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

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Alabama regulatory program (Alabama program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Alabama proposes revisions to its regulations regarding permit fees and civil penalties. Alabama intends to revise its program to improve operational efficiency. This document gives the times and locations that the Alabama program and proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), and the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 (FLREA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Coeur d'Alene District Resource Advisory Council (RAC) and Recreation RAC Subcommittee will meet as indicated below.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared Proposed Resource Management Plans and a Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMPs/FEIS) for the Agua Fria National Monument and Bradshaw-Harquahala Planning Area.

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

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation. The lands are in the vicinity of Kotzebue, Alaska, and are located in:

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., Successor in Interest to Deering Ipnatchiak Corporation. The lands are in the vicinity of Deering, Alaska, and are located in:

The John Day/Snake Resource Advisory Council meeting is scheduled for September 16, 2008, in John Day, Oregon. The John Day/Snake Resource Advisory Council meeting is scheduled for September 16, 2008. The meeting will take place at the Malheur National Forest Supervisor Office, 431 Patterson Bridge Road, John Day, OR, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The meeting may include such topics as the Baker Resource Management Planning, Transportation Planning, Wallowa- Whitman Weed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), BLM Vegetation Treatments EIS, Travel Management Planning and Energy Rights-of-Way and other matters as may reasonably come before the council. A field trip is scheduled for September 15th to view Off- Highway Vehicle issues and vegetation and weed management issues on BLM lands near John Day, Oregon. The meeting is open to the public. Public comment is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. (Pacific Time) September 16, 2008. For a copy of the information to be distributed to the Council members, please submit a written request to the Vale District Office 10 days prior to the meeting.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to revise the currently designated critical habitat for Cirsium loncholepis (La Graciosa thistle) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 38,447 acres (ac) (15,559 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of this proposed revised critical habitat designation. The proposed revision is to critical habitat located in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, California.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), intend to serve as the lead agency, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, in the preparation of a joint EIS/EIR for the California Department of Fish and Game's (CDFG) Fish Hatchery and Stocking Program (Program). Under the Sport Fish Restoration Act (SFRA), FWS currently proposes to fund actions associated with the operation of CDFG's 13 trout hatcheries (listed below) and the Mad River anadromous fish hatchery, including stocking from those 14 hatcheries. The Federal action would not include funding CDFG's private stocking permit program. The CDFG will serve as the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analyzing the hatcheries' operations funded by the SFRA, as well as CDFG's entire fish hatchery program. This notice announces two public scoping meetings on our intended actions.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR Part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a reinstatement, with change, of a previously approved collection of information for which approval has expired (OMB 1024-0216).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are designating critical habitat for the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 417,577 acres (ac) (168,992 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. The critical habitat is located in Tuolumne, Mono, Fresno, Inyo, and Tulare Counties, California. We also are finalizing the revision of taxonomy of the listed entity from a distinct population segment (DPS) of California bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis californiana) to subspecies, Ovis canadensis sierrae, based on recent published information.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Bureau of Indian Affairs has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a request for approval and renewal of information collections, OMB Control No. 1076-0017, Financial Assistance and Social Service Program application form 5-6601.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Department of the Interior, is issuing public notice of its intent to amend 2 existing Privacy Act system of records notices to add a new routine use to authorize the disclosure of records to individuals involved in responding to a breach of Federal data.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Northeast California Resource Advisory Council will meet as indicated below.

We, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft revised recovery plan for the Mojave population of the desert tortoise for public review and comment.

Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) requires the Department of the Interior to solicit information from interested and affected parties during the preparation of a 5-year OCS oil and gas leasing program. The current 5-year program covers the period July 2007 to June 30, 2012. The Department's MMS is soliciting information on whether to begin a new Program for mid-2010 to mid-2015 (approximate dates) to succeed the current one. Section 18 requires completion of a multi-step process of public consultation and analysis before the Secretary of the Interior may approve a new 5-Year Program. The section 18 process includes the following required steps: This initial solicitation of comments; development of a draft proposed program, a proposed program, a proposed final program; and Secretarial approval. If the decision is made to prepare a new 5-Year Program, the MMS will also prepare appropriate NEPA analysis documents. The public will have opportunities to comment on the draft proposed program, the draft EIS or other NEPA documents, and the proposed program. This Notice in particular requests comments on areas that are restricted from leasing by Congressional Moratoria but were removed from Presidential Withdrawal on July 14, 2008.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to offer by non- competitive sale one parcel of land in northwest Las Vegas, Nevada totaling approximately 5.19 acres to Nevada Power Company (NPC). This land has been examined and found suitable for disposal utilizing direct sale procedures. The authority for the sale is under Sections 203 and 209 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), 43 U.S.C. 1713 and 1719, respectively, and BLM land sale and mineral conveyance regulations at 43 CFR 2710 and 2720.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Mendas Cha-Ag Native Corporation. The lands are in the vicinity of Healy Lake, Alaska, and are located in:

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) management policies, the BLM announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Truckhaven Geothermal Leasing Area, Imperial County, managed by the El Centro Field Office. The El Centro Field Manager has signed the ROD, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM.

Pursuant to Public Law 106-503, the Interim Steering Committee for the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center will hold a meeting to discuss priority wildlife climate change research needs of land management and natural resources agencies. Agenda topics will be provided under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. Meetings of the Interim Steering Committee for the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center are open to the public.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of guidance to promote implementation of the Endangered Species Act. The guidance describes a crediting framework for Federal agencies in carrying out recovery measures for threatened and endangered species. The text of the guidance is included in this notice. Under the guidance, Federal agencies may show how adverse effects of agency activities to a listed species are offset by beneficial effects of actions taken elsewhere for that species. The combined effects of the adverse and beneficial actions must provide a net benefit to the recovery of the species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to revise designated critical habitat for marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus marmoratus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). On May 24, 1996, we designated 3,887,800 ac (ac) (1,573,340 hectares (ha)) as critical habitat for the marbled murrelet in Washington, Oregon, and California. We are proposing to revise currently designated critical habitat for the marbled murrelet by removing approximately 254,070 ac (102,820 ha) in northern California and Oregon from the 1996 designation, based on new information indicating that these areas do not meet the definition of critical habitat. This action, if adopted in its entirety, would result in a revised designation of approximately 3,633,800 ac (1,470,550 ha) as critical habitat for the marbled murrelet. In this rule, we are further proposing, under the Act, a taxonomic revision of the scientific name of the marbled murrelet from Brachyramphus marmoratus marmoratus to Brachyramphus marmoratus.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing its intention to request renewed approval for the continued collection of information for 30 CFR part 870 and the OSM-1 Form. This collection was previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and assigned control number 1029-0063.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is initiating 5- year status reviews of the slender chub (Erimystax cahni), blackside dace (Phoxinus cumberlandensis), vermillion darter (Etheostoma chermocki), pygmy madtom (Noturus stanauli), palezone shiner (Notropis albizonatus), fanshell (Cyprogenai stegaria), inflated heelsplitter (Potamilus inflatus), pink mucket (Lampsilis abrupta), spruce-fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga), cave crayfish (Cambarus aculabrum), Pyne's ground plum (Astragalus bibulatus), small-anthered bittercress (Cardamine micranthera), leafy prairie clover (Dalea foliosa), smooth coneflower (Echinacea laevigata), spreading avens (Geum radiatum), Roan Mountain bluet (Hedyotis purpurea var. montana), rough-leaved loosestrife (Lysimachia asperulaefolia), Michaux's sumac (Rhus michauxii), Alabama canebrake pitcher plant (Sarracenia rubra ssp. alabamensis), and Blue Ridge goldenrod (Solidago spithamaea), under section 4(c)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The purpose of reviews conducted under this section of the Act is to ensure that the classification of species as threatened or endangered on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (50 CFR 17.11 and 17.12) is accurate. A 5-year review is an assessment of the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review.