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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. The Endangered Species Act requires that we invite public comment on these permit applications.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is announcing that the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children will hold its next meeting in San Diego, California. The purpose of the meeting is to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) on Indian children with disabilities.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Blackfoot Bridge Mine and by this Notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

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

The Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter Service or we) is proposing to establish the 2009-10 late-season hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds. We annually prescribe frameworks, or outer limits, for dates and times when hunting may occur and the number of birds that may be taken and possessed in late seasons. These frameworks are necessary to allow State selections of seasons and limits and to allow recreational harvest at levels compatible with population and habitat conditions.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found suitable for classification for lease and/or conveyance to the Sweetwater County Fire District 1 under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, 20 acres of public land in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. The Sweetwater County Fire District 1 proposes to use the land for a training facility and fire station.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing supplementary rules regarding time limits for camping and the storage of property on undeveloped public lands managed by the BLM in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. These proposed supplementary rules consolidate existing rules for camping on undeveloped BLM-administered public lands throughout Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. These proposed supplementary rules will supersede prior published rules.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service, 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 January 31, 2010. 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.

This final rule extends the proprietary term of certain reprocessed geophysical information submitted to MMS under a permit. The rule gives up to 5 years of additional protection to reprocessed vintage geophysical information that MMS retains and, without an extension, is subject to release by MMS 25 years after issuing the permit. The extension provides incentives to permittees and third parties to reprocess, market, or in other ways use geophysical information that may not otherwise be reprocessed without the term extension. The extension does not apply to geological data or information.

We are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Montana regulatory program (hereinafter, the ``Montana program'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (``SMCRA'' or ``the Act''). Montana proposes revisions to the statute, the Montana Code Annotated (MCA), about determination of revegetation success and final bond release. Montana intends to revise its program to improve operational efficiency.

In this notice of review, we announce our annual petition findings for foreign species, as required under section 4(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. When, in response to a petition, we find that listing a species is warranted but precluded by higher priority listing actions, we must complete a new status review each year until we publish a proposed rule or make a determination that listing is not warranted. These subsequent status reviews and the accompanying 12-month findings are referred to as ``resubmitted'' petition findings.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species and/or marine mammals.

This final rule will revise the production measurement regulations to establish meter proving, meter verification/calibration, and well test requirements after hurricanes and other events beyond the control of the lessee. This rulemaking will eliminate some reporting burden on industry, and it will eliminate the need for MMS to grant waivers to the reporting requirements in certain situations. The final rule will also add new definitions providing clarity in the training regulations, which should lead to improved training of Outer Continental Shelf workers.

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) Twin Falls District Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will attend a tour as indicated below.

This notice publishes the current list of 564 tribal entities recognized and eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs by virtue of their status as Indian tribes. The list is updated from the notice published on April 4, 2008 (73 FR 18553).

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) owns and operates the San Carlos Irrigation ProjectJoint Works (SCIP-JW) located with the project office in Coolidge, Arizona. We are required to establish irrigation assessment rates to recover the costs to administer, operate, maintain, and rehabilitate this project. We are notifying you that we have adjusted the irrigation assessment rate at the SCIP-JW to reflect current costs of administration, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation.

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

The purpose of this notice is to inform the public and interested State and local government officials of the filing of Plats of Survey in Nevada.

The National Park Service announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia. This document will be available for public review and comment pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environment Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service propose to approve tungsten-iron-fluoropolymer shot alloys for hunting waterfowl and coots. We published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking for this group of alloys in the Federal Register on March 3, 2009, under RIN 1018-AW46 (74 FR 9207). Having completed our review of the application materials, we have concluded that these alloys are very unlikely to adversely affect fish, wildlife, or their habitats.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(C)), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final General Management Plan (GMP)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, South Dakota. On July 2, the acting regional director for the NPS Midwest Region approved the ROD for the Final GMP/EIS. As soon as practicable, the NPS will begin to implement the selected alternative.

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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the initiation of a status review for mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) in the Big Lost River, Idaho. The status review will help us determine whether this population warrants listing as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). At the conclusion of the review, we will issue a 12-month finding on our determination as to whether listing is warranted. If listing is warranted, we will also determine whether or not to propose critical habitat for mountain whitefish in the Big Lost River.

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on August 26-27, 2009 at the National Conservation Training Center, 698 Conservation Way, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. The meeting will be held in Room 161 Instructional West.