Department of the Interior June 2, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Interior's draft WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) Strategic Implementation Plan (draft Strategic Implementation Plan) identifies activities that will be undertaken to secure and stretch water supplies for use by existing and future generations. Within the draft Strategic Implementation Plan each bureau and office within the Department of the Interior shall identify, coordinate, and integrate its water conservation and sustainable water strategies; identify its information needs; utilize best available science to understand the impacts of climate change on water supplies; and provide Federal leadership and assistance in working toward the goal of sustainable water supplies.

In accordance with the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Ukiah Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Ukiah Field Office, is issuing interim final supplementary rules and requesting comments. These interim final supplementary rules will apply to public lands within the Ukiah Field Office's jurisdiction. The BLM has determined that these interim final supplementary rules are necessary to enhance visitor safety, protect natural resources, improve recreation opportunities, and protect public health. These rules only implement land use limitations and restrictions that were analyzed in the Ukiah RMP.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado River Valley Field Office, examined approximately 62.5 acres of public land in Garfield County, Colorado, and found the land suitable for classification for conveyance under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (R&PP). The City of Glenwood Springs proposes to use the land to expand its existing South Canyon Landfill.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), La Jara Field Office, La Jara, Colorado, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) related to the potential renewal of domestic sheep grazing permits on 12 allotments and 1 cattle grazing allotment in the southern San Luis Valley. This notice initiates the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues relevant to the EIS.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), reclassify the tulotoma snail (Tulotoma magnifica) from endangered to threatened, under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This action is based on a review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicates that the endangered designation no longer correctly reflects the status of this snail.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to reclassify the Torghar Hills population of straight-horned markhor, or Suleiman markhor, (Capra falconeri jerdoni or C. f. megaceros) from endangered to threatened 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 reclassifying this subspecies of markhor in the Torghar Hills of Pakistan may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a review of the status of the entire subspecies to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that this status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding the straight-horned markhor or the Torghar Hills population. Based on the status review, we will issue a 12-month finding on the petition, which will address whether the petitioned action is warranted, as provided in section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), as Lead Agency, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Wheatgrass Ridge Wind Project, Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Idaho. It also announces the beginning of the scoping process to identify potential issues and content for inclusion in the EIS. Construction of the Wheatgrass Ridge Wind Project within the Fort Hall Reservation is subject to BIA approval of a lease and, as proposed, is a major Federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended. The information in the EIS will be used to support a decision whether or not to lease Shoshone-Bannock Tribal lands to Wheatgrass Ridge Wind, LLC, for construction, operation, and maintenance of a wind energy facility up to 160 megawatt (MW). The EIS will describe and analyze potential environmental impacts from the proposed action and a range of reasonable alternatives.