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

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office is publishing this notice to inform the public of the intent to file the land survey plats listed below, and to afford all affected parties a proper period of time to protest this action, prior to the plat filing.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), BOEMRE is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements in the regulations under Pollution Prevention and Control.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is segregating public lands located in six States from appropriation under the public land and mining laws, but not the mineral leasing or material sales acts, for a period of 2 years for the purpose of protecting potential sites for future solar energy development.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the ACWI. This meeting is to discuss broad policy-related topics relating to national water initiatives, and the development and dissemination of water information, through reports from ACWI subgroups. The agenda will include an update on the Department of the Interior WaterSMART initiative; an update by the Subcommittee on Ground Water regarding their National Framework for Ground Water Monitoring; a discussion of the SECURE Water Act and its implications for ACWI and its subcommittees; a discussion of a new reference network for surface- water sites; a briefing on the Reservoir Sedimentation Database; an update on preparations for the 8th National Monitoring Conference, which will be held in 2012 in Portland, Oregon; an update on the National Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries, and other activities of the National Water Quality Monitoring Council; and a briefing on WaterFALL\TM\, a Watershed Flow and Allocation Model developed by the Triangle Research Institute. The ACWI was established under the authority of the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-92-01 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the ACWI is to provide a forum for water information users and professionals to advise the Federal Government on activities and plans that may improve the effectiveness of meeting the Nation's water information needs. Member organizations help to foster communications between the Federal and non-Federal sectors on sharing water information. Membership, limited to 35 organizations, represents a wide range of water resources interests and functions. Representation on the ACWI includes all levels of government, academia, private industry, and professional and technical societies. For more information on the ACWI, its membership, subgroups, meetings and activities, please see the Web site at: https://ACWI.gov.

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) requires the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) to review the maximum daily civil penalty assessment for violations of regulations implementing the OCSLA at least once every 3 years (43 U.S.C. 1350). Similarly, a review and adjustment process is required at least once every 4 years for the maximum daily civil penalty assessment allowable under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990 for violations of regulations governing financial responsibility (28 U.S.C. 2461). These reviews ensure that the maximum penalty assessments reflect any increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, and therefore keep up with inflation. BOEMRE conducted these reviews in October 2010 for the OCSLA regulations and in January 2011 for the OPA regulations. BOEMRE determined that the maximum daily civil penalty assessment for violations of its OCSLA regulations should be increased to $40,000, and the maximum daily civil penalty assessment for violations of its financial responsibility regulations should be increased to $30,000.

This order extends the duration of the withdrawal created by Public Land Order No. 6865 for an additional 20-year period. The extension is necessary to continue protection of the significant historic and cultural resource values along with the investment of Federal funds at the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at Flagstaff Hill.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to 25 CFR 514.1(a) (3), that the National Indian Gaming Commission has adopted final annual fee rates of 0.00% for tier 1 and 0.074% (.00074) for tier 2 for calendar year 2011. These rates shall apply to all assessable gross revenues from each gaming operation under the jurisdiction of the Commission. If a tribe has a certificate of self-regulation under 25 CFR part 518, the final fee rate on class II revenues for calendar year 2011 shall be one-half of the annual fee rate, which is 0.037% (.00037).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition (Petition) to list the eastern small- footed bat (Myotis leibii) and the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and designate critical habitat. Based on our review, we find that the Petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing of the eastern small-footed bat and the northern long-eared bat may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a review of the status of these species to determine if listing the eastern small-footed bat or the northern long-eared bat, or both species is warranted. To ensure that this status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding these species. 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 the Act.

We (National Park Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection request (ICR) 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 ICR which is an extension of a currently approved collection of information (OMB 1024-0224). 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.

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 January 31, 2012. 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.

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR, formerly Minerals Management Service's (MMS) Minerals Revenue Management) is announcing an update to Indian index zone price points that will remove certain natural gas index prices from the Indian Index Zone calculation. These changes will impact Oklahoma-Zone 1, Oklahoma-Zone 2, and the Central Rocky Mountain Zone. The ONRR State and Indian Outreach Program held three Indian Tribal Consultation meetings seeking input and comments on several changes that could affect the valuation of mineral production on Indian lands, including this Federal Register Notice. The meetings took place in Albuquerque, NM on May 19; Denver, CO on May 26; and Oklahoma City, OK on June 9, 2011. The ONRR did not receive any negative comments from the various Indian Tribes on this Federal Register Notice.

This Order withdraws, subject to valid existing rights, approximately 1,010,776 acres of public and National Forest System lands from location and entry under the 1872 Mining Law for a period of 6 months under the Secretary's emergency withdrawal authority in section 204(e) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the Tumbling Creek cavesnail (Antrobia culveri) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 25 acres (10.25 hectares) located in Taney County, Missouri, fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation.

The Ocean Energy Safety Advisory Committee will meet at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ukiah Field Office proposes to sell four parcels of public land totaling 1,003.40 acres in Colusa, Glenn, and Lake Counties, California. The sale will be conducted as a competitive bid auction in which interested bidders must submit written sealed bids equal to, or greater than, the appraised fair market value of the land.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) filed a petition/ application to extend the duration of Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6997, as corrected, for an additional 20-year term. PLO No. 6997 withdrew 891,442.36 acres of Federal mineral estate from location and entry under the United States mining laws to protect the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR NWR). The surface is protected by an overlapping withdrawal. This notice gives an opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed withdrawal extension and announces the date, time, and location of a public meeting.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of our draft recovery plan, first revision, for the Mexican Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This species occurs in the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, south through the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico. We request review and comment on our plan from local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; and the public. We will also accept any new information on the status of the Mexican spotted owl throughout its range to assist in finalizing the revised recovery plan.

In accordance with the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Title VI, Secure Schools and Community Self-Determination Program (H.R. 1424), 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), Eugene District Resource Advisory Committee will meet as indicated below.

Notice is hereby given that under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca District, Black Rock Field Office, will implement and enforce temporary closures and temporary restrictions to protect public safety and resources on public lands within and adjacent to the Burning Man event on the Black Rock Desert playa.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oklahoma Field Office intends to prepare an amendment to the 1994 Oklahoma Resource Management Plan, as amended, and associated Environmental Assessment (EA) in response to four coal lease applications covering lands in Haskell and LeFlore Counties, Oklahoma. By this notice, the Oklahoma Field Office announces the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

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. Both laws require that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), proposed in an earlier document to establish annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 2011-12 hunting season. This supplement to the proposed rule provides the regulatory schedule, announces the Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee and Flyway Council meetings, and provides Flyway Council recommendations resulting from their March meetings.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing its intention to request renewed authority for the collection of information relating to Abandoned mine reclamation funds.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce that our draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge Complex is available. This draft CCP/EA describes how the Service intends to manage this refuge complex for the next 15 years.