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

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.

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 Resource Protection Study for Curecanti National Recreation Area, Colorado.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) initiate 5- year reviews of three wildlife species and eight plant species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (see Table 1 under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION ). We request any new information on these species that may have a bearing on their classification as endangered or threatened. Based on the results of these 5-year reviews, we will make recommendations as to whether each of these species is properly classified under the Act.

Gunnison Aggregate Resources has submitted a proposal for a land use authorization to operate an asphalt batch plant and other materials processing and temporary storage pursuant to Section 302 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and regulations at Title 43 CFR 2920. The land consists of approximately 1.25 acres of public lands approximately 5 miles southwest of Gunnison in Gunnison County, Colorado, within a portion of the SW\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\ of Section 17, T.49N., R.1W., New Mexico Principal Meridian. The land is within a 50-acre parcel of public land designated as the McCabe Lane community gravel pit. The proponent is a permit holder authorized to extract gravel from the McCabe Lane pit.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of five Incidental Take Permit applications and Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The applicants collectively anticipate removing a total of approximately 2.04 acres of Mount Hermon June beetle (Polyphylla barbata) occupied habitat, and one HCP also includes the federally endangered Ben Lomond spineflower (Chorizanthe pungens var. hartwegiana) as a covered species. We are requesting comments on the permit applications and on our preliminary determination that the proposed HCPs qualify as ``low effect'' HCPs, eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended.

The MMS announces the availability of the proposed Notice of Sale for proposed Sale 208 in the CPA. This Notice is published pursuant to 30 CFR 256.29(c) as a matter of information to the public. With regard to oil and gas leasing on the OCS, the Secretary of the Interior, pursuant to section 19 of the OCS Lands Act, provides the affected States the opportunity to review the proposed Notice. The proposed Notice sets forth the proposed terms and conditions of the sale, including minimum bids, royalty rates, and rentals.

This notice announces the revision to the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park, pursuant to the authority specified below, to include a 639-acre tract of adjacent land identified as Tract 101-78 located in San Bernardino County, California, and depicted on Drawing No. 156/92,003, Sheet 1 of 1, Segment Map 101, revised February 11, 2008. This map is on file and available for inspection at the following locations: National Park Service, Land Resources Program Center, Pacific West Region, 1111 Jackson St., Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94607 and National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.