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

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Office of Facilities, Environmental, and Cultural Resources (OFECR), in the Office of the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs, is submitting the following information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal: ``Tax Credit Bonds for Bureau of Indian Affairs- Funded Schools,'' OMB Control Number 1076-0173. The current approval expires on April 30, 2010.

This Notice serves to announce two actions, including: (1) The reopening of the public scoping period for proposed Lease Sale 220 in the Mid-Atlantic Planning Area for an additional 45 days and providing notice of the public scoping meeting dates and locations for this proposed sale; and (2) announcing an additional and separate scoping meeting on May 12, 2010, in Norfolk, Virginia which will solicit public input on both the proposed Lease Sale 220 and the G&G PEIS on the Mid- and South Atlantic OCS. This Notice does not extend the public scoping period for the G&G PEIS on the Mid- and South Atlantic OCS. The scoping period for that PEIS ends on May 17, 2010 (see 75 FR 16830).

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 TXNM 118757 from the lessee, Forest Oil Corporation, for lands in Hill County, New Mexico. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

The Bureau of Reclamation is reopening the comment period for the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, Eastern and Western Division Proposed Project Use Power Rate Adjustment for an additional 30 days from the date of publication of this Notice. The initial Notice proposing this adjustment was published in the Federal Register on January 11, 2010 (75 FR 1408). The public comment period ended on February 10, 2010.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a public meeting of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council).

Final regulations for valuing gas produced from Indian leases, published August 10, 1999, require MMS to determine major portion prices and notify industry by publishing the prices in the Federal Register. The regulations also require MMS to publish a due date for industry to pay additional royalties based on the major portion prices. This notice provides major portion prices for the 12 months of calendar year 2008.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a 3-year renewal of OMB Control Number 1004-0194 under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This control number covers paperwork requirements in 43 CFR subpart 3809.

The plat of survey described below was officially filed in the New Mexico State Office, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Santa Fe, New Mexico, on January 15, 2004. The BLM published a Notice of Filing of Plat of Survey in the Federal Register on April 8, 2010 [75 FR 17952] which contained errors in the description format.

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 requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Based on our review, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the Mohave ground squirrel may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a status review of the species to determine if listing the species is warranted. To ensure that this status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this species. Based on the status review,

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) invites submissions describing interest in obtaining one or more commercial leases for the construction of a wind energy project(s) on the OCS offshore Delaware. The MMS will use responses to this RFI to enable MMS to gauge specific interest in commercial development of OCS wind resources in the area described, as required by 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3). Parties wishing to obtain a commercial lease for a wind energy project should submit detailed and specific information as described below in the section entitled, ``Required Indication of Interest Information.'' Also, with this announcement the MMS invites all interested and affected parties to comment and provide informationincluding information on environmental issues and concernsthat will be useful in the consideration of the area of interest for commercial wind energy leases.

These proposed guidelines set forth best practices that we, the Fish and Wildlife Service, find are appropriate for safely and nonlethally deterring polar bears from damaging private and public property and endangering the public. We would not require anyone to implement these guidelines, nor would anyone be liable if they did not implement them. If the guidelines are finalized, anyone deciding to implement them could do so without our authorization or supervision. We are proposing these guidelines to reduce occurrences of bear-human interactions with only minor, short-term behavioral effects on polar bears. As discussed in the background section of this proposed rule, we authorize other, more aggressive deterrence activities through separate provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. We seek public comment on these proposed guidelines.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Texas regulatory program (Texas program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Texas proposes revisions to its regulations regarding annual permit fees. Texas intends to revise its program to improve operational efficiency.

Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) assessing the potential impacts of restoring the coastal wetland and lower riparian corridor at Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Island National Park. The Final EIS analyzes the effects of implementing proposed actions that accomplish the following objectives: (1) Recreate a more natural topography and hydrology by reconnecting the Canada del Puerto stream with its floodplain and removing non- native eucalyptus trees and other vegetation which have proliferated in the lower drainage; (2) increase biological diversity and productivity by removing fill and restoring the historic wetland; (3) provide an enhanced visitor experience by installing additional interpretive displays; and (4) protect significant cultural and historic resources.

This notice provides the semiannual agenda of rules scheduled for review or development between spring 2010 and fall 2010. The Regulatory Flexibility Act and Executive Order 12866 require publication of the agenda.

The City of Kent, Washington (Kent), has submitted applications to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) (together, the Services, us) for Incidental Take Permits (Permit) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). We jointly prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to support permit-issuance decisions by each agency. As required by the ESA, Kent has also prepared a Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) designed to minimize and mitigate any such take of endangered or threatened species. The Permit applications are related to water withdrawal and habitat enhancement measures on Rock Creek, tributary to the Cedar River, King County, Washington. The Permit and the Plan each have a proposed term of 50 years.

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) Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Council (SEORAC) will meet as indicated below:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reclassifying the federally endangered Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri) to threatened status under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This decision is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicate that the species' status has improved to the point that the Oregon chub is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA) for the Mona to Oquirrh Transmission Corridor Project and by this notice is announcing its availability.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a notice in the Federal Register on March 3, 2009, pertaining to a direct sale of public land under the provisions of the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976. This document should have explicitly terminated any existing classifications and segregations.

This order modifies a Secretarial Order insofar as it affects 212 acres of National Forest System land withdrawn for protection of water power values by Power Site Reserve No. 148. This order opens the land to exchange subject to Section 24 of the Federal Power Act.

An application has been filed on December 16, 2008, by the surface owner, for the conveyance of the federally-owned mineral interests in the 2292.12-acre tract of land described in this notice. Publication of this notice temporarily segregates the mineral interests in the land covered by the application from appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining laws, while the application is being processed.

The public lands described in this Notice consist of 11 small parcels ranging in size from 0.090 acres to 2.990 acres, totaling 9.39 acres in Boulder County, Colorado. The parcels are being considered for direct sale to parties at no less than the appraised fair market value (FMV) to resolve historical inadvertent, unauthorized occupancy of the parcels. No significant resource values will be affected by disposal of these parcels from Federal ownership. These sales are consistent with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policies and the BLM Colorado Northeast Resource Management Plan, dated September 16, 1986, and have been reviewed with State and local officials.

Notice is hereby given that a temporary road closure to public access, use, or occupancy is in effect on public lands administered by the Burns District Office, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in the Cave Gulch area, approximately 11 miles northwest of Burns, in Harney County, Oregon.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD)/Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Agua Fria National Monument and Bradshaw-Harquahala Planning Area, located in central Arizona. The Arizona State Director has signed the ROD on April 22, 2010, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective immediately.