Department of the Interior November 1, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service (USFS) have prepared a Draft Land Use Plan (LUP) Amendments and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for managing Greater Sage- Grouse (GRSG) in the Idaho and Southwestern Montana sub-region, and by this notice are announcing the opening of the comment period.

BOEM requests comments on the Annual Progress Report (Report) on the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2012-2017 (Five Year Program). The Annual Progress Report is available for review at: www.boem.gov/ Five-Year-Program-Annual-Progress-Report/. Information on the Five Year Program is available online at https://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy- Program/Leasing/Five-Year-Program/2012-2017/Five-Year-Program .aspx. The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) published the Five Year Program in June 2012, and the program became final on August 27, 2012, after the required 60-day congressional review period. Section 18(e) of the OCS Lands Act (Act) states that ``the Secretary shall review the leasing program approved under this section at least once each year. He [or she] may revise and reapprove such program, at any time, and such revision and reapproval, except in the case of a revision which is not significant, shall be in the same manner as originally developed.'' Historically, the annual review has been an internal process in which BOEM reports to the Secretary any information or events that might result in consideration of a revision to the Program. However, in the decision document for the Five Year Program (available by clicking on ``Proposed Final Program Decision Document'' at the above web address), the Department of the Interior stated its commitment to ``publish an annual progress report on the Five Year Program that includes an opportunity for stakeholders and the public to comment on the program's implementation.'' Pursuant to this commitment, the Annual Progress Report (Report) provides the public an overview of the activities that have occurred during the previous year. The Report includes the following information: Statistics of sales that have occurred in the previous year, including the number and location of lease blocks and the dollars collected on high bids; a tracking table of all relevant deferrals and mitigations; a summary of completed and ongoing safety and environmental studies; regulatory updates; a discussion of significant new drilling activities and seismic data collection; a summary of any significant incidents; and other relevant information. After the comment period, BOEM will submit the Report, with a summary of comments received in response to this notice, to the Secretary. There is no specified format for comments. However, BOEM requests that respondents focus on new information that has come to light since final approval of the Five Year Program in August 2012, and information that was not provided during previous comment periods related to the development of the Five Year Program.

We revise the regulations that allow control of depredating birds in California. We specify the counties in which this order is effective, identify the species that may be taken under the order, add a requirement that landowners attempt nonlethal control, add a requirement for use of nontoxic ammunition, and revise the reporting required. These changes update and clarify the current regulations and enhance our ability to carry out our responsibility to conserve migratory birds.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, revise the List of Migratory Birds by both adding and removing species. Reasons for the changes to the list include adding species based on new taxonomy and new evidence of occurrence in the United States or U.S. territories, removing species no longer known to occur within the United States, and changing names to conform to accepted use. The net increase of 19 species (23 added and 4 removed) brings the total number of species protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) to 1,026. We regulate most aspects of the taking, possession, transportation, sale, purchase, barter, exportation, and importation of migratory birds. An accurate and up-to-date list of species protected by the MBTA is essential for public notification and regulatory purposes.

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.

In August, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to revise regulations addressing oil and gas mining on reservation land of the Osage Nation. The public comment period for that rule closed on October 28, 2013. This notice reopens the comment period until November 18, 2013.