Department of the Interior October 3, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has replaced the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) as lead agency in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed casino and hotel project to be located near Friant, in Fresno County, California. The BIA, with the Big Sandy Rancheria Band of Western Mono Indians (Tribe) as a cooperating agency, intends to gather information necessary for preparing the EIS. The NIGC initiated the public scoping process, including a public scoping meeting on September 15, 2005, to determine the issues, concerns and alternatives to be included in the EIS. The BIA is hereby continuing that process, but as project plans have not changed since the September 15, 2005, meeting, will not be holding additional public scoping meetings.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has determined that land located in Do[ntilde]a Ana County, New Mexico is suitable for classification for lease and/or conveyance to New Mexico State University (NMSU) under authority of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (R&PP), as amended (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq. ). NMSU proposes to use the land as a new satellite campus for the Do[ntilde]a Ana Community College.

The MMS has prepared a SEIS on oil and gas lease sales tentatively scheduled in 2009-2012 in the CPA and WPA offshore the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. As mandated in the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA) (Pub. L. 109- 432, December 20, 2006), MMS shall offer, as soon as practicable, approximately 5.8 million acres located in the southeastern part of the CPA (``181 South Area''). The CPA Sale 208 (March 2009) will be the first sale to include the ``181 South Area.'' The SEIS analyzed newly available information for the potential environmental effects of oil and natural gas leasing, exploration, development, and production in the ``181 South Area.''

We are approving an amendment to the Wyoming abandoned mine land reclamation (AMLR) plan (hereinafter referred to as the ``Wyoming plan'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Wyoming intended to revise its plan by submitting a revision to W.S. 35-11-1210 to correct an inadvertent error in the statute that was enacted during the 2007 Legislative Session. Specifically, the amendment clarifies that W.S. Sec. 35-11-1210 only applies to SMCRA section 411(h)(1) funds.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to amend its regulations to remove the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (LWCFA) as one of the authorities of our Recreation regulations, in accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 (REA). The rule will also amend and reorder the prohibitions to separate those that apply specifically to campgrounds and picnic areas from those with more general applications. The reordering is necessary to broaden the scope to include all areas where standard amenity, expanded amenity, and special recreation permit fees are charged under REA. The proposed rule would remove an unnecessary provision that has been interpreted to require the BLM to publish supplementary rules concerning failure to pay fees established by the recreation regulations, thus relieving the BLM from publishing such separate specific supplementary rules for each area. Finally, it will make technical changes to maintain consistency with other BLM regulations.