Department of the Interior September 15, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and surface management regulations at 43 CFR part 3809 and 43 CFR part 3715 for operations authorized by the mining laws on public lands, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is initiating preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze potential environmental effects resulting from proposed expansion of an existing diatomite mine.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR 250, Subpart J, Pipelines and Pipeline Rights-of-Way.

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 review and approval. This notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork requirements for the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP) under Section 351 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. To submit a proposal to the NGGDPP, a project narrative must be completed and submitted via Grants.gov. Furthermore, a final technical report for all projects is required at the end of the project period. Narrative and report guidance is available through https://datapreservation.usgs.gov/ and at https:// www.Grants.gov.

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 TXNM 118212 from the lessee, Woodward Development LLC, for lands in Houston County, Texas. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

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 TXNM 118200 from the lessee, Woodward Development LLC, for lands in Houston County, Texas. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving the surface and subsurface estates in certain lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Doyon, Limited. The lands are in the vicinity of Koyukuk, Alaska, and are located in:

The Act of February 28, 1958 (43 U.S.C. 155-158), sometimes referred to as the Engle Act, places on the Secretary of the Interior the responsibility to process Department of Defense applications for national defense withdrawals, reservations or restrictions aggregating 5,000 acres or more for any one project or facility. These withdrawals, reservations or restrictions may only be made by an act of Congress, except in time of war or national emergency declared by the President or the Congress and except as otherwise expressly provided in the Act of February 28, 1958. The U.S. Department of the Navy, in accordance with the Engle Act, has filed an application requesting the Secretary of the Interior to process a proposed legislative withdrawal and reservation of public lands for military training exercises involving the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, San Bernardino County, California. The proposal seeks the transfer of jurisdiction and the withdrawal of approximately 365,906 acres of public lands and approximately 507 acres of Federal subsurface mineral estate from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including surface entry, mining, mineral leasing, and the Materials Act of 1947. This notice temporarily segregates for two years the public lands and mineral estate described from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the public land laws, including the mining laws, and the operation of the mineral leasing laws and the Materials Act of 1947. In addition, the surface estate of the 507 acres of mineral estate and the surface and mineral estate of an approximately 72,186 acres of other non-federally owned property in the proposed withdrawal area, if they should be acquired by or returned to the United States by any means, would also be included in the proposed withdrawal and subject to the temporary segregation authorized by this notice.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770, 5 U.S.C. App 1, Section 10), notice is hereby given that the Concessions Management Advisory Board (the Board) will hold its 19th meeting October 15-16, 2008, at the Water Safety Center, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Boulder City, Nevada. The meeting will convene Wednesday, October 15 at 9 a.m. and will conclude at 5 p.m. The meeting will reconvene Thursday, October 16 at 9 a.m. and will conclude before 4 p.m.

The Bureau of Reclamation is proposing this rule to comply with the requirements of the Truckee-Carson-Pyramid Lake Water Rights Settlement Act. The Settlement Act requires that the operating agreement negotiated with the States of California and Nevada for the operation of Truckee River Reservoirs (the five Federal reservoirs in the Truckee River basin) be promulgated as a Federal Regulation.