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

The Bureau of Reclamation is extending the review period for the DEIS to October 31, 2008. The notice of availability of the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on July 25, 2008 (73 FR 43472). The public review period was originally to end on September 23, 2008.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Department of the Interior and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, are evaluating the impacts of converting Central Utah Project (CUP) Bonneville Unit water, delivered to the Francis Sub-Area of Summit County, Utah, from irrigation to municipal and industrial (M&I) use. In addition, the area of delivery would be expanded. The water conversion will involve up to 3,000 acre- feet of irrigation water that has historically been delivered to agricultural tracts under Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) law and policy. The irrigation water would be converted incrementally to M&I use over a period of up to 25 years. The expanded Francis Sub-Area would be restricted to lands within the Central Utah Water Conservancy District boundary, in the upper Provo River drainage, upstream of Jordanelle Reservoir. The Bonneville Unit of the CUP was authorized to develop a portion of central Utah's water resources. Under the authority of Reclamation Law and the Central Utah Project Completion Act (Pub. L. 102-575), the Secretary of the Interior oversees implementation of the CUP and therefore has authority to convert CUP water from irrigation to M&I use. Current and proposed changes in land use in the Francis Sub-Area of Summit County, Utah, resulted in a request made by governing officials and local water companies to initiate the process for water conversion from irrigation to M&I and to expand the Francis Sub-Area to be eligible for CUP M&I water.

Pursuant to the authority vested in the Director of the Minerals Management Service by the joint bidding provisions of 30 CFR 256.41, each entity within one of the following groups shall be restricted from bidding with any entity in any other of the following groups at Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales to be held during the bidding period November 1, 2008 through April 30, 2009. The List of Restricted Joint Bidders published in the Federal Register April 22, 2008, and the correction published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2008, covered the period May 1, 2008 through October 31, 2008.

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) proposes that 9 withdrawals for the Provo River Project be continued for 20 years. The lands are still needed for the purpose for which they were withdrawn. The lands would remain withdrawn as specified in the orders.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, is announcing the opportunity for the public to review and comment on a SIR for the SDS Draft EIS. A public hearing to supplement the opportunity to comment on the SIR is also being announced. Reclamation previously published a notice in the Federal Register (73 FR 50055) on August 25, 2008, providing for extended public commenting on the water quality portion of the Draft EIS. Since then Reclamation has completed additional water quality analysis and is providing an opportunity for the public to comment on the new analysis. With this notice Reclamation is therefore closing the comment period on the original water quality analysis as mentioned in the August 25, 2008, notice and opening the comment period for the new water quality analysis. Reclamation has included this analysis in a SIR for the Draft EIS that updates and provides additional information that was not in the Draft EIS. The additional information includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the following topics: water quality analyses, potential effects on the western slope of Colorado, potential effects of a failure of new dams, effects of physical changes to the alternatives and reasonably foreseeable actions, clarification of Reclamation's purpose and need statement, changes in the project sponsors' Proposed Action, and identification of Reclamation's preferred alternative. The new and additional information is contained in the report titled ``Supplemental Information Report for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Southern Delivery System Project, Colorado.'' For access to the report and dates and locations of the public hearing, please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section in this announcement.

The plats of survey of the following described land will be officially filed in the Colorado State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Lakewood, Colorado, effective 10 a.m., September 30, 2008. All inquiries should be sent to the Colorado State Office (CO-956), Bureau of Land Management, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093. The supplemental plat of section 24, in Township 15 South, Range 70 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado was accepted on April 17, 2008. The plat, in duplicate, of the entire record, of the dependent resurvey, in Township 6 North, Range 93 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on June 19, 2008. The supplemental plat in sections 23, 24, 26, 27 of Township 13 South, Range 82 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on June 25, 2008. The plat and field notes, in duplicate, of the dependent resurvey and surveys in Township 35 North, Ranges 11 and 12 West, of the New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on August 26, 2008. The plat (in seven sheets) and field notes, in duplicate, of the dependent resurvey and the resurvey of certain mineral surveys in section 19, Township 1 North, Range 71 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on September 9, 2008. The plat and field notes, in duplicate, of the dependent resurvey and section subdivision in Township 43 North, Range 10 East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, and the plat (in 3 sheets) and field notes, in duplicate of the dependent resurvey of a portion of the north and west boundaries of the Luis Maria Baca Land Grant No. 4, a portion of the south boundary of Township 43 North, Range 11 East, and the metes-and-bounds survey of the north, east, and a portion of the west boundary of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge within the Luis Maria Baca Land Grant No. 4, in the state of Colorado were accepted on September 12, 2008. The plat and field notes, in duplicate, of the dependent resurvey and survey, in section 33, Township 22 South, Range 69 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on September 16, 2008. The plat and field notes, in duplicate, of the dependent resurvey of a portion of the west boundary and subdivisional lines and the subdivision of section 7, in Township 21 South, Range 71 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on September 17, 2008. The plat and field notes, in duplicate, of the dependent resurvey and surveys in Township 50 North, Range 9 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on September 22, 2008. The plat and field notes, in duplicate, of the dependent resurvey and section subdivision of sections 14, 23 and 26, Township 45 North, Range 6 East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on September 23, 2008.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing that the information collection request for 30 CFR part 780 which relates to surface mining permit applicationsminimum requirements for reclamation and operation plans has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden and cost.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the comment period for public review of the draft Recovery Plan for the Prairie Species of Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington. The closing date of the public comment period was erroneously omitted from the notice of availability of this draft recovery plan published on September 22, 2008. The listed species addressed in the recovery plan are the Fender's blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi), Willamette daisy (Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens), Bradshaw's lomatium (Lomatium bradshawii), Kincaid's lupine (Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii), Nelson's checker-mallow (Sidalcea nelsoniana), and golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta).

The Bureau of Land ManagementEastern States (BLM-ES), Jackson Field Office, Jackson, Mississippi, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) with an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Southeastern United States and, by this notice, is announcing public scoping meetings. The RMP will bring all BLM land in the Southeastern United States under a land use plan

The National Park Service is seeking public comments and suggestions on the planning of the 2008 Lighting of the National Christmas Tree and the subsequent 27 day event.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, change the regulations governing falconry in the United States. We have reorganized the regulations and added or changed some provisions in them. In particular, we have eliminated the requirement for a Federal permit to practice falconry. The changes will make it easier to understand the requirements for the practice of falconry, including take of raptors from the wild, and the procedures for obtaining a falconry permit. This rule also adds a provision allowing us to approve falconry regulations that Indian Tribes or U.S. territories adopt. State, tribal, or territorial laws and regulations governing falconry must meet the standards in these regulations by January 1, 2014, at which time the Federal permit program will be discontinued.

The Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development made a final agency determination to acquire approximately 11.24 acres of land into trust for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake of California on September 8, 2008. This notice is published in the exercise of authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior to the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs by 209 Departmental Manual 8.1. The duties of the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs were delegated to the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development on May 23, 2008.

This rule amends 30 CFR parts 203 and 260 to conform the regulations to the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Santa Fe Snyder Corp., et al. v. Norton. That decision found that certain provisions of the MMS regulations interpreting section 304 of the Deep Water Royalty Relief Act are contrary to the requirements of the statute. MMS will determine lessees' royalty under leases subject to Deep Water Royalty Relief Act section 304, for both past and future periods, in a manner consistent with the Fifth Circuit's decision in the Santa Fe Snyder case and this rule.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft revised comprehensive conservation plan (Draft CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for the Koyukuk, Northern Unit Innoko, and Nowitna National Wildlife Refuges (Refuge) is available for public review and comment. In this Draft CCP and EA we describe two alternatives, including our preferred action, to manage the Refuge for the next 15 years. Also available for public review and comment are draft compatibility determinations.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM-Eastern States, Springfield, Virginia, 30 calendar days from the date of publication in the Federal Register. Contact Information: Bureau of Land Management, 7450 Boston Boulevard, Springfield, Virginia 22153. Attn: Cadastral Survey.