Department of the Interior March 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the final recovery plan for the four subspecies of island fox (Urocyon littoralis). Each of the four subspecies, San Miguel Island fox (Urocyon littoralis littoralis), Santa Rosa Island fox (U. l. santarosae), Santa Cruz Island fox (U. l. santacruzae), and Santa Catalina Island fox (U. l. catalinae), is endemic to the Channel Island off southern California for which it is named. The recovery plan includes recovery objectives and criteria, and specific actions necessary to achieve downlisting and delisting from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. With the publication of this notice, we are also initiating status reviews of these four subspecies. A 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 listing of these subspecies.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) owns, or has an interest in, irrigation projects located on or associated with various Indian reservations throughout the United States. We are required to establish irrigation assessment rates to recover the costs to administer, operate, maintain, and rehabilitate these projects. We are notifying you that we have adjusted the irrigation assessment rates at several of our irrigation projects and facilities to reflect current costs of administration, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Land Use Plan Amendment and Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the West Mojave Route Network Project (WMRNP) for the West Mojave (WEMO) Planning Area of the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

BOEM has prepared a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas Lease Sales 246 and 248, which are tentatively scheduled to be held in August 2015 and 2016, respectively, in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Western Planning Area (WPA) offshore the States of Texas and Louisiana. This Final Supplemental EIS updates the environmental and socioeconomic analyses for proposed WPA Lease Sales 246 and 248 evaluated in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2012-2017; Western Planning Area Lease Sales 229, 233, 238, 246, and 248; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 227, 231, 235, 241, and 247, Final Environmental Impact Statement (2012-2017 WPA/CPA Multisale EIS; OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2012-019); Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2013-2014; Western Planning Area Lease Sale 233; Central Planning Area Lease Sale 231, Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS; OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2013-0118); and Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2014-2016; Western Planning Area Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248, Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (WPA 238/246/248 Supplemental EIS; OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2014-009). The 2012-2017 WPA/CPA Multisale EIS was completed in July 2012. The WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS was completed in April 2013. The WPA 238/246/248 Supplemental EIS was completed in March 2014.

The plats of survey described below are scheduled to be officially filed in the New Mexico State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Santa Fe, New Mexico, thirty (30) calendar days from the date of this publication.

The National Park Service (NPS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announce the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the Wilderness Management Plan for the Jimbilnan, Pinto Valley, Black Canyon, Eldorado, Ireteba Peaks, Nellis Wash, Spirit Mountain, and Bridge Canyon Wilderness Areas at Lake Mead National Recreation Area and adjacent public lands. The jointly prepared Wilderness Management Plan describes three alternatives for consideration. Alternative A (no-action alternative) continues the current management of the wilderness areas and serves as a baseline for comparison with the other action alternatives. Alternative B (preferred alternative) generally focuses on protecting the character of the wilderness areas while providing a few more opportunities for access into several areas. Alternative C provides a higher level of access and visitor use management while still protecting the overall character of the wilderness areas. The Final EIS also analyzes the potential environmental consequences of each of the alternatives, including potential impacts to soils, vegetation, terrestrial wildlife, threatened, endangered, and special status species, natural soundscape, wilderness character, archeological resources, ethnographic resources, visitor use and experience, and public safety.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to 25 CFR 514.2, that the National Indian Gaming Commission has adopted its 2015 preliminary annual fee rates of 0.00% for tier 1 and 0.065% (.00065) for tier 2. These rates shall apply to all assessable gross revenues from each gaming operation under the jurisdiction of the Commission. If a tribe has a certificate of self-regulation under 25 CFR part 518, the 2015 preliminary fee rate on Class II revenues shall be 0.0325% (.000325) which is one-half of the annual fee rate. The preliminary fee rates being adopted here are effective March 1, 2015 and will remain in effect until new rates are adopted. Pursuant to 25 CFR 514.16, the National Indian Gaming Commission has also adopted its fingerprint processing fees of $21 per card effective March 1, 2015.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), intend to prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, for the proposed Upper Santa Ana River Wash Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), and a related land exchange. The SDEIS will be a joint Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR), for which the Service, the BLM, and the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District (District) intend to gather information necessary for preparation. The proposed HCP has been drafted to meet the requirements of the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended, and the State of California's Endangered Species Act and Natural Communities Conservation Planning Act. The BLM, in compliance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, as amended, will consider this NEPA process and the resulting HCP documents in its analysis toward possible amendment of the BLM South Coast Resource Management Plan (SCRMP) to support the land exchange.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has funding available for support of tribal climate change adaptation and ocean and coastal management planning. Any federally recognized tribe (or tribal organization whose application is supported by a tribal resolution) may submit an application for these funds. The BIA is mailing application packets to each tribal leader. Funds will be awarded under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA).

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, (NEPA) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, (FLPMA) and Presidential Proclamation No. 8947 (Establishment of the San Juan Islands National Monument) (March 25, 2013), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Spokane District Office, Spokane, Washington, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) with an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the San Juan Islands National Monument (Monument) and, by this notice, is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.