Department of the Interior August 3, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, and the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (Omnibus Act), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Grand Junction and Uncompahgre Field Offices, Grand Junction and Montrose, Colorado intend to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) with an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Dominguez- Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA) and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. By this notice, the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Challis Field Office, Idaho intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental effects of the proposed approval by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) of a modified mining plan of operations (MMPO) for the Thompson Creek molybdenum mine in Custer County, Idaho and the potential for disposal of BLM-administered public lands. The MMPO would allow an approximate 15-year extension of the mine life and an expansion of some facilities, requiring additional surface disturbance on approximately 350 acres of Federal lands and approximately 80 acres of private land. The EIS will include analysis of the potential environmental effects to waters of the United States that could occur under the MMPO. The Thompson Creek Mining Company (TCMC), has also proposed to exchange 900 acres of private lands owned by TCMC in Custer and Bannock counties for 5,000 acres of BLM-administered public land in the vicinity of the mine in Custer County, including the BLM-administered public land involved in the MMPO. The EIS will also evaluate a proposed amendment to the BLM Challis Field Office 1999 Resource Management Plan (RMP), to identify if the public land involved would be available for disposal pursuant to the FLPMA.

The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management proposes to withdraw approximately 28,953 acres of public lands from location and entry under the United States mining laws (30 U.S.C. 22 et seq.) for a period of 20 years, on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to limit impacts to public safety and human health from naturally occurring asbestos and past mining activities within the Clear Creek Management Area (CCMA). This notice temporarily segregates the lands for up to 2 years from location and entry under the United States mining laws (30 U.S.C. 22 et seq.) while various studies and analyses are made to support a final decision on the withdrawal application. In addition, approximately 3,763 acres of non- Federal lands located inside of the boundary of the proposed withdrawal area, if acquired by or returned to the United States, would also be included in the proposed withdrawal and subject to the temporary segregation authorized by this notice.

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 the surface and subsurface estates for certain lands to Doyon, Limited, pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The lands are in the vicinity of Holy Cross, Alaska, and are located in:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on our March 10, 2010 (75 FR 11080), proposed rule to designate critical habitat for Carex lutea (golden sedge) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of the draft economic analysis (DEA) associated with the proposed rule. In addition, in this document, we propose to enlarge two previously proposed subunits of critical habitat because we discovered that Carex lutea occupies an area at these two subunits that is greater than what we believed when we were preparing the March 10, 2010 proposed rule. We are reopening the comment period on the proposal for an additional 30 days to allow interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the revised proposed critical habitat designation, the associated DEA, and our amended required determinations section. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.