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

On November 18, 2010, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) issued a Notice of Inquiry and Notice of Consultation advising the public that the NIGC was conducting a comprehensive review of its regulations and requesting public comment on the process for conducting the regulatory review. On April 4, 2011, after holding eight consultations and reviewing all comments, NIGC published a Notice of Regulatory Review Schedule setting out a consultation schedule and process for review. Based on the above review, the Commission proposes to rescind our regulations pertaining to the approval of existing ordinances and resolutions that were enacted by a Tribe prior to February 22, 1993 and that have not been submitted to the NIGC Chair, and to notify the public that it does not intend to take action at this time on certain other regulations identified in the Notice of Regulatory Review Schedule.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei) as endangered or threatened and to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the northern leatherside chub rangewide is not warranted at this time. We ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the threats to the northern leatherside chub or its habitat at any time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a status review (12-month finding) on a petition to list the blue-headed macaw (Primolius couloni) and grey-cheeked parakeet (Brotogeris pyrrhoptera) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the blue-headed macaw or grey-cheeked parakeet is not warranted at this time. However, we ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the threats to these species or their habitat at any time.

The plats of survey of the described lands were officially filed in the Arizona State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix, Arizona, on dates indicated.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States (BLM-ES) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease MSES 56250 from Antares Exploration Fund, L.P. for lands in Perry County, Mississippi. 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 Land Management (BLM), Redding Field Office, proposes to sell a parcel of public land consisting of 160.03 acres, more or less, in Shasta County, California. The public land would be sold to the County of Shasta for the appraised fair market value of $176,000.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO) is implementing supplementary rules to regulate conduct on public lands within Bangs Canyon Special Recreation Management Area (BCSRMA). These supplementary rules are needed to implement decisions found in the 1999 Bangs Canyon Special Recreation Management Area Management Plan (BCSRMAMP) and the Grand Junction Resource Management Plan (GJRMP). These rules are needed to protect natural resources located within the BCSRMA and provide for public health and safety.

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) San Luis Valley Public Lands Center, Monte Vista, Colorado, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

The Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribe, has determined that the cultural item meets the definition of unassociated funerary object and repatriation to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the cultural item may contact the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University.

The University of Colorado Museum has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the University of Colorado Museum. Disposition of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and present-day Indian tribes. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from Hot Springs Resources LTD for renewal of oil and gas lease WYW174755 for land in Natrona County, Wyoming. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list as threatened the yellow-billed parrot (Amazona collaria) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are taking this action in response to a petition to list this species as endangered or threatened under the Act. This document, which also serves as the completion of the status review and as the 12-month finding on the petition, announces our finding that listing is warranted for the yellow-billed parrot. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species. We also propose a special rule for the yellow-billed parrot in conjunction with our proposed listing as threatened for this species. We seek information from the public on this proposed rule and status review for this species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, list the Altamaha spinymussel (Elliptio spinosa), a freshwater mussel endemic to the Altamaha River drainage of southeastern Georgia, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and designate approximately 237.4 kilometers (km) (147.5 miles (mi)) of mainstem river channel as critical habitat in Appling, Ben Hill, Coffee, Jeff Davis, Long, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Wayne, and Wheeler Counties, Georgia. This final rule will implement the Federal protections provided by the Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list Amoreuxia gonzalezii (Santa Rita yellowshow), Astragalus hypoxylus (Huachuca milk-vetch), and Erigeron piscaticus (Fish Creek fleabane) as endangered or threatened with critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After review of the best scientific and commercial information available, we find that listing Amoreuxia gonzalezii, Astragalus hypoxylus, and Erigeron piscaticus is not warranted at this time. However, we ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the threats to Amoreuxia gonzalezii, Astragalus hypoxylus, and Erigeron piscaticus or their habitats at any time.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as lead agency, with the Manzanita Band of Kumeyaay Indians (a.k.a. Manzanita Band of Digueno Mission Indians) (Tribe), National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), and City of Calexico as cooperating agencies, intends to file a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Tribe's proposed 60.8- acre fee-to-trust transfer and casino project located in the City of Calexico, California, and that the FEIS is now available for public review. Public review of the FEIS is part of the administrative process for the evaluation of Tribal applications seeking to have the United States take land into trust for gaming.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the red-crowned parrot (Amazona viridigenalis) as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the red-crowned parrot as endangered or threatened is warranted. Currently, however, listing the red-crowned parrot is precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Upon publication of this 12-month petition finding, we will add the red- crowned parrot to our candidate species list. We will develop a proposed rule to list the red-crowned parrot as our priorities allow. We will make any determination on critical habitat during development of the proposed listing rule. During any interim period, we will address the status of the candidate taxon through our annual Candidate Notice of Review (CNOR).

The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Abbreviated Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan (GMP/EIS) for New River Gorge National River, West Virginia. When approved, the plan will provide guidance to park management for administration, development, and interpretation of park resources over the next 20 years. The Abbreviated Final GMP/EIS includes an analysis of agency and public comments received on the Draft GMP/EIS with NPS responses, errata sheets detailing editorial corrections to the Draft GMP/EIS, and copies of agency and substantive public comments. Action Alternative Five, as described in the Draft GMP/EIS, remains the NPS Preferred Alternative.

The Cape Krusenstern National Monument SRC will meet to develop and continue work on NPS subsistence program recommendations and other related subsistence management issues. The NPS SRC program is authorized under Title VIII, Section 808 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Public Law 96-487, to operate in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting to be announced in the Federal Register. Public Availability of Comments: This meeting is open to the public and will have time allocated for public testimony. The public is welcome to present written or oral comments to the SRC. This meeting will be recorded and meeting minutes will be available upon request from the park superintendent for public inspection approximately six weeks after the meeting. Before including your address, telephone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire commentincluding your personal identifying informationmay be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. If the meeting dates and location are changed, a notice will be published in local newspapers and announced on local radio stations prior to the meeting date. SRC meeting locations and dates may need to be changed based on inclement weather or exceptional circumstances.

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (Applicant) has applied for an Enhancement of Survival Permit under the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended. The permit application includes the draft Texas Conservation Plan for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (TCP). The draft TCP will function as a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Applicant for the dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) throughout its range in Texas. The Applicant proposes to implement conservation measures for this species by removing threats to its survival and protecting its habitat. If the dunes sagebrush lizard becomes listed in the future, the draft TCP will also serve as a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) in support of future applications for Incidental Take Permits under the Act. The draft TCP and the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) are available for public review, and we seek public comment on the potential issuance of the above permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are listing the hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), a large aquatic salamander, including its two subspecies, the eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) and the Ozark hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi), in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES or Convention). This listing includes live and dead whole specimens, and all readily recognizable parts, products, and derivatives of this species and its subspecies. Listing hellbenders in Appendix III of CITES is necessary to allow us to adequately monitor international trade in the taxon; to determine whether exports are occurring legally, with respect to State law; and to determine whether further measures under CITES or other laws are required to conserve this species and its subspecies.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the Mohave ground squirrel (Spermophilus mohavensis) as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the Mohave ground squirrel is not warranted at this time. However, we ask the public to continue to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the threats to the Mohave ground squirrel or its habitat at any time.

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 law requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

This order extends the duration of the withdrawal created by Public Land Order No. 6880, as corrected by Public Land Order No. 6918, for an additional 20-year period. The extension is necessary to continue protection of the scientific and ecological research values, and the investment of Federal funds at the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest and Research Natural Areas which would otherwise expire on September 29, 2011.