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

Pursuant to Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended by the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976 and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations, members of the public are invited to participate with Canyon Fuel Company, LLC, on a pro rata cost sharing basis in a program for the exploration of coal deposits owned by the United States of America in Sevier County, Utah.

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 Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the General Management Plan (GMP) for Canaveral National Seashore (Seashore). Consistent with NPS laws, regulations, and policies and the purpose of the Seashore, the FEIS/GMP will guide the management of the Seashore over the next 20+ years.

We (National Park Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below. The National Park Service (NPS) is requesting approval for a new collection that will be used to provide information. This information collection will provide data for the economic analysis that may be used to evaluate future dam operation. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as a part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on this ICR. A Federal agency 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is announcing its intention to request renewed approval for the continued collection of information for the Abandoned Mine Reclamation FundFee Collection and Coal Production Reporting and the form it implements, the OSM-1, Coal Reclamation Fee Report. This collection was previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and assigned control number 1029-0063.

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.

We (National Park Service, NPS) 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 June 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.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will issue an appealable decision to NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., Successor in Interest to Putoo Corporation. The decision approves the surface estate in the lands described below for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) (43 U.S.C. 1601, et seq.). The subsurface estate in these lands will be conveyed to NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. when the surface estate is conveyed to NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., as Successor in Interest to Putoo Corporation. Putoo Corporation was the original ANCSA corporation for the village of Noorvik, but merged with the NANA Regional Corporation in 1976 under the authority of Public Law 94-204. The lands are in the vicinity of Noorvik, Alaska, and are located in:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is issuing this final rule to make statutorily authorized adjustments to its location and maintenance fees for unpatented mining claims, mill sites, and tunnel sites. These adjustments reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or USFWS), reclassify the United States (U.S.) breeding population of the wood stork from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Further, we establish the U.S. breeding population in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, and South Carolina as a distinct population segment (DPS). The endangered designation no longer correctly reflects the status of the DPS due to improvement in its overall status. This action is based on a review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicate that the U.S. wood stork DPS is not presently in danger of extinction across its range. While habitat loss and fragmentation continues to impact the U.S. wood stork DPS, the increase in the abundance of the breeding population and significant expansion of the breeding range reduce the severity and magnitude of these threats.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we are extending the public review and comment period for the draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental impact statement (EIS) for Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Utah Resource Advisory Council (RAC)/Recreation Resource Advisory Council (RecRAC) will host a meeting/conference call.