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

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)), the National Park Service (NPS) will prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for an evaluation of alternatives to revitalize the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Memorial), St. Louis, Missouri. The proposed action involves physical changes to the Memorial grounds and facilities as a method for improving visitor access and experience, while better integrating the Memorial into the downtown St. Louis area. The NPS will use this EA process to engage the public through scoping, develop a range of reasonable alternatives for implementing the proposed action, and analyze the impacts of the alternatives. This notice initiates the scoping process for the EA and invites the public, government agencies, and other interested persons and organizations to provide comments. If at any point during the preparation of the EA the NPS determines that it is necessary to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for this proposal, comments submitted during this scoping process will be considered in the development of the EIS.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the giant Palouse earthworm (Driloleirus americanus) as threatened or endangered as petitioned, 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 giant Palouse earthworm 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 the giant Palouse earthworm or its habitat at any time.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act

The Department of the Interior, as part of its continuing

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to reestablish the American burying beetle, a Federally listed endangered insect, into its historical habitat in Wah'kon-tah Prairie in southwestern Missouri. We propose to reestablish the American burying beetle under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and to classify that reestablished population as a nonessential experimental population (NEP) within St. Clair, Cedar, Bates, and Vernon Counties, Missouri. This proposed rule provides a plan for establishing the NEP and provides for allowable legal incidental taking of the American burying beetle within the defined NEP area.

We, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application from the AT&T Services, Inc. (applicant) for a 10-year incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The application addresses the potential for ``take'' of one Federally listed animal, the California tiger salamander. The applicant would implement a conservation program to minimize and mitigate the project activities, as described in applicant's low-effect habitat conservation plan (Plan). We request comments on the applicant's application and plan, and the preliminary determination that the plan qualifies as a ``low-effect'' habitat conservation plan, eligible for a Categorical Exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). We discuss our basis for this determination in our environmental action statement (EAS), also available for public review.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Chokecherry and Sierra Madre (CCSM) Wind Farm Project and by this notice is (1) Opening the comment period; and (2) Segregating 107,175 acres of public lands located within the CCMS Right-of-Way (ROW) application area from appropriation under the public land laws including the 1872 Mining Law, but not the Mineral Leasing or Mineral Material Acts, for a period of 2 years from the date of publication of this notice.

This notice lists additional allotments or interest therein on the White Earth Chippewa Reservation in Minnesota which have been determined to fall within the scope of sections 4(a), 4(b), or 5(c) of the White Earth Reservation Land Settlement Act of 1985 (the Act). This notice is required by section 7(e) of the Act, as amended.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is proposing to submit the information collection titled ``Probate of Indian Estates, Except for Members of the Osage Nation and the Five Civilized Tribes, 25 CFR 15'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The information collection is currently authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0169, which expires November 30, 2011. The information collection addresses information that individuals and tribes provide to allow administration of the trust estates of Indian individuals in accordance with the American Indian Probate Reform Act of 2004.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Montana Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a meeting of the Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Alternatives Workgroup (Workgroup). The Workgroup's purpose is to provide, in an advisory capacity, recommendations and advice on research and implementation of sea lamprey control techniques alternative to lampricide that are technically feasible, cost effective, and environmentally safe. The primary objective of the meeting will be to discuss potential research initiatives.

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

The Fowler Museum at UCLA, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, has determined that the cultural items meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and repatriation to the Indian tribes 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 items may contact the Fowler Museum at UCLA.

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

The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry have completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribe, and determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and a present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

The Oregon State University Department of Anthropology 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 Oregon State University Department of Anthropology. Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Idaho is finalizing a supplementary rule that will require anyone using, feeding, or storing forage or straw on BLM-administered land in Idaho to use certified noxious-weed-free forage and straw. Restoration, rehabilitation, and stabilization projects also will be required to use weed-free straw bales and mulch for project work. This action is a cooperative effort among the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) that supports Idaho State noxious weed laws.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the project located in the Prineville District. The Secretary of the Interior approved the ROD on July 14, 2011, which constitutes the final decision of the Department of the Interior.

We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew approval for 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.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will issue an appealable decision approving the surface and subsurface estates in certain lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to Arviq Incorporated. The subsurface estate in a portion of these lands will be conveyed to Calista Corporation when the surface estate is conveyed to Arviq Incorporated. The remaining lands lie within Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, established on January 23, 1969. The subsurface estate in the refuge lands will be reserved to the United States at the time of conveyance. The lands are in the vicinity of Platinum, Alaska, and are located in: