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

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.

Certain lands located in northwestern Nevada partly within the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NCA) will be temporarily closed or restricted and certain activities will be temporarily prohibited in and around the Burning Man event site administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca District. The specified closures, restrictions and prohibitions are made in the interest of public safety at and around the event. The 2006 Decision Record and associated Environmental Assessment (EA) authorized issuance of a five-year permit to Black Rock City LLC (BRC LLC) to conduct the event on public lands within the NCA. The authorization for 2009 represents year four of the permit.

The Secretary of the Interior is directed by the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies' Appropriations Act of 2006, Public Law (Pub. L.) 109-115, Section 180, to convey approximately 229 acres of public land in Clark County for the Southern Nevada Regional Heliport, a public facility. The land is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving the conveyance of surface and subsurface estates for certain lands pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Calista Corporation for 30.48 acres located southeasterly of the Native village of Emmonak, Alaska. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in the Anchorage Daily News.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving the conveyance of surface and subsurface estates for certain lands pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Calista Corporation for 2.83 acres located northwesterly of the Native village of Goodnews Bay, Alaska. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in the Anchorage Daily News.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving the conveyance of surface estate only for certain lands pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to The Aleut Corporation for 854.05 acres located on the Andreanof Islands west of Adak, Alaska. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in the Anchorage Daily News.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving the conveyance of surface estate only for certain lands pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Calista Corporation for 55.00 acres located northeasterly of the Native village of Emmonak, Alaska, and southwesterly of the Native village of Nightmute, Alaska. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in the Anchorage Daily News.

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's (BLM) Utah Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.