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

Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act request for lease and subsequent conveyance of approximately 5 acres of public land in the City of Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. The City of Las Vegas proposes to use the land for a public park.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

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 December 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.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Avalanche Hazard Reduction by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway in Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest, Montana. Four alternatives were analyzed: (A) No Action, (B-Preferred) No Explosive Use Permitted except under emergency extenuating circumstances, (C) Explosive Use Permitted for up to 10 Years, provided that BNSF agrees to construct snowsheds, and (D) Permanent ongoing explosive use in the park for up to 3 snow events each year, under a special use permit. The preferred alternative would permit BNSF to install weather forecasting equipment in the park for more accurate forecasting. It would permit BNSF to install new avalanche detection technology along the southern boundary of the park to detect avalanche activity. The alternative also provides for the emergency use of explosives when all other avalanche hazard reduction methods including train delays have been employed.

This order modifies Public Land Order No. 3982, which withdrew public land for protection of recreation values and road relocation purposes, to allow for disposal of a 0.76 acre parcel. This order opens the land to sale only.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter Service or we) is proposing to establish the 2008-09 early-season hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds. We annually prescribe frameworks, or outer limits, for dates and times when hunting may occur and the maximum number of birds that may be taken and possessed in early seasons. Early seasons may open as early as September 1, and include seasons in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These frameworks are necessary to allow State selections of specific final seasons and limits and to allow recreational harvest at levels compatible with population status and habitat conditions. This proposed rule also provides the final regulatory alternatives for the 2008-09 duck hunting seasons.