Department of the Interior July 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are initiating 5-year status reviews under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for nine animal and two plant species. A 5-year status review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any such information that has become available since the last review for the species.

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 August 7, 2014.

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 northern Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops) and the narrow-headed gartersnake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus), native species from Arizona and New Mexico in the United States. We also finalize a 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 northern Mexican gartersnake. Both species are listed as threatened throughout their range, which, for the northern Mexican gartersnake, also includes the Mexican states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Hidalgo, Jalisco, San Luis Potos[iacute], Aguascalientes, Tlaxacala, Puebla, M[eacute]xico, Veracruz, and Quer[eacute]taro. The effect of this regulation will be to add these species to the lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.

This document is the Final Sale Notice (FSN) for the sale of two commercial wind energy leases on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Maryland, pursuant to BOEM's regulations at 30 CFR 585.216. BOEM is offering Lease OCS-A 0489 (North Lease Area) and Lease OCS-A 0490 (South Lease Area) for sale using a multiple factor auction format. The two lease areas (LAs) together comprise the Maryland Wind Energy Area (WEA) described in the Call for Information and Nominations (Call) published on February 3, 2012 (see ``Area Offered for Leasing'' below for a description of the WEA and LAs) (77 FR 5552). The two LAs are identical to those announced in the Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Maryland, which was published on December 18, 2013, in the Federal Register with a 60-day public comment period (78 FR 76643). This FSN contains information pertaining to the areas available for leasing, lease provisions and conditions, auction details, the lease form, criteria for evaluating competing bids, award procedures, appeal procedures, and lease execution. The issuance of the leases resulting from this lease sale would not constitute an approval of project- specific plans to develop offshore wind energy. Such plans, expected to be submitted by successful lessees, will be subject to subsequent environmental and public review prior to a decision to proceed with development.

This notice advises the public that we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application for an incidental take permit pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), from the City of Colton (City), San Bernardino County, California. The Service, in cooperation and coordination with the City, has prepared a draft environmental assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the City's permit application and proposed West Valley Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). We have prepared the draft EA to analyze the impacts of the Service's proposed issuance of the requested permit for incidental take of the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly. The draft EA considers the environmental effects associated with the City's implementation of the proposed West Valley HCP, as well as the measures the City will undertake to minimize and mitigate the effects of incidental take to the maximum extent practicable. We provide the analysis in the draft EA to inform the public of the proposed action, alternatives, and associated impacts; and to disclose the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects of the proposed action and each of the alternatives. We request public comment on the draft EA and proposed West Valley HCP for the City's proposed activities.

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 December 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.

Pursuant to Section 102 (2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service) and DC Water as co-lead agencies are preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for the Potomac River Tunnel in the National Capital Region. The area affected is within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Rock Creek Park, and National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC. The purpose of this EIS is to analyze the impacts of constructing a tunnel and supporting infrastructure for capture, conveyance, and storage of combined sewer overflows when the combined sewer system capacity is exceeded.

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. 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.

Notice is hereby given that certain Federal coal reserves in the Spruce Stomp Tract described below in Delta County, Colorado, will be offered for competitive lease by sealed bid in accordance with the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the Associated Water Users of the Duchesne and Strawberry Rivers (DSWUA) for an enhancement of survival permit (permit) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The permit application includes a proposed Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA) for the Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker, and a proposed Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for the roundtail chub, flannelmouth sucker, and bluehead sucker in the middle Duchesne River watershed, Utah.

On June 25, 2014, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced the availability of our draft recovery plan for the Texas ayenia, which is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). However, we printed the incorrect Internet address for reviewers to use to download the draft recovery plan. This notice provides the correct Internet address.

The National Park Service announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Wilderness Stewardship Plan, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California. The plan is needed to provide management direction for two designated wilderness areas, several potential wilderness additions, and an area of proposed wilderness. The plan provides the long-term vision for protecting wilderness character, incorporates new research findings, and uses a new interagency planning framework for preservation of wilderness character. The plan also replaces the current plans-of-record, the 1986 Backcountry Management Plan and its accompanying 1986 Stock Use and Meadow Management Plan.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is extending the comment period on the proposed rule for land acquisitions in Alaska, which was published in the Federal Register on May 1, 2014. The original comment period would end June 30, 2014; however, the BIA has received several requests for extension. BIA has reviewed these requests and determined that a 30-day extension is appropriate.