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

We announce new deadlines for the public to submit input on several draft documents prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. We are taking this action in regard to draft documents and scoping periods that were open for comment during the recent lapse in Federal appropriations. To ensure that we receive the best possible input to guide our decisionmaking, we want to provide the public adequate time to review and comment on the draft documents.

The Bureau of Reclamation intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Cle Elum Reservoir Pool Raise project. The Washington State Department of Ecology will be a joint lead agency with the Bureau of Reclamation in the preparation of this EIS, which also will be used to comply with requirements of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The Bureau of Reclamation is requesting public comment and agency input to identify significant issues or other alternatives to be addressed in the EIS.

The Bureau of Reclamation intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess Reservoir Conveyance and the Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage projects. The Washington State Department of Ecology will be a joint lead agency with the Bureau of Reclamation in the preparation of this EIS. The Bureau of Reclamation is requesting public comment and agency input to identify significant issues or other alternatives to be addressed in the EIS.

Pursuant to Public Law 96-472, the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (NEPEC) will hold a one-and-a-half-day meeting on November 4 and 5, 2013, at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Menlo Park, California. The Council is comprised of members from academia and the Federal Government. The Council shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey on proposed earthquake predictions, on the completeness and scientific validity of the available data related to earthquake predictions, and on related matters as assigned by the Director. Additional information about the Council may be found at: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/aboutus/nepec/. At the meeting, the Council will receive several briefings on the history and current state of scientific investigations of earthquake processes in and around the San Andreas fault near the town of Parkfield in central California, and will be asked to advise the USGS on priorities for instrumentation and scientific investigations in the future. The Council will also hear updates on past topics of discussion, including work with social and behavioral scientists on improving hazard and risk messages; development of improved methods for calculation of short-term aftershock probabilities; USGS collaborative work with the Collaboratory for Study of Earthquake Predictability (CSEP); status of an updated Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3); and on the delivery of near-real-time earthquake information by the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC). A draft meeting agenda is available from the Executive Secretary on request (contact information below), and will be posted to the Web site (above) when finalized. In order to ensure sufficient seating and hand- outs, it is requested that visitors pre-register by contacting the Executive Secretary by November 1. Members of the public wishing to make a statement to the Council should provide notice of that intention by November 1 so that time may be allotted in the agenda.

As required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix 1-16), the National Park Service (NPS) is hereby giving notice that the Gates of the Arctic National Park Subsistence Resource Commission (SRC) will hold a meeting to develop and continue work on NPS subsistence program recommendations and other related subsistence management issues. The NPS SRC program is authorized under Title VIII, Section 808 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Public Law 96-487.

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 November 29, 2013.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are approving an amendment to the Mississippi regulatory program (Mississippi Program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Mississippi proposed revisions to its regulations regarding: definitions; identification of interests; lands eligible for remining; permit eligibility determination; review of permit applications; eligibility for provisionally issued permits; criteria for permit approval or denial; initial review and finding requirements for improvidently issued permits; notice requirements for improvidently issued permits; suspension or rescission requirements for improvidently issued permits; unanticipated events or conditions at remining sites; verification of ownership or control application information; who may challenge ownership or control listings and findings; how to challenge an ownership or control 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 requirements for permittees; backfilling and grading: previously mined areas; and alternative enforcement. Mississippi intends to revise its program to be no less effective than corresponding Federal regulations, to clarify ambiguities, and to improve operational efficiency.

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.

This rule proposes procedures for the disposition of unclaimed human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony discovered on Federal lands after November 16, 1990. It would implement section 3 (b) of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990.

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 P, Sulphur Operations. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list Vandenberg monkeyflower as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Endangered Species Act's protections to this plant. The effect of this regulation will be to add Vandenberg monkeyflower to the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants under the Endangered Species Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), hereby list four Colombian species, the blue-billed curassow (Crax alberti), brown- banded antpitta (Grallaria milleri), Cauca guan (Penelope perspicax), and gorgeted wood-quail (Odontophorus strophium), and one Ecuadorian species, the Esmeraldas woodstar (Chaetocercus berlepschi), as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as amended. This final rule implements the Federal protections provided by the Act for these species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), recently published two proposed rules. One rule proposes to list the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) as an endangered subspecies and to delist the gray wolf elsewhere, and the other proposes to revise the Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Wolf. On September 5 and October 2, 2013, we announced public hearings on the proposed rules. The September 5 notices also extended the public comment period for the proposed rules to October 28, 2013. Following delays caused by the Federal Government lapse in appropriations, the Service is announcing rescheduled dates for the remainder of a series of public hearings on the proposed rules. To allow these hearings to take place within the public comment period on the proposed rules, we now extend the public comment period for the proposed rules to December 17, 2013. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rules. We also announce the scheduling of a public information meeting and an additional public hearing in Pinetop, Arizona.

BOEM announces the availability of the Proposed NOS for proposed CPA Sale 231. This Notice is published pursuant to 30 CFR 556.29(c) as a matter of information to the public. With regard to oil and gas leasing on the OCS, the Secretary of the Interior, pursuant to section 19 of the OCS Lands Act, provides affected States the opportunity to review the Proposed NOS. The Proposed NOS sets forth the proposed terms and conditions of the sale, including minimum bids, royalty rates, and rental rates.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is notifying the public that we have submitted an information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR pertains to the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR Part 550, Subparts A and K, General and Oil and Gas Production Requirements. This notice provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of this collection.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the John DaySnake Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Bi-State distinct population segment (DPS) of greater sage- grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also propose a special rule under section 4(d) of the Act to provide for the conservation of the Bi-State DPS of greater sage-grouse. If finalized, the effect of this regulation would be to add the Bi-State DPS of greater sage-grouse to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, extend the Act's protections to this DPS, and establish a 4(d) special rule for the conservation of this DPS. Elsewhere in today's Federal Register, we propose to designate critical habitat under the Act for the Bi-State DPS of greater sage-grouse.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Owyhee Field Office Jump Creek, Succor Creek and Cow Creek Watersheds grazing permit renewal, and by this notice is announcing its availability.

We are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Montana regulatory program (hereinafter, the ``Montana program'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (``SMCRA'' or ``the Act''). Montana proposes revisions and additions to statute regarding permit application requirements, prospecting application requirements, annual reporting requirements for coal permittees, and lawsuits for damages to water supplies. Montana is also proposing to revise its rules at Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) 17.24 subchapter 10 to incorporate rule changes regarding a new expedited coal prospecting permitting process. This document gives the times and locations that the Montana program and 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.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City District, Nevada, has examined and found suitable for classification for conveyance approximately 12.38 acres of public land in Storey County, Nevada, under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended (NVN 082004). Storey County proposes to use the land for a sewage treatment facility to serve Virginia City, Nevada. This notice terminates the previous classification of a portion of land for conveyance under NVN 046965.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Farmington District Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pecos District Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

The Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum, University of Washington (Burke Museum), has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 should submit a written request to the Burke Museum. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we are issuing a revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (revised DEIS) for the South Farallon Islands Invasive House Mouse Eradication Project on the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge, CA. If you have previously submitted comments, please do not resubmit them, because we have already incorporated them in the public record and will fully consider them in our final EIS.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application for incidental take permit (ITP). Clermont Land Development, LLC requests a 10-year ITP under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We request public comment on the permit application and accompanying proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), as well as on our preliminary determination that the plan qualifies as low-effect under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low- effect screening form, which are also available for review.