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

This notice sets forth the dates of meetings of the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission occurring in 2013.

Notice of Filing of Plats of Survey; Alaska. Survey Descriptions: The plat and field notes, representing the dependent resurvey of certain street centerlines and certain Lots within Tracts A and C and the adjusted record meanders of U.S. Survey No. 4392, Alaska, located within the Ambler Townsite, situated within Township 20 North, Range 5 East, Kateel River Meridian, Alaska.

As authorized under the provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carson City District Office will temporarily close certain public land near Stead, Nevada, to all public use to provide for public safety during the 2013 Reno Air Racing Association Pylon Racing Seminar and the Reno National Championship Air Races.

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

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) published a rule in the Federal Register of December 5, 2012, announcing the revisions to regulations addressing non-agricultural surface leasing of Indian land. This notice makes a minor correction to redesignate section numbers for sections that were moved to a new subpart.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, has corrected an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, published in a Notice of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register on September 24, 1997. This notice corrects the number of associated funerary objects from site 34JN30, Lake Texoma, Johnston County, OK. Lineal descendants or 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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office has corrected an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects published in a Notice of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register on November 5, 2001. This notice corrects the minimum number of individuals and number of associated funerary objects. Lineal descendants or 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 Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) is seeking nominations for individuals to be considered as Committee members and/ or alternates to serve on the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). Membership represents a wide range of water resources interests and functions. The ACWI will have a maximum of 35 members. Members will represent the interests of water oriented organizations and will be selected from among, but not limited to the following groups: Federal agencies, professional water-related associations, State and country water-related associations, academia, private industry, water utility associations, civil engineering societies, watershed and land conservation associations, ecological societies, lake, coastal, and ocean associations, environmental and educational groups. Member organizations designate their representatives and alternates. Membership rests not with the individual person but rather with the member organization, who names their representative, and sometimes an alternate. Nominations should include a resume providing an adequate description of the nominee's qualifications, including information that would enable the Department of the Interior to make an informed decision regarding meeting the membership requirements of the ACWI and permit the Department of the Interior to contact a potential member. No individual who is currently registered as a Federal lobbyist is eligible to serve as a member of the ACWI. The Committee functions solely as an advisory body, and in compliance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Nominations for member organizations should be submitted to the Executive Secretary, at the address listed below.

Pursuant to the regulations implementing (National Environmental Policy Act) (NEPA), and subject to available funding, BOEM is announcing the intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate potential environmental effects of multiple geological and geophysical (G&G) activities in OCS waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), extending from the coastline to the seaward boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including the GOM OCS. The PEIS will be prepared cooperatively with NMFS to serve as the requisite environmental analysis under NEPA for the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) rulemaking governing authorization for unintentional marine mammal takes during G&G activities in GOM waters. It will also provide information for future decisions regarding Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) permit and MMPA authorization actions, in addition to informing consultations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), and other statutes. By this document, BOEM announces: The intention to prepare a PEIS; commencement of the scoping process under NEPA; a request for public comment on the scope of the PEIS; times, dates and locations for public scoping meetings; and a request for other Federal Agencies, and State, Tribal, and local governments to consider becoming cooperating agencies in the preparation of the PEIS.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) issues this Final Statement of Policy to announce its expectation that individuals and organizations performing or overseeing activities regulated by BSEE establish and maintain a positive safety culture commensurate with the significance of their activities and the nature and complexity of their organizations and functions. The BSEE defines safety culture as the core values and behaviors of all members of an organization that reflect a commitment to conducting business in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Further, it is important for all lessees, the owners or holders of operating rights, designated operators or agents of the lessee(s), pipeline right-of-way holders, State lessees granted a right-of-use and easement, and contractors to foster in personnel an appreciation for the importance of safety and environmental stewardship, emphasizing the need for their integration into performance objectives to achieve optimal protection and production.

Pursuant to the authority vested in the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management by the joint bidding provisions of 30 CFR 556.41, each entity within one of the following groups shall be restricted from bidding with any entity in any of the other following groups at Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales to be held during the bidding period May 1, 2013, through October 31, 2013. This List of Restricted Joint Bidders will cover the period May 1, 2013, through October 31, 2013, and replace the prior list published on October 23, 2012, which covered the period of November 1, 2012, through April 30, 2013.

Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation and are new, modified, discontinued, or completed since the last publication of this notice. This notice is one of a variety of means used to inform the public about proposed contractual actions for capital recovery and management of project resources and facilities consistent with section 9(f) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. Additional announcements of individual contract actions may be published in the Federal Register and in newspapers of general circulation in the areas determined by Reclamation to be affected by the proposed action.

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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the reopening of the public comment period on our October 16, 2012, proposed listing and designation of critical habitat for the Neosho mucket (Lampsilis rafinesqueana) and rabbitsfoot (Quadrula cylindrica cylindrica) mussels under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) and draft environmental assessment of the proposed designation of critical habitat and an amended required determinations section of the proposal. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the revised proposed rule, the associated DEA and draft environmental assessment, and the amended required determinations section. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rules.

This final rule revises regulations implementing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act for accuracy and consistency.

This notice publishes the approval of an amendment to the Class III Tribal-State Gaming Compact between the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and the State of Wisconsin (Amendment).

The plats of survey described below are scheduled to be officially filed in the New Mexico State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Santa Fe, New Mexico, thirty (30) calendar days from the date of this publication.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the public comment period on the September 27, 2012, proposed endangered status and designation of critical habitat for the grotto sculpin under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed designation of critical habitat for the grotto sculpin and an amended required determinations section of the proposal. In addition, we announce our intention to recognize the grotto sculpin as Cottus specus. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule, the associated DEA, and the amended required determinations section. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following application 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.

The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget proposes to withdraw on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 1,140.82 acres of public lands from location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not from leasing under the mineral or geothermal leasing laws, to protect the geological, cultural, botanical, recreational, and biological resources within the New River Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) located in Coos and Curry Counties, Oregon. This notice segregates the lands for up to 2 years from mining and gives the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed withdrawal application and to request a public meeting.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to create a special rule under authority of section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), that provides measures that are necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). In addition, we announce the reopening of the public comment period on the December 11, 2012, proposed rule to list the lesser prairie-chicken as a threatened species under the Act. We also announce the availability of a draft rangewide conservation plan for the lesser prairie-chicken, which has been prepared by the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Interstate Working Group, and request comments on the plan as it relates to our determination of status under section 4(a)(1) of the Act.

The purpose of this notice is to inform the public and interested State and local government officials of the filing of Plats of Survey in Nevada.

On April 2, 2013, the Department of the Interior and the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission each signed a Finding of No Significant Impact associated with the Final Environmental AssessmentEast Hobble Creek Restoration Project. These two agencies have determined that the proposed action as detailed in the Final Environmental Assessment will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment, and that an environmental impact statement is not required.