Department of the Interior March 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Geological Survey published a document in the Federal Register on February 9, 2009, regarding increased prices for USGS primary series quadrangles, thematic maps, National Earthquake Information Center maps, and large format and poster maps. The document contained incorrect dates.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), initiate 5- year reviews of two threatened species (prairie bush-clover and Mead's milkweed) and seven endangered species [Scioto madtom, purple cat's paw pearlymussel, winged mapleleaf (mussel), Tumbling Creek cavesnail, Karner blue butterfly, Mitchell's satyr butterfly, and Michigan monkey- flower] under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We request any new information on each species that may have a bearing on its classification as endangered or threatened. Based on the results of these 5-year reviews, we will make a finding on whether these species are properly classified under the Act.

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 The Aleut Corporation for lands located in the vicinity of Adak, Alaska. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in the Anchorage Daily News.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. This IC is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2009. 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for Phyllostegia hispida (no common name), a plant species from the island of Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands. This final rule implements the Federal protections provided by the Act for this species. We have also determined that critical habitat for P. hispida is prudent but not determinable at this time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the decision and availability of the record of decision (ROD) for the final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Umbagog (formerly ``Lake Umbagog'') National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The refuge is located in Coos County, New Hampshire, and Oxford County, Maine. We completed a thorough analysis of the environmental, social, and economic considerations and presented it in our final CCP/EIS, which we released to the public through a Federal Register notice on December 3, 2008. The ROD documents our decision to adopt and implement the final CCP/EIS Alternative B, Management for Particular Habitats and Focal Species as the CCP for Umbagog NWR. Alternative B was identified as the Service-preferred alternative in the final CCP/EIS. The Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region, signed the ROD on January 9, 2009.

The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) will sell advertising on its https://TakeMeFishing.org Web site to help generate revenue from non-Federal funds to expand its outreach program. RBFF has adopted final advertising guidelines to determine who can advertise and how the advertising sales will be operated.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving the surface and subsurface estates in certain lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Doyon, Limited. The lands are in the vicinity of Chicken, Alaska, and are located in:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are initiating 5-year reviews for 103 species in Hawaii under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 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 determine whether these species are properly classified under the Act.

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 Kuitsarak Incorporated. The lands are in the vicinity of Goodnews Bay, Alaska, and are located in:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species and marine mammals. Both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act require that we invite public comment on these permit applications.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), take this action pursuant to a settlement agreement and court order that vacated, in part, the August 9. 2005 final rule that designated critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for the Roswell springsnail (Pyrgulopsis roswellensis), Koster's springsnail (Juturnia kosteri), Noel's amphipod (Gammarus desperatus), and Pecos assiminea (Assiminea pecos) with respect to lands at the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Accordingly, the February 12, 2002, proposed critical habitat designation is reinstated for these invertebrates with respect to Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge and we announce the reopening of the public comment period for the February 12, 2002, proposed rule in order to reconsider designation of these lands. This re-evaluation of the designation of critical habitat at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge does not affect the designation of critical habitat at Diamond Y Spring and Sandia Spring. Comments previously submitted on the February 12, 2002, proposed rule (67 FR 6459) need not be resubmitted as they have been incorporated into the public record as part of this reopening of the comment period and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule. Additionally, so that we may fully consider any new information available, we are also soliciting comments and information on the final economic analysis and final environmental assessment that were made available concurrent with the August 9, 2005, final designation of critical habitat.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has filed the plats of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Wyoming State Office, Cheyenne, Wyoming, on the dates indicated.

The City of Phoenix (Applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an enhancement of survival permit pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (Act), as amended. The requested permit, which is for a period of 50 years, would authorize incidental take of Yuma clapper rail (Rallus longirostris yumanensis), southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus), bald eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus), and brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) as a result of operation and maintenance activities associated with the Rio Salado Project. We invite the public to review and comment on the permit application and the associated draft Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA).