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

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

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, San Juan National Forest, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the cultural items listed in this notice meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim these cultural items should submit a written request to the San Juan National Forest. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of the cultural items to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) invites public comments on, and plans to request approval to continue, the collection of information for the regulations at 43 CFR Parts 3832 through 3838. These regulations pertain to the location, recording, and maintenance of mining claims and sites. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has assigned control number 1004- 0114 to this information collection.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a public teleconference of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council).

On May 10, 2013, BOEM published a document in the Federal Register (78 FR 27427) entitled ``Outer Continental Shelf Geological and Geophysical Exploration Activities in the Gulf of Mexico.'' This notice corrects the date for closing of the public comment period, as previously published.

This document is the Final Sale Notice (FSN) for the sale of two commercial wind energy leases on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts, pursuant to BOEM's regulations at 30 CFR 585.216. BOEM is offering Lease OCS-A 0486 (North Lease Area) and Lease OCS-A 0487 (South Lease Area) for sale simultaneously using a multiple factor auction format. The two lease areas together comprise the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (WEA) announced on February 24, 2012, (see ``Areas Offered for Leasing'' below for a description of the WEA and lease areas). The two lease areas are identical to those announced in the Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts, which was published on December 3, 2012, in the Federal Register with a 60-day public comment period (77 FR 71612). This FSN contains information pertaining to the areas available for leasing, lease provisions and conditions, auction details, the lease form, criteria for evaluating competing bids, award procedures, appeal procedures, and lease execution. The issuance of the leases resulting from this lease sale would not constitute an approval of project-specific plans to develop offshore wind energy. Such plans, expected to be submitted by successful lessees, will be subject to subsequent environmental and public review prior to a decision to proceed with development.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee will meet on June 28, 2013, at Sandy Hook Building 22, Magruder Road, Middletown, NJ 07732. This is a location change from what was announced in the April 15, 2013, Federal Register.

The federal and state natural resource trustees for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (Trustees) intend to prepare a PEIS under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate the environmental consequences of early restoration project types, as well as the early restoration projects that the Trustees intend to propose in an upcoming Phase III Draft Early Restoration Plan (DERP). The Trustees intend to evaluate early restoration project types programmatically in the PEIS in order to allow the Trustees to better analyze cumulative effects of early restoration, and to tier NEPA analyses for future early restoration plans to the PEIS, where appropriate.

In accordance with the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App., 2, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFEC) will meet as indicated below.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR, refuge), 7 miles south of Montpelier, Idaho; the refuge-managed Thomas Fork Unit (Unit) in Montpelier; and the Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) in Oxford, Idaho. The final CCP describes how we will manage the refuge and WPA for the next 15 years.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) to grant a right-of-way (ROW) and amend the California Desert Conservation Area Plan (CDCA Plan) for the Alta East Wind Project (AEWP). The Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management approved the ROD on May 23, 2013, which constitutes the final decision of the Department.

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) Nevada Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will hold two meetings in Nevada in 2013. All meetings are open to the public.