Department of the Interior July 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Acting Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs is seeking comments on the renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the collection of information for Class III Gaming Procedures authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0149, Tribal Revenue Allocation Plans authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0152, and Gaming on Trust Lands Acquired After October 17, 1988 authorized by OMB Control Number 1076- 0158. These information collections expire November 30, 2012.

On June 18, 2012, the Department published a notice of intent to establish the Osage Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (Committee). The Committee will develop specific recommendations to address future management and administration of the Osage Mineral Estate, including potential revisions to the regulations governing leasing of Osage Reservation lands for oil and gas mining at 25 CFR part 226. This notice establishes the Committee, and announces a public meeting of the Committee.

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 joint TAMWG and TMC meeting, which is open to the public.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following application for a recovery permit to conduct enhancement of survival activities with endangered species. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), prohibits certain activities with endangered species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The Act also requires that we invite public comment before issuing such permits.

We (National Park Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the Information Collection (IC) described below. This collection will consist of a survey instrument. 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.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is establishing and seeking nominations for the U.S. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (USEITI) Advisory Committee. The Committee is being established to advise the Department on the implementation the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which requires governments to publicly disclose their revenues from oil, gas, and mining assets and for companies to make parallel disclosures regarding payments. The Committee will serve as the initial Multi-Stakeholder Group and its duties will include consideration and fulfillment of the tasks required to achieve candidate and compliant status in the EITI.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is issuing this rule to amend regulations on locating, recording, and maintaining mining claims or sites. In this rule, the BLM amends its regulations to respond to a recent law that changes the way the maintenance fee is calculated for unpatented placer mining claims. The law specifies that the holder of an unpatented placer mining claim must pay the initial and annual maintenance fee for each 20 acres or portion thereof contained in the claim; and reiterates that an initial maintenance fee payment is due at the time of recording the claim with the BLM and that the annual maintenance fee is due on or before September 1 of each year.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) for renewal of the currently approved paperwork requirements for the Mineral Resources Program's (MRP) Mineral Resource External Research Program (MRERP). This notice provides the public and other Federal agencies an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these project narrative and report requirements. This collection is scheduled to expire on August 31, 2012.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Gila mayfly (Lachlania dencyanna) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and to designate critical habitat. Based on our review, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the Gila mayfly may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a review of the status of the species to determine if listing the Gila mayfly is warranted. To ensure that this status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this 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 section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act.

The Department of the Interior proposes to issue regulations guiding implementation of the Buy Indian Act, which provides the Bureau of Indian Affairs with authority to set aside procurement contracts for Indian-owned and controlled businesses. This rule supplements the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulations (DIAR).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications from the Rio Grande Water Conservation District; Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache Counties; the municipalities of Alamosa, Monte Vista, Del Norte, and South Fork; and the State of Colorado Department of Natural Resources (hereafter collectively referred to as ``the applicants'') for incidental take permits under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). We are considering issuing the permits in association with implementation of a regional habitat conservation plan (HCP) in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. Pursuant to the ESA and the National Environmental Policy Act, we announce the availability of the draft HCP and draft environmental assessment for review and comment by the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.

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 competitive oil and gas lease WYW174754 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.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from Tyler Rockies Exploration, LTD, for competitive oil and gas lease WYW172987 for land in Natrona and Converse 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.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) is notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR parts 1202, 1206, and 1207. This notice also provides the public with a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Marion County Utilities (applicant), for a 10-year incidental take permit (ITP; TE79178A-0) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We request public comment on the permit application and accompanying proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), as well as on our preliminary determination that the plan qualifies as low-effect under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, which are also available for review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have prepared a draft environmental assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the proposed Jonas Salk Elementary School Project in response to an application from the San Diego Unified School District (District or 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 San Diego fairy shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis). The applicant would implement a conservation program to mitigate the project impacts, as described in the applicant's habitat conservation plan (plan). We request data, comments, and new information or suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental agencies, the scientific community, Tribes, industry, or any other interested party on the applicant's permit application, plan, and the associated EA.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are amending the regulations that implement the Endangered Species Act (Act) by establishing public notice-and-comment procedures for applications to conduct certain otherwise-prohibited activities under the Act that are authorized under the Captive-Bred Wildlife (CBW) regulations. This action adds procedural requirements to the processing of applications for registration under the CBW regulations. Notices of receipt of each application will be published in the Federal Register, and the Service will accept public comments on each application for 30 days. If the registration is granted, the Service will publish certain findings in the Federal Register. In addition, for persons meeting the criteria for registering under the CBW Program, each registration will now remain effective for 5 years rather than 3 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Sonoran talussnail (Sonorella magdalenensis) as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and to designate critical habitat. Based on our review, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing this species may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a review of the status of the species to determine if listing the Sonoran talussnail is warranted. To ensure that this status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this 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 section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (We or Service), determine endangered status for the following six South American bird species (collectively referred to as species for purposes of this final rule) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act): Ash- breasted tit-tyrant (Anairetes alpinus), Jun[iacute]n grebe (Podiceps taczanowskii), Jun[iacute]n rail (Laterallus tuerosi), Peruvian plantcutter (Phytotoma raimondii), royal cinclodes (Cinclodes aricomae), and white-browed tit-spinetail (Leptasthenura xenothorax). These species are in danger of extinction throughout all of their ranges. All six species are native to Peru. The ash-breasted tit-tyrant and royal cinclodes are also native to Bolivia.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease COC66025 from Robert P. Kirgan, for lands in Rio Blanco, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease COC69997 from SWEPI LP, for lands in Huerfano County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease COC66020 from Robert P. Kirgan, for lands in Rio Blanco, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.