Department of the Interior March 30, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This Notice of Availability (NOA) is published pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR part 1503 and 43 CFR part 46) implementing the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (1988)). BOEM has prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate potential environmental effects of multiple Geological and Geophysical (G&G) activities in the Mid- and South Atlantic Planning Areas of the OCS. These activities include, but are not limited to, seismic surveys, sidescan-sonar surveys, electromagnetic surveys, geological and geochemical sampling, and remote sensing. The Draft PEIS considers G&G activities for the three program areas managed by BOEM: (1) Oil and gas exploration and development; (2) renewable energy; and (3) marine minerals. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the PEIS was published in the Federal Register on January 21, 2009, and scoping comments were received during a comment period that closed on March 23, 2009. Scoping was reopened by publication of a Federal Register Notice on April 2, 2010, that announced a 45-day scoping period and meeting locations in April 2010. The comment period closed on May 17, 2010.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for renewal for the collection of information for the Application for Admission to Haskell Indian Nations University and to Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0114, the Student Transportation Form, authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0134, and the Data Elements for Student Enrollment in Bureau-funded Schools, authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0122. These information collections expire March 30, 2012.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex for public review and comment. The Draft CCP/EA describes our proposal for managing the refuge complex for the next 15 years.

Notice is hereby given that the Department of the Interior (Department) declines to acknowledge that the petitioner known as the ``Central Band of Cherokee'' (formerly known as the ``Cherokees of Lawrence County, Tennessee''), Petitioner 227, is an Indian tribe within the meaning of Federal law. This notice is based on a determination that the petitioner does not meet one of the seven mandatory criteria for a government-to-government relationship with the United States. The Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) produced a Summary under the Criterion as the basis for this final determination (FD).

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Upper Las Vegas Wash Conservation Transfer Area, Las Vegas, Nevada, and by this notice is announcing their availability.