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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (Act) prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The Act also requires that we invite public comment before issuing recovery permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species.

On July 17, 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) made a determination that the import of sport-hunted African elephant trophies taken in Zimbabwe on or after April 4, 2014, until December 31, 2014, would be suspended. The decision to suspend importation of African elephant trophies taken in Zimbabwe was due to the Service being unable to determine that the killing of the animal whose trophy is intended for import into the United States would enhance the survival of the species in the wild. Due to technical revisions needed to address an editorial error and to reflect consideration of ETIS data from the 16th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to CITES unintentionally left out of the July 17 finding document, the July 17 document was revised on July 22. These technical revisions did not alter the analysis or decision announced in the July 17 finding. This 2014 determination supersedes the interim suspension published in the Federal Register on May 12, 2014.

This final rule makes administrative and procedural changes to the applicable regulations with corrected addresses and fax numbers because the offices of Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea Marine National Monument have moved.

On May 22, 2014, the Department of the Interior announced the availability of a proposed rule to revise regulations governing the process and criteria by which the Secretary acknowledges an Indian tribe. We have since received several requests for extension of the comment period and additional public hearings. This notice extends the comment deadline by 60 days and announces the addition of two more public hearings and two more tribal consultation sessions on the proposed rule.

The following Water Management Plans are available for review:

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Oktibbeha, Winston, and Noxubee Counties, Mississippi, for public review and comment. In this Draft CCP/EA, we describe the alternative we propose to use to manage this refuge for the 15 years following approval of the final CCP.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the ACWI. This meeting is to discuss broad policy-related topics relating to national water initiatives, and the development and dissemination of water information, through reports from ACWI subgroups. The agenda will include updates from ACWI's various subcommittees; a report on the 9th National Monitoring Conference, which was held earlier this year in Cincinnati, Ohio; a presentation of the water chapter of the Third National Climate Assessment; and a report on the Hydrologic Frequency Analysis Work Group's progress on revising Bulletin 17B, Guidelines For Determining Flood Flow Frequency. The ACWI was established under the authority of the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-92-01 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the ACWI is to provide a forum for water information users and professionals to advise the Federal Government on activities and plans that may improve the effectiveness of meeting the Nation's water information needs. Member organizations help to foster communications between the Federal and non-Federal sectors on sharing water information. Membership, limited to 35 organizations, represents a wide range of water resources interests and functions. Representation on the ACWI includes all levels of government, academia, private industry, and professional and technical societies. For more information on the ACWI, its membership, subgroups, meetings and activities, please see the Web site at: https://ACWI.gov.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Tonto National Forest and the San Diego Museum of Man have completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and have determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the Tonto National Forest. 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 Illinois State 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 Illinois State 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.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Tuzigoot National Monument has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 Tuzigoot National Monument. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The Cowlitz County Historical Museum, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the cultural items listed in this notice meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim these cultural items should submit a written request to the Cowlitz County Historical Museum. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of the cultural items to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology 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 University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. 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.

The purpose of this notice is to request public nominations to fill four positions for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming 10- member Resource Advisory Council (RAC). The RAC provides advice and recommendations to the BLM on land use planning and management of the National System of Public Lands within Wyoming.

The Bureau of Reclamation is reopening the public scoping comment period for the Navajo Generating Station-Kayenta Mine Complex Project environmental impact statement from July 7, 2014 through August 31, 2014. We are also announcing that one additional scoping meeting will be held in Hotevilla, Arizona, on August 14, 2014.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose new revisions to the existing nonessential experimental population designation of the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and announce the reopening of the public comment period and scheduling of public hearings on the proposed rule. In addition, we announce the availability of a draft environmental impact statement on the proposed revisions to the existing nonessential experimental population designation of the Mexican wolf, 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 proposed rule, the associated draft environmental impact statement, 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, make available the final Environmental Assessment (EA), Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), Response to Comments, and the final Oil and Gas Industry Conservation Plan Associated With Issuance of Endangered Species Act Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permits for the American Burying Beetle in Oklahoma (ICP). We also invite the public to comment on an application from Canyon Creek Energy Operating, for incidental take of the federally listed American burying beetle resulting from activities associated with the construction, operation, maintenance, repair, and decommissioning of oil and gas pipelines and related well field activities in Oklahoma, under the ICP. The final ICP, final EA, FONSI, and Response to Comments are available for review; however, we are not accepting comments on these final, approved documents. We are only accepting comments on the applicant's incidental take application.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces that the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will conduct a meeting on matters pertaining to management and protection of wild, free-roaming horses and burros on the Nation's public lands.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (Act) prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The Act also requires that we invite public comment before issuing recovery permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from NewMark Merrill Companies (applicant) for a 5-year incidental take permit (permit). The application includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). If approved, the permit would authorize incidental take of the endangered Delhi Sands flower-loving fly in the course of routine construction activities associated with the construction of a commercial retail development bounded by West San Bernardino Avenue, Riverside Avenue, and Willow Avenue in the City of Rialto, California. We invite public comment on the permit application and proposed HCP, and on our preliminary determination that the HCP qualifies as ``low-effect'' for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act. To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, which are also available for review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the Zuni bluehead sucker (Catostomus discobolus yarrowi), a fish species from Arizona and New Mexico. The effect of this regulation will be to add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), New Mexico State Office, is issuing this Final Notice to conduct auctions and sales from the Federal Helium Program, administered by the BLM New Mexico Amarillo Field Office. The BLM will use the sale and auction process outlined in this Notice for the sales and auctions that the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 (``the Act'') requires the BLM to conduct during fiscal year (FY) 2014. This Notice does not apply to sales or auctions conducted after FY 2014. The BLM's process for sales and auctions conducted after FY 2014 will be announced in subsequent notices or through rulemaking to the extent rulemaking is necessary to implement the Act. Information included in this Notice regarding the BLM's anticipated actions beyond FY 2014 is provided for planning purposes only and is subject to change. This action takes into consideration public comments received as a result of the Notice of Proposed Action published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2014.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activities. The ESA requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are amending the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List) by adding several marine taxa, removing one species, and revising the entries of many more in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). These amendments are based on previously published determinations by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, which has jurisdiction for these species.

The Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne- Archaeological Survey (hereafter IPFW-AS) has completed an inventory of human remains in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 IPFW-AS. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.