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

In compliance 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) Wells Field Office, Elko, Nevada, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and an associated Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment for a proposed privately operated wild horse eco-sanctuary and by this notice, is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD)/Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Pocatello Field Office located in southeastern Idaho. The Idaho State Director signed the ROD on July 10, 2012, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective immediately.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Bicknell's thrush (Catharus bicknelli) 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 will be initiating a review of the status of the species to determine if listing the Bicknell's thrush is warranted. To ensure that our status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this species. Based on the results of our 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.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from WYNR, LLC, for competitive oil and gas lease WYW173225 for land in Washakie 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 Nova Leasing, LLC for competitive oil and gas lease WYW175075 for land in 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.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from WYNR, LLC, for competitive oil and gas lease WYW164514 for land in Big Horn 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 WYNR, LLC, for competitive oil and gas lease WYW173224 for land in Washakie 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 WYNR, LLC, for competitive oil and gas lease WYW173223 for land in Washakie 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.

This notice corrects a Notice of Realty Action published in the Federal Register on February 10, 2010, which listed an incorrect legal land description for the Joint Port of Entry (JPOE) inspection facility on Interstate 15 (I-15), near the California/Nevada state line.

This notice publishes an approval of the gaming compact between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the State of North Carolina.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are designating critical habitat for the endangered Ipomopsis polyantha (Pagosa skyrocket) and the threatened Penstemon debilis (Parachute beardtongue) and Phacelia submutica (DeBeque phacelia) under the Endangered Species Act (Act). The purpose of this regulation is to conserve these three plant species and their habitats under the Act.

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

This notice announces the addition of a new categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to be included in the Departmental Manual 516 DM 10. The proposed categorical exclusion pertains to the leasing and funding for single-family homesites on Indian land, including associated improvements and easements, which encompass five acres or less of contiguous land.

OESC will meet at the Anchorage Marriott Downtown Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska.

The purpose of this public notice is to: (1) Describe the proposal submitted to BOEM by Statoil North America (Statoil NA) to acquire an OCS wind lease; (2) solicit public input regarding the proposal, its potential environmental consequences, and the use of the area in which the proposed project would be located; and (3) solicit submissions of indications of competitive interest for a commercial lease for wind energy development on the OCS off the coast of Maine for the area identified in this notice. On October 12, 2011, BOEM received an unsolicited request from Statoil NA for a commercial wind lease on the OCS offshore Maine. Statoil NA's proposed project, ``Hywind Maine,'' would consist of four 3-megawatt (MW) wind turbine generators (WTG) configured for a total of 12-MW in water depths greater than 100 meters and be located approximately 12 nautical miles (nmi) off the coast of Maine. The objective of the proposed Hywind Maine Project is to demonstrate the commercial potential of the existing floating offshore Hywind technology, while responding to a corresponding Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the Maine Public Utilities Commission. This request for interest is published pursuant to subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act, as amended by section 388 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3)), and the implementing regulations at 30 CFR part 585.231(b). Subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act requires that OCS renewable energy leases, easements, and rights-of-way (ROWs) be issued ``on a competitive basis unless the Secretary determines after public notice of a proposed lease, easement, or right-of-way that there is no competitive interest.'' This request for interest provides such public notice for the proposed lease area requested by Statoil NA and invites the submission of indications of competitive interest. BOEM will consider the responses to this public notice to determine whether competitive interest exists for the area requested by Statoil NA, as required by 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3). Parties wishing to obtain a lease for the area requested by Statoil NA should submit detailed and specific information as described in the section entitled ``Required Indication of Interest Information.'' This announcement also requests that interested and affected parties comment and provide information about site conditions and multiple uses within the area identified in this notice that would be relevant to the proposed project or its impacts. BOEM separately published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) concurrently with this request for interest. The NOI starts the scoping process for the EIS under 40 CFR 1501.7, and solicits information regarding important environmental issues, alternatives, and mitigation that should be considered in the EIS. A detailed description of the proposed lease area can be found in the section of this notice entitled ``Description of the Area.''

This notice publishes the current list of 566 tribal entities recognized and eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs by virtue of their status as Indian tribes. The list is updated from the notice published on October 1, 2010 (75 FR 60810) and the October 27, 2010 (75 FR 66124Supplemental).

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oregon State Office is proposing supplementary rules for public lands within the State of Oregon, Eugene District, Siuslaw Resource Area, on identified, BLM- managed lands within the boundaries of the Lower Lake Creek Special Recreation Management Area (LLCSRMA). These proposed supplementary rules would partially revise existing supplementary rules in order to protect public land natural resources and provide for the public's health and safety.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and an environmental assessment (EA) for Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (Refuge, WMWR), located approximately 25 miles northwest of Lawton, Oklahoma, for public review and comment. The Draft CCP/EA describes our proposal for managing the Refuge for the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list desert massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii), a rattlesnake found in the southwestern United States, 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 desert massasauga may be warranted. We will initiate a review of the status of this subspecies to determine if listing is warranted. We are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this subspecies. 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.

This action amends our regulations to provide for the issuance of an investigation completion letter if the Agency will not recommend the commencement of an enforcement proceeding against a respondent.

The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC or Commission) is amending its regulation to allow reduced scope background investigations for specific types of entities with a financial interest in, or having management responsibility for, a management contract, and to update the forms of payment that may be accepted by the NIGC for background investigation fees.

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

The Bureau of Reclamation is extending the public comment period for the Draft Report Assessing Rural Water Activities to September 10, 2012. The notice to solicit public comments was published in the Federal Register on June 15, 2012 (77 FR 36001). The public comment period was originally to end on August 14, 2012.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Presquile National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for public review and comment. Presquile NWR is located in Chesterfield County, Virginia, and is administered by staff at Eastern Virginia Rivers NWR Complex. The draft CCP/EA describes two alternatives for managing Presquile NWR for the next 15 years. Alternative B is identified as the Service-preferred alternative. Also available for public review and comment are the draft compatibility determinations, which are included as appendix B in the draft CCP/EA.