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

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

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 December 31, 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.

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 December 31, 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.

In this Candidate Notice of Review (CNOR), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), present an updated list of plant and animal species native to the United States that we regard as candidates for or have proposed for addition to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. Identification of candidate species can assist environmental planning efforts by providing advance notice of potential listings, allowing landowners and resource managers to alleviate threats and thereby possibly remove the need to list species as endangered or threatened. Even if we subsequently list a candidate species, the early notice provided here could result in more options for species management and recovery by prompting candidate conservation measures to alleviate threats to the species. The CNOR summarizes the status and threats that we evaluated in order to determine that species qualify as candidates and to assign a listing priority number (LPN) to each species, or to remove species from candidate status. Additional material that we relied on is available in the Species Assessment and Listing Priority Assignment Forms (species assessment forms, previously called candidate forms) for each candidate species. Overall, this CNOR recognizes 1 new candidate, changes the LPN for 11 candidates, and removes 2 species from candidate status. Combined with other decisions for individual species that were published separately from this CNOR in the past year, the current number of species that are candidates for listing is 251. This document also includes our findings on resubmitted petitions and describes our progress in revising the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants during the period September 30, 2007, through September 30, 2008. We request additional status information that may be available for the 251 candidate species identified in this CNOR.

This rule will manage winter visitation and recreational use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. Publication of this final rule in the Federal Register complies with the November 7, 2008 order of the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming in Wyoming v. United States Department of the Interior, Case Nos. 07-CV-0319-B, 08-CV-00004- B, which reinstated the 2004 final rule on winter use in the parks, without its sunset provisions.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). In the CCP, we describe how we will manage Archie Carr NWR for the next 15 years.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intentions of the Bureau of Reclamation to seek extension of the information collection for the Lower Colorado River Well Inventory. The current OMB approval expires on March 31, 2009.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), publish this final rule to revise subpart IImport/Export Licenses, of title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 14 (50 CFR 14), to clarify the import/export license and fee requirements, adjust the inspection fee schedule, and update license and inspection fee exemptions. We are clarifying when an import/export license is required by persons who engage in the business of importing and exporting wildlife as well as changing the license requirement exemptions. Revised regulations will help those importing and exporting wildlife better understand when an import/export license is required and will allow us to consistently apply these requirements. We are gradually increasing inspection fees, and now publishing the changes for 2008 through 2012. We determined that these inspection fees must be adjusted every year to cover the increased cost of providing inspection services. Because we are publishing these inspection fee changes now, importers and exporters can accurately predict the costs of importing and exporting wildlife several years in advance.

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 772Requirements for Coal Exploration has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden and cost for 30 CFR Part 772.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), announce the FY 2009 priority list of wildlife and sport fish conservation projects from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). As required by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000, AFWA submits a list of projects to us each year to consider for funding under the Multistate Conservation Grant program. We then review and award grants from this list.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on the proposed revised designation of critical habitat for the wintering population of the piping plover (Charadrius melodus) in Texas under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) and a draft environmental assessment of the proposed critical habitat designation and a corrected area estimated for 19 critical habitat units vacated by the court, and amended required determinations. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule, the associated DEA, the draft environmental assessment, the corrected acreage figures, and our amended required determinations. Comments previously submitted on this rulemaking do not need to be resubmitted, as they will be incorporated into the public record and fully considered when preparing our final determination.

This notice publishes an amendment to the Skokomish Indian Tribe's Liquor Control Ordinance published in the Federal Register November 3, 1983 (48 FR 50797). The amendment regulates and controls the possession and consumption of liquor within the tribal lands. The tribal lands are located in Indian country and this amended Ordinance allows for possession of alcoholic beverages within their boundaries. This Ordinance will increase the ability of the tribal government to control liquor sales, possession and consumption by the community and its members.

This notice publishes an amendment to the Tribal Code (Code), Liquor Ordinance, for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon first published in the Federal Register July 1, 1996. The amendment regulates and controls the possession and consumption of liquor within the tribal lands. The tribal lands are located in Indian country and this amended Code allows for possession of alcoholic beverages within their boundaries. This Code will increase the ability of the tribal government to control liquor possession, sale and in the community.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to extend our two existing depredation orders for double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 21.47 and 21.48 so that we can continue to authorize take of double-crested cormorants without a permit under the terms and conditions of the depredation orders and gather data on the effects of double-crested cormorant control actions. If we do not extend these depredation orders, any action to control depredating double-crested cormorants will require a permit. We have prepared a draft environmental assessment (DEA) to analyze the environmental impacts associated with our proposed extensions. We invite the public to comment on the DEA and our proposed extension. The DEA is posted at https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds.

This notice is to announce the availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and Management Plan (FEA) for take of migrant peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) in the United States for use in falconry.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the medium tree finch (Camarhynchus pauper) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This proposal, if made final, would extend the Act's protection to this species. The Service seeks data and comments from the public on this proposed rule.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) Resource Management Plan (RMP) located in Southwestern Idaho.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), in cooperation with the National Park Service and the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, will reestablish the Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus), a federally-listed endangered fish, into its historical habitat in the Big Bend reach of the Rio Grande in Presidio, Brewster, and Terrell Counties, Texas. We are reestablishing the Rio Grande silvery minnow under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and are classifying it as a nonessential experimental population (NEP). On the Rio Grande, the geographic boundaries of the NEP extend from Little Box Canyon downstream of Fort Quitman, Hudspeth County, Texas, through Big Bend National Park and the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, to Amistad Dam (Big Bend reach of the Rio Grande), Val Verde County, Texas. On the Pecos River, the geographic boundaries of the NEP extend from the river's confluence with Independence Creek to its confluence with the Rio Grande. This action is part of the recovery actions that the Service, Federal and State agencies, and other partners are conducting throughout the historic range of the species. This final rule establishes the NEP and provides for limited allowable legal taking of Rio Grande silvery minnows within the defined NEP area. An Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact have been prepared for this action (see ADDRESSES section below).

This notice constitutes an open call to the public to submit nomination applications for the following positions on the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Advisory Committee:

This notice publishes the Liquor Ordinance of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. The Ordinance regulates and controls the possession, sale and consumption of liquor within the Shingle Springs Indian Rancheria 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.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is adopting this final rule on the use of Reclamation land, facilities, and waterbodies. This final rule addresses activities involving the possession or occupancy of any portion of, and the extraction or disturbance of any natural resources from, Reclamation land, facilities, and waterbodies. This final rule supersedes the current rule which was originally published in 1983 and partially revised in April 2006.

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 the Socorro Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for the Socorro Field Office in New Mexico.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti) as an endangered species and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find the petition provides substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing this subspecies under the Act may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a status review of the species, and we will issue a 12-month finding to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial data regarding this species. We will make a determination on critical habitat for this subspecies if and when we initiate a listing action.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Currituck National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).