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

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Las Cruces District Office, proposes to sell two parcels of public land totaling 2.47 acres in Do[ntilde]a Ana County, New Mexico. The public land would be sold to the Union Pacific Railroad for $11,000 which is more than the appraised fair market value.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to continue the collection of information for BLM's regulations. 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.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA) 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 no cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 Indiana Department of Natural Resources DHPA through the University of Indianapolis. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

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 Visual Resources Management and Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Draft Amendment for the Rawlins Field Office, Wyoming, and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the public comment period on our August 20, 2012, proposed designation of critical habitat for the jaguar (Panthera onca), as revised on July 1, 2013, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. This notice announces reopening of the comment period to allow all interested parties an additional opportunity to comment and submit information on the revised proposed rule, the draft economic analysis, and the draft environmental assessment. We will consider all comments and information provided by the public during this comment period in preparation of a final designation of critical habitat. Accordingly, the final designation may differ from our proposal. If you submitted comments previously, you do not need to resubmit them because we have already incorporated them into the public record and will fully consider them in preparation of the final rule.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found suitable for classification for lease and subsequent conveyance under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, approximately 81.2 acres of public land in Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico. The Carlsbad Municipal School District proposes to use the land for a kindergarten to fifth grade elementary school and a sixth to eighth grade middle school.

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 from those who wish to participate in the exploration, development, production, and utilization of geothermal resources on BLM-managed public lands, and on lands managed by other Federal agencies. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has assigned control number 1004-0132 to this information collection.

The National Park Service is proposing to revise the definition of the terms demonstration and special event, applicable to the national cemeteries administered by the National Park Service.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to designate critical habitat for the Oregon spotted frog under the Endangered Species Act. We are proposing critical habitat for this species in Washington and Oregon, and this action fulfills our obligations under the Endangered Species Act and a court-approved settlement agreement. The effect of this regulation will be to designate critical habitat for the Oregon spotted frogs' habitat under the Endangered Species Act.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision will be issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to Sea Lion Corporation. The decision approves the surface estate in the lands described below for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601, et seq.). The subsurface estate in these lands will be conveyed to Calista Corporation when the surface estate is conveyed to Sea Lion Corporation. The lands are in the vicinity of Hooper Bay, Alaska, and are located in:

This rule prescribes special early-season migratory bird hunting regulations for certain tribes on Federal Indian reservations, off-reservation trust lands, and ceded lands. This rule responds to tribal requests for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter Service or we) recognition of tribal authority to regulate hunting under established guidelines. This rule allows the establishment of season bag limits and, thus, harvest, at levels compatible with populations and habitat conditions.

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 public teleconference of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council).

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.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of an incidental take permit (ITP) application and Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Connie Stark (applicant) requests an ITP under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The applicant anticipates taking about 1.49 acres of foraging, breeding, and sheltering habitat used by the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) (scrub-jay) incidental to land preparation and for the construction of a single-family residence and associated infrastructure in Charlotte County, Florida. The applicant's HCP describes the minimization and mitigation measures proposed to address the effects of the project on the scrub-jay.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has assigned control number 1004- 0019 to this collection.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rio Grande Natural Area Commission will meet as indicated below.

Consistent with the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) (NEPA), BOEM is announcing its intent to prepare a Supplemental EIS for proposed Central Planning Area (CPA) Lease Sales 235, 241 and 247 in the Gulf of Mexico (CPA Supplemental EIS). Proposed Lease Sale 235 is the next proposed lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico's CPA off the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The CPA Supplemental EIS will update the environmental and socioeconomic analyses in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2012-2017; Western Planning Area Lease Sales 229, 233, 238, 246, and 248; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 227, 231, 235, 241, and 247, Final Environmental Impact Statement (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2012-019) (WPA/CPA Multisale EIS) and in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2013-2014; Western Planning Area Lease Sale 233; Central Planning Area Lease Sale 231, Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2013-0118) (WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS). The WPA/CPA Multisale EIS was completed in July 2012. The WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS was completed in April 2013. A Supplemental EIS is deemed appropriate to supplement the NEPA documents cited above for these lease sales in order to consider new circumstances and information arising from, among other things, the Deepwater Horizon explosion, oil spill, and response. The CPA Supplemental EIS analysis will focus on updating the baseline conditions. The CPA Supplemental EIS analysis will focus on the potential environmental effects of oil and natural gas leasing, exploration, development, and production in the CPA identified through the Area Identification procedure as the proposed lease sale area. In addition to the no action alternative (i.e., canceling a proposed lease sale), other alternatives may be considered for the proposed CPA lease sales, such as deferring certain areas from the proposed lease sale area.

This rule prescribes final early-season frameworks from which the States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands may select season dates, limits, and other options for the 2013-14 migratory bird hunting seasons. Early seasons are those that generally open prior to October 1, and include seasons in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The effect of this final rule is to facilitate the selection of hunting seasons by the States and Territories to further the annual establishment of the early-season migratory bird hunting regulations.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the diamond darter (Crystallaria cincotta), a small fish in West Virginia, under the Endangered Species Act (Act). In total, approximately 197.1 river kilometers (122.5 river miles) in Kanawha and Clay Counties, West Virginia, and Edmonson, Hart, and Green Counties, Kentucky, are being designated as critical habitat. The effect of this regulation is to designate critical habitat for the diamond darter under the Act.

The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture propose to adopt a fee schedule for commercial filming and still photography conducted on public lands under their jurisdiction. The proposed fee schedule would establish land-use fees for commercial filming and still photography that are consistent for the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. The fees would be based on sound business management principles and would provide a fair return to the United States, as required in the law.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to amend and update the regulations regarding oil and natural gas production by addressing issues such as: Safety and pollution prevention equipment lifecycle analysis, production safety systems, subsurface safety devices, and safety device testing. The proposed rule would differentiate the requirements for operating dry tree and subsea tree production systems on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and divide the current subpart H into multiple sections to make the regulations easier to read and understand. The changes in this proposed rule are necessary to bolster human safety, environmental protection, and regulatory oversight of critical equipment involving production safety systems.

The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget proposes to withdraw, subject to valid existing rights, on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 3,123 acres of public lands located in Trinity County, California, from location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not from mineral material sales or mineral or geothermal leasing, to protect the cultural, recreational, and biological resources within and along the recreational segments of the Trinity Wild and Scenic River (TRWSR). This notice temporarily segregates the lands for up to 2 years from location and entry under the United States mining laws and gives the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed withdrawal application and to request a public meeting.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 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 IC.