Department of the Interior July 21, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Secretary of the Interior proposes to withdraw approximately 633,547 acres of public lands and 360,002 acres of National Forest System lands for up to 20 years from location and entry under the Mining Law of 1872, 30 U.S.C. 22 et seq., on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service. The purpose of the withdrawal, if determined to be appropriate, would be to protect the Grand Canyon watershed from adverse effects of locatable hardrock mineral exploration and mining. This notice segregates the lands from location and entry under the 1872 Mining Law for up to 2 years to allow time for various studies and analyses, including appropriate National Environmental Policy Act analysis. These actions will support a final decision on whether or not to proceed with a withdrawal. The lands will remain open to the mineral leasing, geothermal leasing, mineral materials, and public land laws.

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an enhancement of survival permit (permit) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The permit application includes a proposed programmatic safe harbor agreement (Agreement) between ODF, the U.S. Department of AgricultureNatural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Service. The proposed term of the permit and Agreement is 50 years. The requested permit would authorize ODF to extend incidental take coverage with assurances through issuance of Certificates of Inclusion to eligible landowners who are willing to carry out habitat management measures that would benefit the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), which is federally listed as threatened. The covered area or geographic scope of this Agreement includes non-Federal forest lands within the range of the spotted owl in Oregon. We request comments from the public on the permit application, proposed Agreement,