public land management in the area administered by the BLM Cody Field Office, this notice announces that those public lands collectively will be known as the ``Craig Thomas Little Mountain Special Management Area''.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Northwest California Resource Advisory Council will meet as indicated below.

The Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire approximately 0.94 acres of land into trust for the Skokomish Indian Tribe of Washington on March 14, 2008. This notice is published in the exercise of authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior to the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs by 209 Departmental Manual 8.1.

Under the provisions of 30 U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR 3108.2-3(a) and (b)(1), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease COC62063 from Red Willow Production, LLC for lands in Jackson County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for Felsenthal and Overflow National Wildlife Refuges. We provide this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise other agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the planning process.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for J.N. ``Ding'' Darling National Wildlife Refuge. We provide this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise other agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the planning process. We reopen the comment period, which originally ended on August 13, 2007, as announced in the Federal Register on June 27, 2007 (72 FR 35254). If you have already submitted comments, you are not required to resubmit them.

Under the provisions of 30 U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR 3108.2-3(a) and (b)(1), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease COC66236 from Red Willow Production, LLC for lands in Jackson County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

This notice advises the public that date for the public hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Absaloka Mine Crow Reservation South Extension Coal Lease Approval, Mine Development Plan and Related Federal and State Permitting Actions, announced in the Federal Register on March 21, 2008, (73 FR 15189) was incorrect. The correct date for the public hearing is April 23, 2008.

We are announcing receipt of a request to remove a required amendment to the Pennsylvania regulatory program (the ``Pennsylvania program'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). In response to a required program amendment codified in the Federal regulations at 30 CFR 938.16(uuu), Pennsylvania has submitted rationale that it believes supports its position that current program provisions are sufficient to render its program no less effective than the Federal requirements and, therefore, no amendment is necessary. The required amendment pertains to regulatory exemptions for coal extraction incidental to the extraction of other minerals. This document gives the times and locations that the Pennsylvania program and this request 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.

This notice provides a listing of civil penalties paid from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2007, for violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The goal of the MMS Outer Continental Shelf Civil Penalties Program is to assure safe and clean operations on the Outer Continental Shelf. Through the pursuit, assessment, and collection of civil penalties and referrals for the consideration of criminal penalties, the program is designed to encourage compliance with applicable statutes and regulations. The purpose of publishing the penalties summary is to provide information to the public on violations of special concern in Outer Continental Shelf operations and to provide an additional incentive for safe and environmentally sound operations.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior is issuing public notice of its intent to amend 27 existing Privacy Act system of records notices to add a new routine use to authorize the disclosure of records to individuals involved in responding to a breach of Federal data.

This notice announces that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) will be conducting tribal consultation meetings to obtain oral and written comments on potential facility management commercial activities and to determine whether these facility management activities should be: provided by a private sector provider through a contract; by government personnel through a letter of obligation; or by a public reimbursable source through a fee- for-service agreement within Indian Country. The proposed topic is the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76 standard study on the facilities management within BIA/BIE. The intended effect of the A- 76 study is to review and select which facilities management functions will be considered for competition. The intended results are to improve performance, become more efficient through the A-76 process, and reduce overall program cost. The potential issues set forth will be described in a tribal consultation booklet issued prior to the meetings by BIA/ BIE.

Under the provisions of 30 U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR 3108.2-3(a) and (b)(1), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease COC62074 from Red Willow Production, LLC for lands in Jackson County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.