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

The Neville Public Museum of Brown County has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, 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 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 Neville Public Museum of Brown County. 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.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to appropriate authorities, the boundary of Acadia National Park in the State of Maine is modified to include approximately 1,441 acres of adjacent land. Following this boundary revision, the property will be donated to the United States and managed as a part of the park.

On April 2, 2015, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), published a notice in the Federal Register announcing receipt of an application from the Turner Endangered Species Fund for an endangered and threatened species permit pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The notice contained an incorrect permit number. The correct permit number is TE-43754A. With this notice, we correct that error. If you sent a comment previously, you need not re-send the comment.

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 December 17, 2015.

The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) requires the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to review the maps of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) at least once every 5 years and make any minor and technical modifications to the boundaries of the CBRS as are necessary to reflect changes that have occurred in the size or location of any CBRS unit as a result of natural forces. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has conducted this review and has prepared draft revised maps for all of the CBRS units in Alabama, all units in Florida (except for one unit that was remapped in 2014), all units in Georgia, several units in Louisiana, all units in Michigan, the only unit in Minnesota, all units in Mississippi, all units in the Great Lakes region of New York, all units in Ohio, and all units in Wisconsin. The draft maps were produced by the Service as part of a CBRS ``digital conversion'' project that is done in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This notice announces the findings of the Service's review and request for comments on the draft revised maps from Federal, State, and local officials.

The best available scientific and commercial data indicate that the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus) has recovered. Therefore, under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), remove the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel (commonly called the Delmarva fox squirrel) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List). This determination is based on a thorough review of all available information, which indicates that the subspecies is now sufficiently abundant and well distributed to withstand foreseeable threats and no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Act. This rule removes the Delmarva fox squirrel from the List throughout its range, including the experimental population designated for Assawoman Wildlife Management Area in Delaware. It also announces the availability of a post-delisting monitoring plan for the subspecies.

On September 24, 2015, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a Notice of Proposed Withdrawal; Sagebrush Focal Areas; Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming and Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Withdrawal in the Federal Register. This notice extends the comment period for both the proposed withdrawal and initial scoping for the environmental impact statement (EIS) being prepared to consider the merits of the proposed withdrawal and announces the times, dates, and locations of public meetings.

The National Park Service is seeking nominations for one member of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee (Review Committee). The Secretary of the Interior will appoint the member from nominations submitted by Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and traditional Native American religious leaders. The nominee need not be a traditional Indian religious leader.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP). This LUPA would amend the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan and the Bakersfield and Bishop Resource Management Plans (RMPs). By this notice, the BLM is announcing the availability of the Proposed LUPA and Final EIS.

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.

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on December 4, 2015, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST. The meeting will be held via web conference and teleconference. The NGAC, which is composed of representatives from governmental, private sector, non-profit, and academic organizations, has been established to advise the Chair of the Federal Geographic Data Committee on management of Federal geospatial programs, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and the implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16. Topics to be addressed at the meeting include:

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is updating its regulations governing its Housing Improvement Program, which is a safety-net program that provides grants for repairing, renovating, or replacing existing housing and for providing new housing. This final rule is an important part of the Tiwahe initiative, which is designed to promote the stability and security of Indian families. This final rule aligns the program with other Federal requirements, allows leveraging of housing funds to increase the number of families served and projects funded, and promotes tribal sovereignty and self-determination by providing tribes with more flexibility in determining how to address waiting lists of tribal members awaiting housing assistance.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM), Las Cruces District Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), as the lead Federal agency, with the Osage Nation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as cooperating agencies, has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). This document is for the management of oil and gas resources owned by the United States in trust for the Osage in Osage County, Oklahoma. This notice announces that the DEIS is now available for public review and that the BIA will hold a public meeting to solicit comments on it.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. This collection consists of 38 forms. As part of the requested extension, we will make a revision to the number of the associated collection instruments. This revision includes deleting USGS Form 9-4002-A and USGS Form 9-4019-A. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 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 collection is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2015.

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 collection is set to expire on November 30, 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.

The National Park Service is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before October 17, 2015, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 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 collection is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2016.

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.

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 low effect habitat conservation plan (draft HCP) for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's operations, maintenance, and management activities on its land in Inyo and Mono Counties, California, and draft Environmental Action Statement/Low Effect Screening Form.

The National Park Service is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before October 10, 2015, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior are revising the regulations governing the rural determination process for the Federal Subsistence Management Program in Alaska. The Secretaries have removed specific guidelines, including requirements regarding population data, the aggregation of communities, and a decennial review. This change will allow the Federal Subsistence Board (Board) to define which communities or areas of Alaska are nonrural (all other communities and areas would, therefore, be rural). This new process will enable the Board to be more flexible in making decisions and to take into account regional differences found throughout the State. The new process will also allow for greater input from the Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils (Councils), Federally recognized Tribes of Alaska, Alaska Native Corporations, and the public.

The Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 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 Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. 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 plats of survey of lands described below are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, Sacramento, California.

Under the Endangered Species Act, as amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on incidental take permit applications for take of the federally listed American burying beetle resulting from activities associated with the geophysical exploration (seismic) and construction, maintenance, operation, repair, and decommissioning of oil and gas well field infrastructure within Oklahoma. If approved, the permits would be issued under the approved 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).