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

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) is notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR parts 1202, 1206, and 1207. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus), a rattlesnake species found in 10 States and 1 Canadian Province, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (Act). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species. We have also determined that the designation of critical habitat for the eastern massasauga rattlesnake is not prudent.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Financial Management, Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior has submitted a request for renewal of this information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and requests public comments on this submission.

This rule would revise the regulations that the Department of the Interior (Department) follows in processing records under the Freedom of Information Act. The revisions clarify and update procedures for requesting information from the Department and procedures that the Department follows in responding to requests from the public.

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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species and migratory birds. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities. The public is also invited to comment on the following applications for approval to conduct certain activities with bird species covered under the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992, which was enacted to ensure that exotic bird species are not harmed by international trade and to encourage wild bird conservation programs in countries of origin.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the final Recovery Plan for the Coterminous United States Population of Bull Trout, including six final recovery unit implementation plans, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The recovery plan includes specific goals, objectives, and criteria that should be met in order to consider removing the species from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

BOEM invites public comment on the aspects of BOEM's renewable energy program that stakeholders have found to be successful, and those program areas where there appear to be opportunities for improvement.

This proposed rule would replace Onshore Oil and Gas Order Number 4, Measurement of Oil (Order 4) with new regulations that would be codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Order 4 establishes minimum standards for the measurement of oil produced from Federal and Indian (except Osage Tribe) leases to ensure that production is accurately measured and properly accounted for. Order 4 was issued in 1989. The changes contemplated as part of this proposed rule would strengthen the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) policies governing production accountability by updating its minimum standards for oil measurement to reflect the considerable changes in technology and industry practices that have occurred in the 25 years since Order 4 was issued. This proposed rule addresses the use of new oil meter technology, proper measurement documentation, and recordkeeping; establishes performance standards for oil measurement systems; and includes a mechanism for the BLM to review, and approve for use, new oil measurement technology and systems. The proposed rule expands the acts of noncompliance that would result in an immediate assessment under the existing regulations. Finally, it sets forth a process for the BLM to consider variances from these requirements.

The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Alaska State Office hereby notifies the public it will hold a National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska oil and gas lease sale bid opening for tracts in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. The United States reserves the right to withdraw any tract from this sale prior to issuance of a written acceptance of a bid.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mount Lewis Field Office, Battle Mountain, Nevada, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or USFWS), propose to list four plants from south Florida under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act): Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis (Big Pine partridge pea), Chamaesyce deltoidea ssp. serpyllum (wedge spurge), and Linum arenicola (sand flax) as endangered species, and Argythamnia blodgettii (Blodgett's silverbush) as a threatened species. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to these plants.

We, the Bureau of Reclamation, have forwarded the following Information Collection Request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Bureau of Reclamation Use Authorization Application (Form 7-2540), OMB Control Number: 1006-0003. The Information Collection Request describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost burden.

On March 6, 2015, the Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), published in the Federal Register a notice of availability for comment on a Draft Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) and Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the West Mojave Route Network Project (WMRNP) for the West Mojave (WEMO) Planning Area of the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA), to amend the Motor Vehicle, Recreation, and Grazing Elements of the CDCA Plan and to designate a transportation network within the planning area. Comments were requested by June 4, 2015. The BLM is reopening the public comment period for the draft LUPA and draft supplemental EIS for an additional 120 days.

BOEM is announcing its intent to prepare an EIS for the Liberty Development and Production Plan (DPP) in the Beaufort Sea Planning Area. The DPP proposes several steps. A man-made gravel production island, known as the Liberty Drilling and Production Island (LDPI), would be established in Foggy Island Bay. Gravel for construction would come from a new mine west of the Kadleroshilik River. A pipeline would link the LDPI to the Badami Sales Oil Pipeline (Badami pipeline). The pipe-in-pipe pipeline would be buried along a route going south from the LPDI to the shoreline west of the Kadleroshilik River, transition to an above-ground pipeline, and continue south to tie into the existing Badami pipeline. Oil produced from the LDPI would be transported through the Badami pipeline to the existing common carrier pipeline system to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. This NOI also serves to announce the beginning of the scoping process. The scope of an EIS refers to the range of issues, alternatives, and mitigation measures to be considered. Public scoping assists the agency in focusing on significant issues and alternatives and eliminating from detailed consideration those issues that are insignificant, irrelevant or have been fully and adequately considered in prior analyses. No alternatives, other than the no-action alternative, have yet been identified. Through this notice, BOEM also invites public input regarding the identification of historic properties and potential effects from the proposed action to historic properties as defined by the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108), as provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Additional information related to the Liberty DPP, including the proposed plan itself, may be found at https:// www.boem.gov/Liberty.

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 2015-16 season.

The United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw approximately 17,486.90 acres of National Forest System lands from the mining laws to protect four Research Natural Areas and seven Botanical Areas within the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota and Wyoming. This notice temporarily segregates the lands for up to 2 years from location and entry under the United States mining laws while the application is being processed. This notice also gives an opportunity to comment on the proposed withdrawal application, and announces dates, time and location of two public meetings.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments (ARMPAs) for the Great Basin Region Greater Sage-Grouse (GRSG) sub-regions of Idaho and Southwestern Montana, Nevada and Northeastern California, Oregon, and Utah. The Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management of the U.S. Department of the Interior signed the ROD.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD); and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments (ARMPAs) for the Rocky Mountain Region Greater Sage-Grouse (GRSG) sub-regions of Lewistown, North Dakota, Northwest Colorado, and Wyoming; and Approved Resource Management Plans (ARMPs) for Billings, Buffalo, Cody, HiLine, Miles City, Pompeys Pillar National Monument, South Dakota, and Worland. The Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management of the U.S. Department of the Interior signed the ROD.

In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Framework Agreement for Early Restoration Addressing Injuries Resulting from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, notice is hereby given that the Federal and State natural resource trustee agencies (Trustees) have approved the Phase IV Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessments (Phase IV ERP/ EAs). The Trustees have selected 10 early restoration projects in the Phase IV ERP/EAs that are consistent with the early restoration program alternatives selected in the final Phase III Early Restoration Plan/ Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Phase III ERP/PEIS). The projects selected in the Phase IV ERP/EAs will continue the process of restoring natural resources and services injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which occurred on or about April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. The Phase IV ERP/EAs also retains a notice of change and supporting analysis for one Phase III Early Restoration Project, ``Enhancement of Franklin County Parks and Boat Ramps Eastpoint Fishing Pier Improvements'' that was included in the Draft Phase IV plan.

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, 2015. 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.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Steens Mountain Advisory Council (SMAC) will meet as indicated below:

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.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), as lead agency, intends to gather information necessary for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in connection with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (Tribe) application for a proposed 60-acre fee-to-trust transfer and casino project to be located in Fruitport Township, Muskegon County, Michigan. This notice also announces the beginning of the public scoping process to solicit public comments and identify potential issues and content for inclusion in the EIS.

Notice is hereby given that an appealable decision will be issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), approving conveyance of the surface and subsurface estates in the lands described below to Chugach Alaska Corporation (formerly known as Chugach Natives, Inc.), pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.