Department of the Interior August 2, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of an incidental take permit (ITP) application and Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). The City of Cape Coral (applicant) requests an ITP under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The applicant anticipates taking about 75 acres of Florida scrub-jay habitat in Lee County, Florida, for the construction of a 215-acre multi-use recreational park, several nearby single-family residences, and associated infrastructure. The applicant's HCP describes the minimization and mitigation measures proposed to address the effects of the project on the scrub-jay.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Logan Museum of Anthropology, Beloit College, have completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and have 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 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology 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 Maxwell Museum. Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

The Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum (Burke Museum) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the 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 Burke Museum. Disposition of the human remains and the associated funerary object to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

The United States Forest Service (USFS) has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting the Secretary of the Interior extend the duration of Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6986 for an additional 20-year term. PLO No. 6986 withdrew approximately 4,239.95 acres of National Forest System land from the United States mining laws in order to protect the scenic, recreation, and fish/wildlife habitat values in the scenic section of the Illinois Wild and Scenic River between the mouth of Deer Creek and the mouth of Briggs Creek. The withdrawal created by PLO No. 6986 will expire on June 30, 2013, unless extended. This notice also gives an opportunity to comment on the application and to request a public meeting.

This order partially revokes a withdrawal created by an Executive Order insofar as it affects 40 acres of public land withdrawn for protection of water power values by Power Site Reserve No. 109. This order also opens the land to exchange.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, notice is hereby given that the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pocatello Field Office, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (FS), Caribou-Targhee National Forest, will jointly prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to determine and analyze the effects of a proposed phosphate mine and reclamation plan on Federal mineral leases held by Nu-West Mining, Inc., in eastern Idaho. The EIS will also consider the effects of increasing the size of existing leases through lease modifications.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Steens Mountain Advisory Council (SMAC) will meet as indicated below:

We (National Park Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the Information Collection (IC) described below. This collection will be used to survey two subsets of visitor groups and local community members about the values they place on cultural and natural resources of at Cape Lookout National Park (CALO). To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 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.

Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service/USFWS), revise our special regulations for the conservation of the Utah prairie dog. We are revising our special regulations to provide limits to the allowable take, including limits to where permitted take can occuragricultural lands, properties within 0.8 kilometers (km) (0.5 miles (mi)) of conservation lands, and areas where Utah prairie dogs cause serious human safety hazards or disturb the sanctity of significant human cultural or human burial sites; the amount of take that can be permitted; methods of take that can be permitted; and seasonal limitations on direct lethal take. We are also allowing entities other than the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to permit take. We are also issuing new incidental take exemptions for otherwise legal activities associated with standard agricultural practices. All other provisions of the special rule not relating to these amendments remain unchanged.