Department of the Interior January 11, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from Fidelity Exploration & Production Company and Finley Resources, Inc., for noncompetitive oil and gas lease WYW180328 for lands in Sweetwater 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.

The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, also known as the Eastern Washington State Historical Society, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribe, has determined that the cultural items meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and repatriation to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the cultural items may contact the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture.

The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery (formerly The Fort Collins Museum) has completed an inventory of human remains, 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 Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Disposition of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

The Natural History Museum of Utah has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and a present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary objects may contact the Natural History Museum of Utah. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests has corrected two Notices of Inventory Completion published in the Federal Register on November 16, 2012. This notice corrects the association of the individuals identified in those notices.

The Museum of Anthropology has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribe, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and the Spokane Tribe of the Spokane Reservation. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary objects may contact the Museum of Anthropology at Washington State University. Repatriation of the human remains associated funerary items to the Spokane Tribe of the Spokane Reservation may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is inviting comments on an information collection request (ICR) that we have sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR concerns the paperwork requirements for the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR) USGS Competitive Grant Program. As required by 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 ICR. This collection is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2013.

This proposed rule would establish regulations for hunting and trapping seasons, harvest limits, methods and means related to taking of wildlife for subsistence uses during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 regulatory years. The Federal Subsistence Board is on a schedule of completing the process of revising subsistence taking of wildlife regulations in even-numbered years and subsistence taking of fish and shellfish regulations in odd-numbered years; public proposal and review processes take place during the preceding year. The Board also addresses customary and traditional use determinations during the applicable cycle. When final, the resulting rulemaking will replace the existing subsistence wildlife taking regulations. This rule would also amend the general regulations on subsistence taking of fish and wildlife.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from Black Hills Exploration & Productions Inc., Chesapeake AEZ Exploration LLC, Chesapeake Exploration LLC, Fossil Creek Resources LLC, Jastera LC, Khody Land & Minerals Company, Nerd Gas Company LLC, and Slawson Exploration Company Inc., for noncompetitive oil and gas lease WYW144977 for land in Niobrara 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 Empire Petroleum Corporation for competitive oil and gas lease WYW174767 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list the Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The effect of this regulation would be to add the Gunnison sage-grouse to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Act.