Department of the Interior July 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) proposes to prepare a draft EIS that analyzes effects associated with construction of the AVC, a proposed feature of the Fryingpan-Arkansas (Fry-Ark) Project, and the issuance of an Excess Capacity Master Contract to Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District (Southeastern). The proposed Federal action is to construct the pipeline to provide treated water to the service area in southeastern Colorado. Towns in the service area need to construct new or improved water treatment systems, supplement their current water supply, and/or purchase other water supplies to replace poor quality water. Some also need more water to meet demands of a growing population. The proposed Federal action associated with the Excess Capacity Master Contract is to issue a long-term contract to Southeastern for storage of non-Fry-Ark Project water in Pueblo Reservoir, a feature of the Fry-Ark Project. The water would be used by several water providers within Southeastern's boundaries.

All interested parties are hereby invited to participate with Bowie Resources, LLC, on a pro rata cost-sharing basis, in a program for the exploration of coal deposits owned by the United States of America in lands located in Delta County, Colorado.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibits activities with listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activities. The Both laws require that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has officially filed the plats of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Idaho State Office, Boise, Idaho, effective 9 a.m., on the dates specified.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Wright Area Coal project that contains four Federal coal Lease-by-Applications (LBAs), and by this notice announces the availability of the Wright Area Coal Final EIS for review.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management lands in Oregon and by this notice is announcing its availability. The EIS proposes to increase the number of herbicides currently in use on BLM- managed lands in Oregon and increase the number of objectives for which they can be used.

The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP) was implemented as a result of the Record of Decision on the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement to comply with consultation requirements of the Grand Canyon Protection Act (Pub. L. 102-575) of 1992. The AMP includes a Federal advisory committee, the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG), a technical work group (TWG), a Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, and independent review panels. The AMWG makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior concerning Glen Canyon Dam operations and other management actions to protect resources downstream of Glen Canyon Dam consistent with the Grand Canyon Protection Act. The TWG is a subcommittee of the AMWG and provides technical advice and recommendations to the AMWG.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Montana State Office, Billings, Montana, thirty (30) days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce the availability of a Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge for public review and comment. The CCP/EA, prepared under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, describes how the Service will manage the Refuge for the next 15 years. Draft compatibility determinations for several existing and proposed public uses are also available for review and public comment.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter Service or we) is proposing to establish the 2010-11 early-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 maximum number of birds that may be taken and possessed in early seasons. Early seasons may open as early as September 1, and include seasons in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These frameworks are necessary to allow State selections of specific final seasons and limits and to allow recreational harvest at levels compatible with population status and habitat conditions. This proposed rule also provides the final regulatory alternatives for the 2010-11 duck hunting seasons.

On May 27, 2010, the President announced the Secretary of the Interior's decision to cancel offshore Virginia Lease Sale 220 that was scheduled for 2011. Cancellation of Sale 220 will allow time to develop and implement measures to improve the safety of oil and gas development in Federal waters, provide greater environmental protection, and substantially reduce the risk of catastrophic events. The Call for Information and Interest/Nominations and Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 220 was published in Federal Register Vol. 73, No. 220, on Thursday, November 13, 2008. The findings of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, (the National Commission was established by Executive Order 13543, dated May 21, 2010, as published in the Federal Register on May 26, 2010, (75 FR 29397)), environmental reviews, science-based analysis and public input will inform the Secretary's decisions about whether to move forward with other leases sales in the Mid-Atlantic Planning Area in the future 2012-2017 leasing program.

This order revokes a withdrawal created by a Public Law insofar as it affects a 5-acre parcel of land reserved on behalf of the United States Air Force in Owyhee County, Idaho for the Juniper Butte Range. This order also opens the land to all forms of appropriation under the general land laws, including the mining, mineral, and geothermal leasing laws.

The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization of the Department of the Interior is hosting a Vendor Outreach Workshop for small businesses in the midwest region of the United States that are interested in doing business with the Department. This outreach workshop will review market contracting opportunities for the attendees. Business owners will be able to share their individual perspectives with Contracting Officers, Program Managers and Small Business Specialists from the Department. Following the workshop, businesses will also participate in a matchmaking event that will allow businesses to talk with Department representatives during roundtable discussions.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA), we, the Fish and Wildlife Service, have issued letters of authorization for the nonlethal take of polar bears and Pacific walrus incidental to oil and gas industry exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and the adjacent northern coast of Alaska and incidental to oil and gas industry exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and the adjacent western coast of Alaska.

This notice is a revision of a September 12, 2008, Notice of Intent [73 FR 52944]. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Vale District Office, Vale, Oregon, and the U.S. Forest Service (FS), Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Baker City, Oregon, intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) Project, and by this notice are announcing the re- initiation of the NEPA scoping process to solicit public comments. This notice is in response to substantive changes in the proposed B2H Project route as submitted by Idaho Power Company (IPC) in its amended right-of-way (ROW) application to the BLM and special use application to the FS. The proposed B2H route is about 300 miles long and would cross Federal, State, and private lands in 6 counties in Oregon and Idaho. Approximately 93 miles (31 percent) of the lands the transmission line would cross are administered by Federal agencies, including the BLM, the FS, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Department of Defense.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, determine endangered status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the black-breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), a hummingbird native to Ecuador.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Lands Leasing Act of 1920, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from Heyser Gas Field, Inc., for competitive oil and gas leases NVN-83789, NVN-83790, NVN-85288, NVN-85299, NVN-85303, NVN- 85318, NVN-85324, NVN-85325, NVN-85328, NVN-85332, NVN-85409, NVN- 85410, NVN-85411, NVN-85416, NVN-85423, NVN-85424, NVN-85440, NVN- 85446, and NVN-85518 for land in White Pine County, Nevada. The petition was timely filed and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

As provided for under the Mineral Lands Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, Longshot Oil LLC timely filed a petition for reinstatement of competitive oil and gas lease MTM 97827, Carbon County, Montana. The lessee paid the required rental accruing from the date of termination.

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

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to classify approximately 26.99 acres of public land for lease and eventual conveyance under the authority of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, to the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, a not-for-profit organization. The 10th Mountain Division Hut Association intends to use the lands to site a small warehouse, administrative offices, and two units of employee housing.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will issue an appealable decision approving the conveyance of surface estate for certain lands to Aleknagik Natives Limited, pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The subsurface estate in these lands will be conveyed to Bristol Bay Native Corporation when the surface estate is conveyed to Aleknagik Natives Limited. The lands are in the vicinity of Aleknagik, Alaska, and are located in:

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) for the extension of the currently approved paperwork requirements for the USGS Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). This collection consists of one form and this notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of this form. 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.

Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and were pending through December 31, 2009, and contract actions that have been completed or discontinued since the last publication of this notice on November 6, 2009. From the date of this publication, future notices during this calendar year will be limited to new, modified, discontinued, or completed contract actions. This annual notice should be used as a point of reference to identify changes in future notices. This notice is one of a variety of means used to inform the public about proposed contractual actions for capital recovery and management of project resources and facilities consistent with section 9(f) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. Additional announcements of individual contract actions may be published in the Federal Register and in newspapers of general circulation in the areas determined by Reclamation to be affected by the proposed action.