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

We are announcing the receipt of a proposed amendment to the Utah regulatory program (hereinafter, the ``Utah program'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (``SMCRA'' or ``the Act''). Utah proposes to delete repeal dates for statutory provisions pertaining to permit eligibility and revegetation requirements on lands eligible for remining. Utah intends to revise its program to remain consistent with the Federal Program under SMCRA.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (Act) prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The Act also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list as endangered four species of birds from Colombia the blue- billed curassow (Crax alberti), the brown-banded antpitta (Grallaria milleri), the Cauca guan (Penelope perspicax), and the gorgeted wood- quail (Odontophorus strophium) and one bird species from Ecuador the Esmeraldas woodstar (Chaetocercus berlepschi) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). This proposal, if made final, would extend the Act's protection to these species. The Service seeks data and comments from the public on this proposed rule.

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.

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 Tanana, Alaska, and are located in:

Under the provisions of 30 U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR 3108.2-3(a) and (b)(2), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from Bestoso Oil and Gas Company for Noncompetitive oil and gas lease WYW157400 for land in Fremont County, Wyoming. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

Under the Class II provisions of Title IV, Public Law 97-451, The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease OKNM 119294 from the lessee, Plano Petroleum, LLC, for lands in Ellis County, Oklahoma. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

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

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

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as lead agency, with the Soboba Band of Luise[ntilde]o Indians (Tribe), City of San Jacinto and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as cooperating agencies, intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) with the EPA for the Tribe's proposed 534.91 acre trust acquisition and subsequent construction of a hotel/casino project to be located within the City of San Jacinto, Riverside County, California, and that the DEIS is now available for public review and comment. This notice provides a 75-day public comment period and thereby grants a 30-day extension to the normal 45-day public comment period.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (Act) prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The Act requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

The Secretary of the Interior proposes to withdraw approximately 676,048 acres of public lands from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the general land laws, including the mining laws, on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect and preserve solar energy study areas for future solar energy development. This notice segregates the lands for up to 2 years from surface entry and mining while various studies and analyses are made to support a final decision on the withdrawal application. The lands will remain open to the mineral leasing laws.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Las Vegas Field Office, will prepare one environmental impact statement (EIS) for two proposed solar energy projects located on public lands in Clark County, Nevada. Publication of this notice initiates the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Bureau of Indian Affairs is submitting an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for clearance and extension. The information collection, Tribal Reassumption of Jurisdiction over Child Custody Proceedings, is cleared under OMB Control Number 1076-0112 through 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.

This notice advises the public that the City of Elk Grove (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an Enhancement of Survival Permit through a Safe Harbor Agreement (Agreement) for the Federally threatened species valley elderberry longhorn beetle (Desmocerus californicus dimorphus) and the Federally threatened giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas). The Agreement is available for public comment (see below).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to remove the Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) and the shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris) from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife (List) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that removing the Lost River sucker or shortnose sucker from the List may be warranted. Therefore, we will not initiate a status review for either species in response to this petition. We ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the status of, or threats to, the Lost River and shortnose suckers or their habitat at any time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (refuge). We will also prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential effects of various CCP alternatives. We provide this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise the public, other Federal and State agencies, and Tribes of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider during the planning process.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Georgia pigtoe mussel (Pleurobema hanleyianum), interrupted rocksnail (Leptoxis foremani), and rough hornsnail (Pleurocera foremani), as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Georgia pigtoe, interrupted rocksnail, and rough hornsnail are endemic to the Coosa River drainage within the Mobile River Basin of Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. These three species have disappeared from large portions of their natural ranges due to extensive construction of dams that eliminated or reduced water currents and caused changes in habitat and water quality. The surviving populations are small, localized, and highly vulnerable to water quality and habitat deterioration.

Notice is given that the MMS will issue five limited leases authorizing wind resource data collection on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore New Jersey and Delaware. Five OCS blocks will be leased for a term of 5 years; and the annual rent will be $3.00 per acre as established in the interim policy published in the Federal Register (72 FR 214, pp. 62673-62675) on November 6, 2007. The OCS blocks will be leased subject to the terms set forth in the lease form published in the Federal Register (73 FR 77, pp. 21363-21375) on April 21, 2008, and also subject to stipulations. The MMS will issue leases for four OCS blocks off the coast of New Jersey and one off the coast of Delaware to four companies: Bluewater Wind Delaware, LLC; Bluewater Wind New Jersey Energy LLC; Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey, LLC, and Deepwater Wind, LLC. The OCS blocks off the coast of New Jersey are Wilmington NJ 18-02 Block 6936 to Bluewater Wind New Jersey Energy, LLC; Wilmington NJ 18-02 Block 6931 to Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey, LLC; Wilmington NJ 18-02 Block 6738 and Wilmington NJ 18-02 Block 7033 to Deepwater Wind, LLC. The OCS block MMS will lease off the coast of Delaware is Salisbury NJ 18-05 Block 6325 to Bluewater Wind Delaware, LLC.

This notice announces our decision on a request for a determination of valid existing rights (VER) under section 522(e) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). We (OSM) have determined that, based upon the information provided, the applicant has not demonstrated the existence of VER on the Jack Smith, et al. property within the boundaries of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Clay County, Kentucky.