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

All interested parties are hereby invited to participate with Williams Fork Land Company 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 Moffat and Routt Counties, Colorado.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Federal joint lead agencies, and the State of California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), acting as the California Environmental Quality Act State lead agency, have made available for public review and comment the Suisun Marsh Habitat Management, Preservation, and Restoration Plan (SMP) Draft EIS/EIR. The SMP is a comprehensive 30-year plan designed to address various conflicts regarding use of resources within approximately 51,000 acres of the Suisun Marsh (Marsh), with the focus on achieving an acceptable multi- stakeholder approach to the restoration of tidal wetlands and the enhancement of managed wetlands and their functions.

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada has cancelled a joint meeting of its three Resource Advisory Councils (RACs) previously scheduled to be held on November 4 and 5, 2010 in Sparks, Nevada. The meeting will be rescheduled in early 2011.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has officially filed the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Idaho State Office, Boise, Idaho, effective 9:00 a.m., on the date specified.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is scheduled to file the plats of survey of the lands described below thirty (30) calendar days from the date of this publication in the BLM Wyoming State Office, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Notice of Filing of Plats of Survey, Alaska.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announces the availability for public review of a draft national plan to assist States, Federal agencies, and tribes in managing white-nose syndrome in bats. This draft plan was prepared by representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Forest Service; U.S. Department of Defense's Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and FWS; St. Regis Mohawk Tribe; Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources; Missouri Department of Conservation; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; Pennsylvania Game Commission; Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife; and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The FWS is requesting review and comment on the draft plan from all interested parties.

Pursuant to Public Law 106-503, the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC) will hold its next meeting at the campus of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), President's Board Room, Pasadena, California 91126. The Committee is comprised of members from academia, industry, and State government. The Committee shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on matters relating to the USGS's participation in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. The focus of the meeting will be a review of the USGS Earthquake Hazard Program's activities in southern California, including the multi-hazards demonstration project and earthquake early warning prototype development. The committee will also discuss USGS monitoring activities, international work, and USGS role within the four-agency National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. Although meetings of the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee are open to the public, seating may be limited due to room capacity.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing that the information collection request for 30 CFR part 874General Reclamation Requirements, has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden and cost.

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.

On July 8, 2008 (FR39039), the National Park Service, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, announced the availability of, and solicited comments on, the draft FLAG Phase I ReportREVISED. The purpose of this notice is to announce the availability of the final revised FLAG report, and the accompanying Response to Public Comments document. The Federal Land Managers' Air Quality Related Values Work Group (FLAG) was formed (1) to develop a more consistent and objective approach for the Federal Land Managers (FLMs), i.e., National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (the Agencies), to evaluate air pollution effects on their air quality related values (AQRVs); and (2) to provide State permitting authorities and potential permit applicants consistency on how to assess the impacts of new and existing sources on AQRVs. The FLAG effort focuses on the effects of the air pollutants that could affect the health and status of resources in areas managed by the three agencies, primarily such pollutants as ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrates, and sulfates. FLAG formed subgroups that concentrated on four issues: (1) Terrestrial effects of ozone; (2) aquatic and terrestrial effects of wet and dry pollutant deposition; (3) visibility; and (4) process and policy issues. In December 2000, after undergoing a public review and comment process that included a 90-day public comment period announced in the Federal Register and a public meeting, the FLMs published a final Phase I report (FLAG 2000), along with an accompanying ``Response to Public Comments'' document. FLAG 2000 has been a useful tool to the FLMs, State permitting authorities, and permit applicants. It was intended to be a working document that would be revised as necessary as the FLMs learn more about how to better assess the health and status of AQRVs. Based on knowledge gained and regulatory developments since FLAG 2000, the FLMs believe certain revisions to FLAG 2000 are now appropriate. The final revised report reflects those changes. During the 60-day public comment period on the draft report, the Agencies received 22 comment letters from various constituencies (e.g., State air regulatory agencies, concerned citizens, environmental groups, industry representatives, Tribal representatives). These commenters raised specific concerns, and many supported the proposed revisions in general and thought that the changes were warranted and helpful. The Agencies considered all comments received and revised the draft FLAG report accordingly. The Agencies also prepared an accompanying ``Response to Public Comments'' document that discusses the public comments and provides the Agencies' rationale for accepting or rejecting the comment. The Agencies did not make any major technical or policy changes from the draft revised report. However, we made some editorial changes and inserted clarifying language as a result of comments received, and reformatted the report to make it more reader friendly.

We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife 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 May 31, 2011. 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.

Pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center (NHOTIC) Advisory Board will meet as indicated below:

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFGD) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an Enhancement of Survival Permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended. The requested permit would authorize take of the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis; hereafter, NEC) resulting from certain habitat improvement and land use activities should the species be listed as endangered or threatened in the future. The permit application includes a proposed Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) between the NHFGD and the Service. In accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), we have prepared a draft categorical exclusion of the impacts of the requested permit. We are accepting comments on the permit application, proposed CCAA, and draft NEPA document.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management will issue an appealable decision to The Aleut Corporation. The decision will approve the conveyance of only the surface estate for certain lands pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The lands are located on the Rat Islands, west of Adak, Alaska, aggregating 191.31 acres. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in the Anchorage Daily News.

Mr. Carlos Ortega, Jr., has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for a Disclaimer of Interest from the United States pursuant to Section 315 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), and the regulations contained in 43 CFR subpart 1864 for the surface estate of land lying along the right bank of the Rio Caliente river in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. This Notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the Disclaimer of Interest application.

Notice is hereby given that a temporary closure to motorized vehicle travel was implemented as of May 17, 2010. This closure affects 27,100 acres of public land administered by the Salt Lake Field Office, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), within the Big Pole Fire area in Tooele County, Utah.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for a right-of-way (ROW) lease/grant to Calico Solar Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) for the Calico Solar Project (formerly SES Solar One) and an associated Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Resource Management Plan (CDCA Plan). The Calico Solar Project is located in San Bernardino County, California. The Secretary of the Interior signed the ROD on October 20, 2010, which constitutes the final decision of the Department. The ROD and the Approved Plan Amendment are effective immediately.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Pacific Renewable Energy Generation LLC (applicant) for an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are considering issuing an incidental take permit (ITP) that would authorize the applicant's take of the federally endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly incidental to otherwise lawful activities that would result in the loss of Coast Buckwheat, which serves as butterfly habitat. We invite comments from the public on the application, which includes the Geotechnical Boring Project Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), and on our preliminary determination that the HCP qualifies as a low-effect plan that is eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is notifying the public that Reclamation and the State of Washington have prepared a Draft EIS for the Odessa Subarea Special Study. The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is a joint lead with Reclamation in the preparation of this Draft EIS, which will also be used to comply with requirements of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The purpose of Reclamation's Odessa Subarea Special Study is to evaluate alternatives to replace groundwater supply with surface water to irrigate existing, groundwater-irrigated acres in the Odessa Ground Water Management Subarea. Measurements of groundwater levels in wells have shown a substantial decline in much of the Odessa Subarea since the 1980s, which are the earliest available measurements. This has prompted public concern about the declining aquifers and associated economic and other effects, which resulted in a directive by the U.S. Congress and the Washington State legislature to investigate the problem.

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 (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activities. The ESA laws require that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Advisory Commission will be held at 9:30 a.m., on Friday, November 5, 2010, at Rockwood Manor Park, 11001 MacArthur Boulevard, Potomac, Maryland 20854.