Department of the Interior June 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce notice of two public hearings associated with the recent reopening of the comment period on our May 15, 2012, proposed listing and designation of critical habitat for Eriogonum codium (Umtanum desert buckwheat) and Physaria douglasii subsp. tuplashensis (White Bluffs bladderpod) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).

This order partially revokes a withdrawal created by an Executive Order insofar as it affects 1,037.66 acres of public lands withdrawn from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the public land laws, including location for non-metaliferous minerals under the United States mining laws, for protection of springs and waterholes and designated as Public Water Reserve No. 107. This order also opens the lands to conveyance out of Federal ownership.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) 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 Buffalo Field Office and by this notice is announcing the opening of a 90-day comment period.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is scheduled to file the plat of survey of the land described below thirty (30) calendar days from the date of this publication in the BLM Wyoming State Office, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office is publishing this notice to inform the public of the official filing of the survey plat listed below. The plat will be available for viewing at https://www.glorecords.blm.gov.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing its intention to request renewed approval for the collection of information for Permit ApplicationsMinimum Requirements for Legal, Financial, Compliance, and Related Information. The information collection request has been forwarded 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.

In accordance with Federal coal management regulations, the Bowie Resources, LLC, Federal Coal Lease-By-Application (LBA) Environmental Assessment (EA) is available for public review and comment. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the EA, Fair Market Value (FMV), and Maximum Economic Recovery (MER) of the coal resources for Bowie Resources, LLC, serial number COC-75916.

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 1505.2), the Department of the Interior, National Park Service has prepared and approved a Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the relocation of the Cattle Point Road at San Juan Island National Historical Park. The requisite no-action ``wait period'' was initiated on October 5, 2012, with the Environmental Protection Agency's publication of the Federal Register notice of the filing of the Final EIS. Decision: As soon as practical San Juan Island National Historical Park will begin to implement design and initiate construction of the Cattle Point Road relocation project, in concert with the Federal Highway Administration and San Juan County. Duration of the construction phase is expected to last approximately two years. The park will undertake construction as detailed in the Preferred Alternative (Alternative B) in the Final EIS (which includes realignment of 4,950 feet of roadway approximately 300 feet upslope of the current location, which will subsequently be restored to a natural appearance). There are no substantive changes from the course of action as presented in the Draft EIS. The full range of foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriate mitigation measures are included in the approved project. Both a No Action alternative and two additional alternatives were identified and analyzed in the Draft and Final EIS. Alternative B was deemed 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, San Juan Island National Historical Park, Box 429, Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250 or via telephone request at (360) 378-2240.

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

Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), reclassify the broad- snouted caiman in Argentina from endangered to threatened in the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. As part of this final rule, we have established two distinct population segments (DPSs) of the broad- snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris): A DPS in Argentina and a DPS encompassing Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This second DPS remains listed as endangered under the ESA. We are finalizing this action under the ESA based on the best available data indicating that the Argentine population of the broad-snouted caiman no longer meets the definition of endangered under the ESA. Intense management of the species in Argentina has brought the Argentine DPS to the point where a change in status is appropriate. As of the effective date of this final rule, the broad-snouted caiman will be included in the special rule for trade in caiman species. Inclusion in this special rule allows U.S. commerce in skins, other parts, and products of this species originating from Argentina, and reexport of such specimens originating in Argentina, if certain conditions are met prior to exportation to the United States.

The Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) have prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area Resource Management Plan/General Plan (RMP/GP). The Final EIS/EIR describes and presents the environmental effects of the No Action/No Project Alternative and three Action Alternatives for implementing the RMP/GP. A Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register on August 3, 2012 (77 FR 46518). The comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended on October 2, 2012. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all comments received and reflects comments and any additional information received during the review period.

The National Park Service is amending its interim regulations governing demonstrations and the sale or distribution of printed matter applicable to most units of the National Park System. The rule clarifies provisions regarding permits for demonstrations or distributing printed matter and in management of two or more small (non-permit) groups seeking to use at the same time, an area that has been designated as available for these activities.

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 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pocatello Field Office, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS), Caribou-Targhee National Forest (CTNF), will jointly prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to determine and analyze the effects of approving a proposed phosphate mine lease and mine plan modifications (the Proposed Action) on Federal mineral leases held by the J.R. Simplot Company (Simplot), in southeastern Idaho. The EIS will tier to the Final EIS prepared by the BLM and USFS for Panels F and G at Smoky Canyon Mine in 2007 and will consider the effects of the proposed lease and mine plan modifications.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs is seeking comments on the renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the collection of information titled ``Tribal Energy Resource Agreements'' (TERAs) under the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development Office (IEED) authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0167. This information collection expires June 30, 2013.

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. With some exceptions, 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 requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and [Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibit activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register of May 29, 2013, announcing the proposed rule to revise a section of regulations governing decisions by the Secretary to approve or deny applications to acquire land in trust under 25 CFR part 151. This document makes corrections to the ADDRESSES section to provide the mail and hand delivery addresses.

The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC or Commission) is revising its rules concerning the issuance of certificates for tribal self-regulation of Class II gaming: To correct a section heading in the table of contents; to correct a conflict in the deadlines contained in one of the sections which, if left uncorrected, would at times require the Commission to issue certain preliminary findings on the same day that it receives a tribe's response to the Office of Self Regulation's recommendation and report; and to correct referencing errors in two of its rules.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus) under the Endangered Species Act (Act). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this subspecies' critical habitat. The effect of these regulations will be to protect the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse's habitat under 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 Oxbow Properties, Inc., for competitive oil and gas lease WYW174039 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.

Notice is hereby given that effective with this publication two NAD 83-based OCS Provisional OPDs that represent the Island of Oahu and surrounding Federal waters are now available. BOEM, in accordance with its authority and responsibility under Title 43, Code of Federal Regulations, has created provisional versions of the basic record used for the description of renewable energy, mineral, and oil and gas lease sales in the geographic areas they represent. These provisional OPDs represent the approximate locations of the Submerged Lands Act (3 nautical mile), Limit of ``8(g) Zone'' (6 nautical mile), and National Marine Sanctuary boundaries. The provisional OPDs are for informational purposes only and will be superseded by official versions.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the technical agency draft recovery plan for the endangered golden sedge, a species endemic to the coastal plain in North Carolina. The draft recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria to be met in order to downlist this species to threatened or delist it under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We solicit review and comment on this draft recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public.