Department of the Interior June 24, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, recently published a notice in error requesting comments on a draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and associated Environmental Assessment (EA) that are not yet available for comment. We will republish a notice and request for comment when these documents become available.

Notice is hereby given that Michael Etnier, Ph.D., Box 353100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98227 has been issued a permit to import marine mammal specimens for purposes of scientific research.

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 September 30, 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 document contains a correction to the final regulations in 43 CFR parts 3000, 3100, 3150, 3200, 3500, 3580, 3600, 3730, 3810, 3830 Oil and Gas Leasing: Geothermal Resources Leasing; Coal Management; Management of Solid Minerals Other Than Coal; Mineral Materials Disposal; and Mining Claims Under the General Mining Laws, which were published in the Federal Register (70 FR 5885358880) of October 7, 2005.

In accordance with Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.), the National Park Service (NPS) will prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for transferring jurisdiction of a portion of NPS property within Fort Dupont Park, part of the Fort Circle Parks, to the District of Columbia (the District) for development of recreational facilities which may result in amending the NPS' 2004 Final Management Plan for Fort Circle Parks. This also serves as an announcement of a public scoping comment period to run until July 24, 2008. Comments submitted to the Park or through Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) during the public scoping period and at public meetings for this EA will be considered as part of the planning process for the current proposed action. Comments submitted at the public meeting held May 12, 2008, will be considered as part of the planning process for the current proposed action and do not need to be resubmitted. There is the possibility that the NPS might proceed to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in which case written comments submitted now on the scope of the alternatives and impacts will continue to be considered.

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

This final rule establishes regulations for seasons, harvest limits, methods, and means related to taking of wildlife for subsistence uses in Alaska during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 regulatory years. These regulations have been subject to an annual public review cycle, but starting in 2008 the Federal Subsistence Management Program will provide a public review process for subsistence hunting and trapping regulations in even-numbered years and subsistence fishing and shellfish regulations in odd-numbered years. The Program will also address customary and traditional use determinations during the applicable biennial cycle. This cycle adjustment does not affect the public's ability to submit special action requests or requests for reconsideration, as outlined in the regulations. This rulemaking replaces the subpart D subsistence taking of wildlife taking regulations which expire June 30, 2008. This rule also amends the customary and traditional use determinations of the Federal Subsistence Board.