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

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is inviting comments on a renewal of a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements that respondents will submit to BOEM to obtain Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) sand, gravel, and shell resources for use in shore protection, beach and coastal restoration and other authorized projects, which qualify for a noncompetitive negotiated agreement.

We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act 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 IC. This IC is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2014. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list Brickellia mosieri (Florida brickell-bush) and Linum carteri var. carteri (Carter's small-flowered flax), as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to these plants.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered status for the Taylor's checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha taylori) and threatened status for the streaked horned lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. This final rule adds these species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and implements the Federal protections provided by the Act for these species. This rule also establishes a special rule under section 4(d) of the Act to exempt certain activities from the take prohibitions of the Act and our regulations in order to provide for the conservation of the streaked horned lark.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), recently published a proposal to remove the gray wolf from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List) but to maintain endangered status for the Mexican wolf by listing it as a subspecies (Canis lupus baileyi). On September 5, 2013, we announced three public hearings on the proposed rule and extended the public comment period to October 28, 2013. We now announce an additional public hearing to be held on October 17, 2013, in Denver, Colorado.

This Notice is a correction of the notice published as docket number 2013-23670. The only correction is the addition of the map entitled ``Chukchi Sea Planning Area for Information and Nominations Lease Sale 237''. This Call for Information and Nominations (``Call'') is the initial step in the prelease process for Lease Sale 237 in the Chukchi Sea Planning Area, scheduled to be held in 2016, as included in the Proposed Final OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2012-2017 (``Five Year Program''). The purpose of this Call is to obtain nominations and information on oil and gas leasing, exploration, and development that might result from an OCS oil and gas lease sale for the Chukchi Sea Planning Area. The lease sale area addressed in this Call (``Program Area'') is located offshore Alaska in the Chukchi Sea Planning Area. As identified in the Five Year Program, the Program Area is a sub-area of the larger Chukchi Sea Planning Area.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the spring pygmy sunfish (Elassoma alabamae), which is found in Limestone County, Alabama. The effect of this regulation is to add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and implement the Federal protections provided by the Act for this species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), withdraw the proposed rule to list the Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle, Cicindela albissima, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and designate critical habitat for the species. This withdrawal is based on our conclusion that the threats to the species as identified in the proposed rule no longer are as significant as believed at the time of the proposed rule. We base this conclusion on our analysis of current and future threats and conservation efforts. We find the best scientific and commercial data available indicate that the threats to the species and its habitat have been reduced below the statutory definition of threatened or endangered. Therefore, we are withdrawing our proposal to list the species as threatened with critical habitat.

The boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park is modified to include 31.94 acres of land donated to the United States. The land is located in Larimer County, Colorado, immediately adjacent to the current eastern boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a public meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. The ANS Task Force's purpose is to develop and implement a program for U.S. waters to prevent introduction and dispersal of aquatic invasive species (AIS); to monitor, control, and study such species; and to disseminate related information.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received applications from Mr. Albert C. McDonald of Greenbriar Enterprises LLC (applicant McDonald Farm) and Ms. Katherine H. Garrett of Greenbrier Enterprises LLC (applicant Horton Farm) (collectively, applicants) for enhancement of survival permits (permit or permits) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Each permit application includes a proposed candidate conservation agreement with assurances (CCAA) between the applicant and the Service as parties and the Land Trust of North Alabama as a cooperator for the conservation of the spring pygmy sunfish. Each Applicant is a limited liability company, created and existing under the laws of the State of Alabama. The CCAAs would be implemented at the Beaverdam Spring Complex within Limestone County, Alabama. We have made a preliminary determination that each permit application, including the proposed CCAA, is eligible for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The basis for this preliminary determination is contained in the draft environmental action statement (EAS) prepared by the Service on each application. We are accepting comments on each permit application and the associated proposed CCAA, as well as on the draft EAS.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) and comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Refuge, NFWR) for public review and comment. In this draft EA/CCP we describe how we propose to manage the refuge for the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine that Echinomastus erectocentrus var. acunensis (acu[ntilde]a cactus) and Pediocactus peeblesianus var. fickeiseniae (Fickeisen plains cactus) meet the definition of endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. This final rule implements the Federal protections provided by the Act for these species. The effect of this regulation will be to add these species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the Endangered Species Act.