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

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee (MAC) will meet as indicated below.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals by harassment incidental to the replacement of pier piles and the potable water line at USCG Station Monterey in Monterey County, California. In accordance with provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA), as amended, we request comments on our proposed authorization for the applicant to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of southern sea otters from November 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015. We anticipate no take by injury or death and include none in this proposed authorization, which would be for take by harassment only.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to amend existing regulations to facilitate responsible solar and wind energy development and to receive fair market value for such development. The proposed rule would promote the use of preferred areas for solar and wind energy development and establish competitive processes, terms, and conditions (including rental and bonding requirements) for solar and wind energy development rights-of-way both inside and outside these preferred areas. In the proposed rule, preferred areas for solar and wind energy development would be called ``designated leasing areas.'' The proposed rule would also make technical changes, corrections, and clarifications to existing rights-of-way regulations. Some of these changes would affect all rights-of-way and some provisions would affect particular types of actions, such as transmission lines with a capacity of 100 Kilovolts (kV) or more, or pipelines 10 inches or more in diameter.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing its intention to request approval for the collection of information for its Subsidence insurance program grants. This collection request has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden and cost.

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 September 30, 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the cultural item listed in this notice meets the definition of unassociated funerary object. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim this cultural item should submit a written request to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of the cultural item to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

As authorized under the provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations, certain public land near Do[ntilde]a Ana International Jetport in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, will be temporarily closed to all public use to provide for public safety during the Amigo Airsho event to be held from October 29 through November 2, 2014.

The National Park Service announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the general management plan for Big Thicket National Preserve. Consistent with NPS laws, regulations, and policies and the purpose of the parkway, the general management plan will guide the management of the park over the next 15- 20 years.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs is submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for approval for the collection of information for the Reporting System for Public Law 102-477 Demonstration Project. The information is currently authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0135, which expires January 31, 2017.

The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Final Shoreline Restoration Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (SRMP), Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana.

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 Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Advisory Council and the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Advisory Council will hold a joint meeting. Designated through amendments to the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1241 to 1251, as amended), the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail consists of ``a series of water routes extending approximately 3,000 miles along the Chesapeake Bay and the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in the States of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and in the District of Columbia,'' tracing the 1607-1609 voyages of Captain John Smith to chart the land and waterways of the Chesapeake Bay. The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail consists of ``water and overland routes totaling approximately 290 miles, extending from Tangier Island, Virginia, through southern Maryland, the District of Columbia, and northern Virginia, in the Chesapeake Bay, Patuxent River, Potomac River, and north to the Patapsco River, and Baltimore, Maryland, commemorating the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812 (including the British invasion of Washington, District of Columbia, and its associated feints, and the Battle of Baltimore in summer 1814).'' This meeting is open to the public. Preregistration is required for both public attendance and comment. Any individual who wishes to attend the meeting, participate in, and/or file a comment for the public comment session should register via email to ChristineLucero@nps.gov or telephone (757) 258-8914. For those wishing to make comments, please provide a written summary of your comments prior to the meeting. The Designated Federal Official for the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Advisory Council is Jonathan Doherty, Assistant Superintendent, telephone (410) 260- 2477. The Designated Federal Official for the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Advisory Council is Suzanne Copping, Chief of Resource Protection & Partnerships, telephone (410) 260-2476.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with marine mammals. We issue these permits under Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

This rule prescribes the hunting seasons, hours, areas, and daily bag and possession limits for general waterfowl seasons and those early seasons for which States previously deferred selection. Taking of migratory birds is prohibited unless specifically provided for by annual regulations. This rule permits the taking of designated species during the 2014-15 season.

The Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary is announcing a public meeting of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory Committee.

This final rule amends the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mineral resources regulations to update some fees that cover the BLM's cost of processing certain documents relating to its minerals programs and some filing fees for mineral-related documents. These updated fees include those for actions such as lease renewals and mineral patent adjudications.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is offering to sell a parcel of public land totaling 2.78 acres as a non-competitive direct sale at not less than the appraised fair market value (FMV) of $175,000, to the City of Oklahoma City. The sale is pursuant to Section 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), and BLM regulations. In accordance with BLM regulations, the BLM authorized officer finds that the public interest would be best served by resolving the inadvertent unauthorized use of public lands by the City of Oklahoma City whose improvements occupy portions of the parcel in question through a direct sale to the City. Such a sale would also protect existing equities in the current use of the land.

The Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management proposes to withdraw, subject to valid existing rights, on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 343.23 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, or disposal under the Materials Act of 1947, to protect and preserve the Split Rock/ Devil's Gate interpretive sites. This notice segregates the lands from mining for up to 2 years while various studies and analyses are made to support a final decision on the withdrawal application.

Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as authorized under the provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and pursuant to BLM regulations, is enacting a 5-year temporary closure to the public of 5,683.37 acres in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) due to the Carpenter 1 Fire, which occurred in July 2013. The closure is needed to address public safety and adjoining private property due to the potential for future downstream flooding from loss of vegetation and top soil until the area is stabilized and rehabilitated.

Pursuant to Public Law 106-148, the NCGMP and NGGDPP Advisory Committee will hold an audio conference call on October 17, 2014, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. The Advisory Committee, comprising representatives from Federal agencies, State agencies, academic institutions, and private companies, shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey on planning and implementation of the geologic mapping and data preservation programs. The Committee will hear updates on progress of the NCGMP toward fulfilling the purposes of the National Geological Mapping Act of 1992, as well as updates on the NGGDPP toward fulfilling the purposes of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is announcing that the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children (Advisory Board) will hold its next meeting in Washington, DC. The purpose of the meeting is to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 for Indian children with disabilities.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year status reviews of 27 species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We conduct these reviews to ensure that the classification of species as threatened or endangered on the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants is accurate. A 5-year review is an assessment of the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We are requesting submission of information that has become available since the last review of each of these species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the public comment period on the October 24, 2013, proposal to designate critical habitat for the Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae) and Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek) and proposed 4(d) rule for the Dakota skipper under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are also revising our proposed critical habitat rule to add two proposed critical habitat units for the Poweshiek skipperling in Minnesota, remove two proposed units (one for the Dakota skipper in Minnesota and one for the Poweshiek skipperling in North Dakota), and revise the boundaries of seven Poweshiek skipperling units and five Dakota skipper units in Minnesota. These changes are proposed based on new or updated biological and ecological information for those areas. We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed designation of critical habitat for the Dakota skipper and Poweshiek skipperling 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 4(d) rule, the proposed critical habitat rule (including the changes described in this document), 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 (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the Tucson shovel-nosed snake (Chionactis occipitalis klauberi) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the Tucson shovel-nosed snake as an endangered or threatened species is not warranted, and, therefore, we are removing this subspecies from our candidate list.