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

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Palm Springs/ South Coast Field Office, Palm Springs, California, has prepared a Draft California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan Amendment (PA) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for McCoy Solar, LLC's right-of-way (ROW) application for the McCoy Solar Energy Project (MSEP), and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD)/Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Taos Field Office located in northern New Mexico. The New Mexico State Director signed the ROD on May 24, 2012, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective immediately.

On March 15, 2011, BOEM (formerly the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement) published a notice in the Federal Register (76 FR 14040), entitled ``Call for Information and Nominations'' (the Call). Subsequently, on November 15, 2011, BOEM published a ``Call for Information and Nominations: Correction'' in the Federal Register (76 FR 70748) correcting the sale numbers that were identified in the Call. This document describes a revision to the description of the areas not available for leasing in the OCS. BOEM believes the previous descriptions of the areas excluded by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-432 December 20, 2006) could be confusing. Consequently, Section 4.A. items 1 and 2 of the original call are to be revised by deleting the following: 1. Blocks that were previously included within the Eastern GOM Planning Area and are within 100 miles of the Florida coast; and 2. Blocks east of the Military Mission line (86 degrees, 41 minutes west longitude) under an existing moratorium until 2022, as a result of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (December 20, 2006); and replacing them with: 1. Whole blocks and portions of blocks deferred by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. Section 4.A. items 3 and 4 are also renumbered to 2 and 3 respectively to reflect this change.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Montana State Office, Billings, Montana, on June 25, 2012.

Pursuant to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations, the BLM is segregating approximately 3,399.76 acres of public lands located in the State of Arizona from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the Mining Law of 1872, but not the mineral leasing or mineral materials sales laws, for a period of up to 2 years. This is for the purpose of processing one solar energy right-of-way (ROW) application submitted by Pacific Solar Investments, LLC, to construct and operate the Hyder Valley Solar Energy Project in Maricopa County, Arizona.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing that the information collection request for bonding and insurance requirements for surface coal mining and reclamation operations under regulatory programs has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden and cost.

The purpose of this public notice is to: (1) Describe the Deepwater Wind Block Island LLC (Deepwater Wind) Transmission System (BITS) proposal submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM); (2) solicit submissions of indications of competitive interest for a right-of-way (ROW) grant for renewable energy purposes for the area identified in this notice; and (3) solicit public input regarding the proposal, its potential environmental consequences, and other uses of the area in which the proposal would be located. On November 30, 2011, BOEM received an application from Deepwater Wind for a ROW grant on the OCS offshore Rhode Island. Deepwater Wind's proposed project, the BITS, would entail the construction and installation of a bi-directional submerged transmission cable between Block Island and the Rhode Island mainland. Deepwater Wind has requested a ROW grant for the portion of the BITS cable that is proposed on the OCS. Deepwater Wind proposes that the BITS would serve two purposes: (1) Transmit electrical power from Deepwater Wind's proposed 30 megawatt (MW) offshore wind energy project located in Rhode Island State waters off Block Island to the Rhode Island mainland; and (2) transmit electrical power from the existing transmission grid on the Rhode Island mainland to Block Island. This RFCI 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. Subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act requires that OCS renewable energy leases, easements, and rights-of-way be issued ``on a competitive basis unless the Secretary determines after public notice of a lease, easement, or right-of-way that there is no competitive interest.'' This RFCI provides such public notice for the proposed ROW grant area requested by Deepwater Wind 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 Deepwater Wind, as required by 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3). Parties wishing to obtain a grant for the area requested by Deepwater Wind 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 existing and future uses of the area identified in this notice that would be relevant to the proposed project or its impacts. The information that BOEM is requesting is described in the section entitled, ``Requested Information from Interested or Affected Parties.''

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

Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are removing the Morelet's crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) throughout its range from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife due to recovery. This action is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicate that the species' status has improved to the point that the Morelet's crocodile is not likely to become threatened within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. After the effective date of this final rule, the Morelet's crocodile will remain protected under the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The Gates of the Arctic National Park SRC will meet to develop and continue work on NPS subsistence program recommendations and other related subsistence management issues. The NPS SRC program is authorized under Title VIII, Section 808 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Public Law 96-487, to operate in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register. Public Availability of Comments: This teleconference meeting is open to the public and will have time allocated for public testimony. The public is welcome to present written or oral comments to the SRC. This meeting will be recorded and meeting minutes will be available upon request from the park superintendent for public inspection approximately six weeks after the meeting. Before including your address, telephone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire commentincluding your personal identifying informationmay be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Gates of the Arctic National Park SRC Meeting Date and Location: The Gates of the Arctic National Park SRC teleconference meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. or until business is completed at the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve office, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709, telephone (907) 457-5752. Should a quorum not be available on June 19, 2012, alternate teleconference meeting dates have been scheduled for Thursday, June 21, 2012, and Tuesday, June 26, 2012, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. If the meeting dates and location are changed, a notice will be published in local newspapers and announced on local radio stations prior to the meeting date. SRC meeting locations and dates may need to be changed based on inclement weather or exceptional circumstances. Teleconference Meeting Registration: Space for the teleconference meeting is limited, and you are encouraged to register early if you plan to participate via telephone. Teleconference meeting participants should contact Marcy Okada, Subsistence Manager, via email (Marcy_ Okada@nps.gov) or by telephone at (907) 455-0639 between June 11-18, 2012, to receive a toll-free call-in telephone number and code.

The National Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a proposed alternative formula for the value of leasehold surrender interest (LSI) to be included in its proposed 20-year concession contract for Yellowstone National Park (YELL077-13). The contract will cover operation of the lodging, food and beverage, retail sales, transportation and other services at the park.

Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended) and the regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR part 1505.2), the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS) has prepared and approved a Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the new General Management Plan (GMP) for Ross Lake National Recreation Area, part of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex (Complex). The requisite no- action ``wait period'' was initiated December 16, 2011, with the Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Register notification of the filing of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). Decision: As soon as practical the NPS will begin to implement the stewardship strategies, park operations, and visitor service projects identified and analyzed as the Preferred Alternative (Alternative B) described in the Final EIS. The NPS will recommend legislation to change the name of this unit to North Cascades National Recreation Area (NRA). Other plan elements include: (1) Management focus on the NRA as a gateway to millions of acres of wilderness, (2) provision for continued seaplane access with noise abatement procedures, (3) limited expansion of overnight facilities and concessions, and (4) conversion of 3,559 acres of Thunder Creek Potential Wilderness Area to designated wilderness, pursuant to the Washington Park Wilderness Act of 1988. The full range of foreseeable environmental consequences from implementing the proposed actions were assessed, and appropriate mitigation measures identified. In addition, a No Action alternative and two other alternatives were identified and analyzed. Alternative B was determined to be the ``environmentally preferred'' course of action. Copies: Interested parties desiring to review the Record of Decision may obtain a copy by contacting the Superintendent, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro- Woolley, WA 98284; or via telephone request at (360) 854-7200.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office is publishing this notice to inform the public of the filing of the land survey plats listed below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM-Eastern States office in Springfield, Virginia, 30 calendar days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Northeastern States Field Office, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for the State of Michigan. With this notice, the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues for the purpose of amending the RMP to identify the specific parcel of land for disposal through sale and clarify in the EA whether the parcel meets the FLPMA Section 203 sale criteria.

On May 3, 2012, The Department of the Interior (Interior) published a Federal Register Notice (77 FR 26315) announcing the May 18 publication of the United States Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Stakeholder Assessment and Multi-Stakeholder Group Options. In that notice, Interior announced it would also initiate a public comment period regarding the Assessment, starting May 18, to include public listening sessions, a webinar and a workshop, the details of which would be provided on the Interior Web site and in this Federal Register Notice.

The United States Air Force has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting that the Secretary of the Interior withdraw approximately 640 acres of public land from settlement, sale, location, and entry under the public land laws, including the United States mining laws, but not from the mineral leasing laws, to protect the United States Air Force King Salmon Station. This notice gives the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed action and to request a public meeting.

On Wednesday, June 20, 2012, BOEM will open and publicly announce bids received for the blocks offered in Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (CPA) Sale 216/222, in accordance with provisions of the OCS Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 U.S.C. 1331-1356, as amended) and the regulations issued thereunder (30 CFR part 556). The CPA Sale 216/222 Package contains information essential to potential bidders, and bidders are charged with the knowledge of the documents contained in that package.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a public meeting of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council). A Federal advisory committee, the Council was created in part to foster partnerships to enhance public awareness of the importance of aquatic resources and the social and economic benefits of recreational fishing and boating in the United States. This meeting is open to the public, and interested persons may make oral statements to the Council or may file written statements for consideration.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application for a proposed right-of-way within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). We received the application from Nordaq Energy, Inc. for the Shadura Natural Gas Development Project (Project), which would involve construction and operation of facilities associated with the exploration and production of natural gas from the subsurface estate within the Refuge. We intend to gather information necessary to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementation regulations for the application. We are publishing this notice in compliance with NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) to advise other agencies and the public of our intentions and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS.

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is announcing that the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children (Advisory Board) will hold its next meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The purpose of the meeting is to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) for Indian children with disabilities.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the reopening of the public comment period on the August 25, 2011, proposed revised designation of critical habitat for Astragalus lentiginosus var. coachellae (Coachella Valley milk-vetch) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed revised designation of critical habitat for A. l. var. coachellae and an amended required determinations section of the proposal. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed revised designation, the associated DEA, and the amended required determinations section. We are also announcing the location and time of a public hearing to receive public comments on the proposal. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), extend the deadline for submission of public comments to help us identify potential changes to our regulations that implement parts of the Endangered Species Act that would create incentives for landowners and others to take voluntary conservation actions to benefit species that may be likely to become threatened or endangered species. In particular, we seek comment on whether and how the Service can assure those who take such voluntary actions that the benefits of their actions will be recognized as offsetting the adverse effects of activities carried out after listing by that landowner or others. The practice of recognizing these actions, sometimes referred to as ``advance mitigation'' or ``prelisting mitigation,'' is intended to encourage early conservation efforts that could reduce or eliminate the need to list species as endangered or threatened. If you have previously submitted comments, please do not resubmit them, because we have already incorporated them into the public record and will fully consider them as we decide how we may propose changes to our regulations or policies.

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 activities. The Act and the National Environmental Policy Act also require that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Scientific Committee (SC) will meet at the Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort.