Department of the Interior April 2013 – 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) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Tri-County planning area in the Las Cruces District Office and by this notice is announcing the opening of the public comment period.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), notice is hereby given that the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Advisory Council meeting scheduled for May 1, 2013, at the Delta County Courthouse, Room 234, 501 Palmer Street, Delta, CO, has been cancelled. The location of a subsequent meeting scheduled for May 29, 2013, has been changed from the Mesa County Courthouse Annex, Multi-Purpose Room, 544 Rood Avenue, Grand Junction, CO, to the Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 530 Gunnison River Drive, Delta, CO. Notice of both meetings appeared in the Federal Register on February 14, 2013.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park 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 present- day Indian tribes. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary objects may contact Grand Canyon National Park. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

The Michigan Department of Transportation 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 Michigan Department of Transportation. 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 the Interior, National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park 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 present- day Indian tribes. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary objects may contact Grand Canyon National Park. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

The San Francisco State University NAGPRA Program has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the San Francisco State University NAGPRA Program. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio 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 Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.

The Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the cultural item listed in this notice meets the definition of unassociated funerary object. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim this cultural item should submit a written request to the Arizona State Museum. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of the cultural item to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The following Water Management Plans are available for review:

The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior concerning Glen Canyon Dam operations and other management actions to protect resources downstream of Glen Canyon Dam, consistent with the Grand Canyon Protection Act. The AMWG meets two to three times a year.

This notice advises the public that the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) as lead agency, in cooperation with the Jamul Indian Village (Tribe), intends to gather information necessary to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the proposed Gaming Management Contract between the Tribe and San Diego Gaming Ventures, LLC (SDGV). The Gaming Management Contract, if approved, would allow SDGV to manage the approved 203,000 square foot tribal gaming facility to be located on the Tribe's Reservation, which qualifies as ``Indian Lands'' pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 2703. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Pacific Region, Division of Environmental, Cultural Resources Management & Safety will serve as environmental staff to the NIGC in the preparation of the SEIS. As such, the BIA is the contact for further information, in lieu of the NIGC. This notice also announces that no public scoping meeting will be held for the SEIS.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to request approval to continue the collection of information from individuals, households, farms, and businesses interested in cooperating with the BLM in constructing or maintaining range improvement projects that enhance or improve livestock grazing management, improve watershed conditions, enhance wildlife habitat, or serve similar purposes. The BLM also invites public comments on this collection of information. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has assigned control number 1004-0019 to this information collection.

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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Oregon Cascades-California population and Black Hills population of the black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), as subspecies or distinct population segments (DPSs) that are endangered or threatened, and to designate critical habitat concurrent with listing. Based on our review, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the Oregon Cascades-California and Black Hills populations of the black-backed woodpecker as subspecies or DPSs may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are notifying the public that, when funds become available, we will be initiating a review of the status of the two populations to determine if listing either or both the Oregon Cascades-California population and the Black Hills population as either subspecies or DPSs is warranted. To ensure that this status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding these two populations. 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 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office is publishing this notice to inform the public of the intent to officially file the survey plats listed below and afford a proper period of time to protest this action prior to the plat filing. During this time, the plats will be available for review in the BLM Colorado State Office.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP), finding of no significant impact (FONSI), and land protection plan (LPP) for Nantucket National Wildlife Refuge (NWR, refuge) in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Nantucket NWR is part of the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex, administered from Sudbury, Massachusetts. In this final CCP, we describe how we will manage the refuge for the next 15 years.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of a Correction to the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Maysdorf II Coal Lease-by-Application (LBA) included in the South Gillette Area Coal Lease Applications Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Fowler Ridge Wind Farm LLC, Fowler Ridge II Wind Farm LLC, Fowler Ridge III Wind Farm LLC, and Fowler Ridge IV Wind Farm LLC, collectively referred to as Fowler Ridge (applicant), for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), for its Fowler Ridge Wind Farm (FRWF) (project). If approved, the ITP would be for a 22-year period and would authorize the incidental take of an endangered species, the Indiana bat. The applicant has prepared a draft habitat conservation plan (HCP) that describes the actions and measures that the applicant would implement to avoid, minimize, and mitigate incidental take of the Indiana bat. The ITP application also includes a draft implementing agreement (IA). We also announce the availability of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which has been prepared in response to the permit application in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and a draft Programmatic Agreement (PA) that has been prepared in response to the permit application in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). We request public comment on the application and associated documents.

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) Central Montana Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on our October 11, 2012 (77 FR 61938), proposal to list Taylor's checkerspot butterfly as endangered and streaked horned lark as threatened and to designate critical habitat, and on our December 11, 2012 (77 FR 73770), proposal to list four subspecies of Mazama pocket gopher (Olympia, Tenino, Yelm, and Roy Prairie) and to designate critical habitat, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed critical habitat designations and an amended required determinations section of the proposed designations. The draft economic analysis addresses the potential economic impacts of critical habitat designation for all six subspecies (collectively, the ``prairie species'') under consideration in these rulemakings. In addition, we are providing information that we inadvertently omitted from the preamble to the October 11, 2012, proposed rule (77 FR 61938) to list Taylor's checkerspot butterfly as endangered and streaked horned lark as threatened and to designate critical habitat. We are reopening the comment periods to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed rules, the associated DEA, and our amended required determinations. Comments previously submitted on these proposed rulemakings do not need to be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rules. We also announce a public hearing and three public information workshops on our proposed rules and associated documents.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Uncompahgre Field Office, Montrose, Colorado, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze a Master Development Plan (MDP) that proposes to drill up to 150 wells within the Bull Mountain Unit (146 natural gas wells and 4 water disposal wells) and to construct associated access roads, pipelines and infrastructure.

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