Department of the Interior August 22, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or ``we'') announces the availability of an application for an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) and a proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan (LEHCP) from Dominion Virginia Power for public review and comment. We received the permit application from Dominion Virginia Power for incidental take of the Madison Cave isopod during construction of a new natural gas-fired combined-cycle power station in Warren County, Virginia, extending over the next 9 years, until 2020. Our preliminary determination is that the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) qualifies as a low-effect plan under NEPA. To make this determination, we used our LEHCP Screening Form/Environmental Action Statement (EAS), which is also available for review. We provide this notice to (1) seek public comments on the proposed HCP and application; (2) seek public comments on our preliminary determination that the HCP qualifies as a low-effect plan and is therefore eligible for a categorical exclusion under NEPA; and (3) advise other Federal and State agencies, affected Tribes, and the public of our intent to issue an ITP.

The Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) affords stakeholders the opportunity to give policy, management, and technical input concerning Trinity River (California) restoration efforts to the Trinity Management Council (TMC). The TMC interprets and recommends policy, coordinates and reviews management actions, and provides organizational budget oversight. This notice announces a TAMWG meeting, which is open to the public.

The Department of the Interior is amending its regulations to exempt certain records from particular provisions of the Privacy Act. Specifically, the Department proposes to exempt certain records of the newly-created Debarment and Suspension Program system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to amend the regulations that implement the Endangered Species Act (Act) by removing inter-subspecific crossed or generic tiger (Panthera tigris) (i.e., specimens not identified or identifiable as members of Bengal, Sumatran, Siberian, or Indochinese subspecies from the list of species that are exempt from registration under the Captive-bred Wildlife (CBW) regulations. The exemption currently allows those individuals or breeding operations who want to conduct otherwise prohibited activities, such as take, interstate commerce, and export, under the Act with U.S. captive-bred, live inter-subspecific crossed or generic tigers to do so without becoming registered. We are proposing this change to the regulations to strengthen control over captive breeding of tigers in the United States to ensure that such breeding supports the conservation of the species in the wild consistent with the purposes of the Act. The inter-subspecific crossed or generic tigers remain listed as endangered under the Act, and a person would need to obtain authorization under the current statutory and regulatory requirements to conduct any otherwise prohibited activities with them.

This order extends the duration of the withdrawal created by Public Land Order No. 6870 for an additional 20-year period. The extension is necessary to continue protection of the scientific and ecological research values at the Steamboat Mountain Research Natural Area, which would otherwise expire on August 27, 2011.

The Bureau of Land Management published Public Land Order No. 7760 in the Federal Register on April 1, 2011 (76 FR 18244), extending PLO No. 6839 for another 20-year period. Public Land Order No. 7760 contains incorrect acreages for the encumbered land.