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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), initiate 5- year reviews of the piping plover (Atlantic Coast, Great Lakes, and Northern Great Plains populations) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We request any new information on these populations that may have a bearing on their classification as endangered or threatened. Based on the results of these 5-year reviews, we will make a finding on whether these populations are properly classified under the Act.

The public is invited to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species.

Notice is hereby given, in accordance with Public Laws 92-463 and 94-579, that the California Desert District Advisory Council to the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, will participate in a field tour of BLM-administered public lands on Friday, November 14, 2008 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and meet in formal session on Saturday, November 15 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Heritage Inn and Suites, 1050 N. Norma, Ridgecrest, CA. The Council and interested members of the public will depart for the field tour at 8 a.m. from the lobby of the Heritage Inn and Suites. The public is welcome to participate in the tour but should plan on providing their own transportation, lunch, and beverage. A four-wheel drive vehicle is strongly recommended for the field tour. Agenda topics for the formal session on Saturday will include updates by Council members and reports from the BLM District Manager and five field office managers. Additional agenda topics are being developed. Once finalized, the field tour and meeting agendas will be published in a news release prior to the meeting and posted on the BLM California state Web site at https://www.blm.gov/ca/news/rac.html.

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission (the Commission) will be held on Monday, October 20, at 10 a.m., at the National Building Museum, Room 312, 401 F Street, NW., Washington, DC. If the meeting must be continued, the meeting will resume at this same location on Friday, November 7, 2008, at 1 p.m. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss currently authorized and proposed memorials in the District of Columbia and its environs. In addition to discussing general matters and conducting routine business, the Commission will review three action items: 1. A request to extend the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Foundation's authority to establish the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial in Washington, DC. 2. H.R. 6195, a bill to authorize the Korean War Veterans Association to establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia near the Korean War Veterans Memorial to honor members of the Armed Forces who have served in Korea since July 28, 1953. 3. H.R. 6696, a bill to authorize the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a memorial in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor members of the Armed Forces who served in World War I. The meeting will be open to the public. Any person may file with the Commission a written statement concerning the matters to be discussed. Persons who wish to file a written statement or testify at the meeting or who want further information concerning the meeting may contact Ms. Nancy Young, Secretary to the Commission.

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on October 15-16, 2008 at the National Conservation Training Center, 698 Conservation Way, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. The meeting will be held in Room 161 Instructional West. The NGAC, which is composed of representatives from governmental, private sector, non-profit, and academic organizations, has been established to advise the Chair of the Federal Geographic Data Committee on management of Federal geospatial programs, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and the implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16. Topics to be addressed at the meeting include:

This notice publishes the Jackson Band of Miwuk Indians of the Jackson Rancheria (Tribe) Liquor Control Ordinance. The Ordinance regulates and controls the possession, sale and consumption of liquor within the Jackson Tribe's tribal land. The tribal land is located on trust land and this Ordinance allows for the possession and sale of alcoholic beverages. This Ordinance will increase the ability of the tribal government to control the distribution and possession of liquor within their tribal land, and at the same time will provide an important source of revenue and strengthening of the tribal government and the delivery of tribal services.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce that our Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is available. This Draft CCP/EA describes how the Service intends to manage this Refuge for the next 15 years.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/Final EIS) for the Butte Field Office, Montana.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) has been prepared for the Montana Tunnels Mine ``M'' Pit Mine Expansion. The mine permit is administered by the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) Butte Field Office and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Operations on public lands in the permit area are on mining claims located in accordance with the General Mining Law of 1872, as amended (30 U.S.C. 22 et seq.).

The Bureau of Land Management's California Desert District is soliciting nominations from the public for five members of its District Advisory Council to serve the 2009-2011 three-year term. Council members provide advice and recommendations to BLM on the management of public lands in southern California. Public notice begins with the publication date of this notice. Nominations will be accepted through Saturday, October 30, 2008. The three-year term would begin January 1, 2009. The five positions to be filled include:

On June 25, 2008, the Secretary of the Interior renewed the Charter for the PAWG and Task Groups. There are currently two vacancies on the PAWG for which nominations are being solicited: A representative of (1) Sublette County Government, and (2) the oil and gas operators. Section 309 of FLPMA directs the Secretary to select 10 to 15 member citizen-based advisory councils that are consistent with the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Individuals or groups who wish to submit a nomination or are interested in becoming a member of the PAWG should submit the specified information within 30 days of this Notice. Nomination forms may be found at https:// www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/field_offices/Pinedale/pawg.html.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. This ICR 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB.

This rule prescribes the hunting seasons, hours, areas, and daily bag and possession limits for general waterfowl seasons and those early seasons for which States previously deferred selection. Taking of migratory birds is prohibited unless specifically provided for by annual regulations. This rule permits the taking of designated species during the 2008-09 season.

This final rule will amend the regulations that govern public access to and conduct on Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) facilities, lands, and waterbodies. This action is necessary to clarify rules that are intended to maintain law and order and protect persons and property on Reclamation facilities, lands, and waterbodies. This action will help the public better understand their rights and responsibilities.

On April 9, 2008, the National Park Service (NPS) published a Public Notice of agency policy in the Federal Register with the above title (73 FR 19246-19248), clarifying the NPS definition of substantial restoration of natural quiet at Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) to distinguish between aircraft noise generated above and below 17,999 feet mean sea level (MSL), and requesting comments on the proposed clarification. Specifically, the NPS proposed the following clarification: (a) Substantial restoration of natural quiet at GCNP will be achieved when the reduction of noise from aircraft operations at or below 17,999 feet MSL results in 50% or more of the park achieving restoration of the natural quiet (i.e., no aircraft audible) for 75% to 100% of the day, each and every day; and (b) The NPS defines the substantial restoration of natural quiet from all aircraft above 17,999 feet MSL to mean that there will be an overall reduction in aviation noise generated above 17,999 feet MSL above the park over time through implementation of measures in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commitments. The NPS also clarified that 50% of the park is a minimum in the restoration goal. The public comment period was open from April 9 to May 9, 2008. The NPS received and analyzed 127 comments in response to the Public Notice. Comments were received from the National Air Transportation Association; environmental groups (e.g., Sierra Club, Audubon Society, and Grand Canyon Trust); air tour operators; and the general public. Comments beyond the scope of this clarification may be considered in the development of the Environmental Impact Statement for Special Flight Rules in the Vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park (EIS).

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carson City District Office, Carson City, Nevada, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Sierra Pacific Power Company's Blackhawk to Heybourne Transmission Line Project which will run through Storey, Lyon, Carson City and Douglas counties. This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process and solicits input on the identification of issues.

This final rule amends the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mineral resources regulations to update some fees that cover the BLM's cost of processing certain documents relating to its mineral programs and some filing fees for mineral-related documents. These updates include fees for actions such as lease applications, name changes, corporate mergers, and lease consolidations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend an existing approval to collect information from persons who seek to acquire the Federally-owned (reserved) mineral interests underlying their surface estate. BLM collects this information to verify that the applicant is the surface owner that overlies the Federally- owned mineral rights and that statutory requirements for their conveyance are met. The regulations under 43 CFR Part 2720 authorize BLM to collect information (no specific form is required) to convey Federally-owned mineral interests to surface owners if certain conditions are met.

The State of Alaska, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (proponent) submitted an application for a 20 year lease for 222 acres to continue and maintain safe operations at the Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport in Sitka, AK pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 211; 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. and regulations at 43 CFR part 2911.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are approving an amendment to the Alabama regulatory program (Alabama program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). At its own initiative, Alabama proposed revisions to its regulations regarding permit fees and civil penalties to improve operational efficiency.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability of the draft Recovery Plan for the Prairie Species of Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington for public review and comment. The listed species addressed in the recovery plan are: Fender's blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi), Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens (Willamette daisy), Lomatium bradshawii (Bradshaw's lomatium), Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii (Kincaid's lupine), Sidalcea nelsoniana (Nelson's checker-mallow) and Castilleja levisecta (golden paintbrush).

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found suitable for lease and conveyance under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, approximately 15.29 acres of public land in Converse County, Wyoming. Converse County proposes to use the land for a primitive park.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix, and Parts 62 and 65 of title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, that the National Park System Advisory Board will meet December 2-3, 2008, in Corpus Christi, TX. The agenda will include the review of proposed actions regarding the National Historic Landmarks Program and the National Natural Landmarks Program. Interested parties are encouraged to submit written comments and recommendations that will be presented to the board. Interested parties also may attend the board meeting and upon request may address the board concerning an area's national significance.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has filed an application requesting the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw approximately 936 acres of land from the United States mining and mineral leasing laws and transfer jurisdiction to the DOE. The land would be used for ancillary facilities at the DOE's Crescent Junction Uranium Mill Tailings Repository in connection with moving the Moab Mill Site uranium mill tailings to the Repository. Except for existing claims, rights, and interests, including oil and gas leases that would be retained by the Secretary of the Interior, full management, jurisdiction, authority, responsibility, and liability for all activities conducted on the land would be vested in the DOE.