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

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is publishing this notice to explain why the BLM Director is denying the Governor of Idaho's recommendations regarding the Proposed Land Use Plan Amendments analyzed in the Gateway West Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

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

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 February 28, 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, 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.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under Subpart F, Oil and Gas Well- Workover Operations. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the revised paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental assessment (EA) for the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). In this CCP, we describe how we will manage the Refuge for the next 15 years.

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service and Fish and Wildlife Service (Services), in cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers, intend to prepare an EIS under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regarding expected applications from the United Water Conservation District (United) for incidental take permits under the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The EIS will analyze the environmental effects of the Services' proposed issuance of incidental take permits for United's construction, operations, and maintenance of water management facilities within the lower Santa Clara River watershed, Ventura County, California. The Services also provide this notice to announce a public scoping period, during which we invite other agencies, Tribes, and the public to submit written comments providing suggestions and information on issues and alternatives to include in the EIS.

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 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) Eastern Montana Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

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 Lewistown Field Office (LFO) Greater Sage-Grouse (GRSG) Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the LFO and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

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 May 31, 2014. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) is notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), parts 1202, 1206, 1210, 1212, 1217, and 1218. This ICR pertains to royalty and production reporting on solid minerals and geothermal leases on Federal and Indian lands. There are three forms associated with this information collection: ONRR-4430, ONRR-4292, and ONRR-4293. This notice also provides the public with a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

The National Park Service is seeking public comments and suggestions on the planning of the 2013 National Christmas Tree Lighting and the subsequent 26-day event. The general plan and theme for the event is the celebration of the holiday season with the display of the traditional American symbols of Christmas.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Oklahoma regulatory program (Oklahoma program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Oklahoma proposes revisions to its regulations regarding: Definitions; review of permit applications; general provisions for review of permit application information and entry of information into AVS; review of applicant, operator, and ownership and control information; review of permit history; review of compliance history; permit eligibility determination; unanticipated events or conditions at remining sites; eligibility for provisionally issued permits; written findings for permit application approval; performance bond submittal; initial review and finding requirements for improvidently issued permits; notice requirements for improvidently issued permits; suspension or rescission requirements for improvidently issued permits; who may challenge ownership or control listings and findings; how to challenge an owner and controller listing or finding; burden of proof for ownership or control challenges; written agency decision on challenges to ownership or control listings or findings; post-permit issuance requirements for regulatory authorities and other actions based on ownership, control, and violation information; post-permit issuance information requirements for permittees; transfer, assignment, or sale of permit rights; certifying and updating existing permit application information; providing applicant and operator information; providing permit history information; providing property interest information; providing violation information; facilities or structures used in common; hydrologic balancesiltation structures; cessation orders; alternative enforcementgeneral provisions; criminal penalties; and civil actions for relief. Oklahoma intends to revise its program to be no less effective than the Federal regulations and to improve operational efficiency. This document gives the times and locations that the Oklahoma program and this proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew approval for 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 February 28, 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 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. We summarize the ICR below and describe the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. This information collection is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2013. 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and consistent with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service (NPS) has prepared the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (Mariposa Grove FEIS). The primary purpose of the proposed restoration is to restore dynamic natural processes that support the giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park and increase the resiliency of the Mariposa Grove to withstand a range of environmental stressors, and to improve the overall visitor experience in the Grove.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Montana State Office, Billings, Montana, on December 5, 2013.

The Office of the Secretary is announcing that the Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform (the Commission) will hold a public webinar meeting on November 20, 2013. The Commission expects that this will be its last public meeting. During the public meeting, the Commission will approve the August 2013 public meeting summary, approve the Commission recommendations, and take public comments.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to gather additional information and to prepare, in coordination with the County of Sacramento, California, a joint environmental impact statement and environmental impact report (EIS/ EIR) under the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act for the proposed South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). The draft EIS/ EIR will evaluate the impacts of several alternatives related to the proposed issuance of Endangered Species Act permits to eight permit applicants in south Sacramento County, California. The permit applicants intend to apply for either a 30-year or a 50-year permit from the Service that would authorize the incidental take resulting from implementation or approval of covered activities, including various kinds of development projects. We also announce public scoping meetings and the opening of a public comment period. We request data, comments, new information, or suggestions from other concerned governmental agencies, the scientific community, Tribes, industry, or any other interested party.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is inviting comments on 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 in the regulations under 30 CFR 556, Leasing of Sulphur or Oil and Gas in the OCS; 30 CFR 550, Subpart J, Pipelines and Pipeline Rights-of-Way; and 30 CFR 560, OCS Oil and Gas Leasing.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove the Inyo California towhee (Pipilo crissalis eremophilus = Melozone crissalis eremophilus) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife due to recovery. This action is based on a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the species is no longer threatened with extinction. This proposed rule, if made final, would also remove the currently designated critical habitat for the Inyo California towhee throughout its range. This document also constitutes our 12-month finding on a petition to remove the Inyo California towhee from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We are seeking information and comments from the public on this proposed rule and the post-delisting monitoring plan. The Inyo California towhee occurs only in Inyo County, California.

We propose to remove regulations that set forth certain depredation orders for migratory birds. There have been no requests for authorization of a depredation order under these regulations for many years, and no reports of activities undertaken under these regulations in the last 15 years. Because these regulations apparently are unused, we propose to remove them. Control of depredating birds could still be undertaken under depredation permits in accordance with the regulations at 50 CFR 21.41.