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

Subject to valid existing rights, this order withdraws 240.59 acres of National Forest System lands in the Fremont National Forest from location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not from leasing under the mineral leasing laws, for a period of 20 years for the United States Forest Service to protect the integrity and functionality of the mine reclamation work on the White King/Lucky Lass Mines. The withdrawal will protect the $4.9 million Federal investment for reclamation work that has been completed to contour, cap, and restore vegetation at the mine sites located in the Fremont National Forest in Lake County, Oregon.

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the receipt of nine Enhancement of Survival Permit applications that were developed in accordance with the Template Safe Harbor Agreement (Template SHA) for the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) and pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The nine permit applicants are: (1) Morris Farms; (2) Overen Living Trust; (3) North Ranches, LLC; (4) Baird Springs Environmental; (5) Buster Boruff, LLC; (6) Ms. Susan Chace; (7) Mr. Garey Clements; (8) Mr. Greg Lehr and Ms. Christine Lehr; and (9) Sandygren Properties Limited Partnership. Issuance of permits to these applicants would exempt incidental take of the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, which would otherwise be prohibited by section 9 of the Act, that is above the baseline conditions of properties enrolled under the Template SHA and that may result from the permittees' otherwise lawful land-use activities. The Service requests comments from the public regarding the proposed issuance of permits to these nine applicants.

The best available scientific and commercial data indicate that the eastern puma (=cougar) (Puma (=Felis) concolor couguar) is extinct. Therefore, under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove this subspecies from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. This proposed action is based on a thorough review of all available information, which indicates that there is no evidence of the existence of either an extant population or individuals of the eastern puma and that, for various reasons, it is highly unlikely that an eastern puma population could remain undetected over the time span since the last confirmed sighting was documented in 1938.

On March 23, 2015, we (NMFS and USFWS, or the Services) published a proposed rule to revise the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas; hereafter referred to as the green turtle) listings under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We proposed to remove the current range- wide listing and, in its place, list eight distinct population segments (DPSs) as threatened and three as endangered. We opened a public comment period that lasted through June 22, 2015, announced a public hearing in Honolulu, Hawaii, and solicited requests for additional public hearings. With this document, we announce additional public hearings in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and American Samoa. To allow adequate time for comments after the last public hearing, we extend the public comment period through July 27, 2015.

The National Park Service (NPS) is terminating preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a Special Use Permit to Dare County for Activities Related to the Protection of North Carolina Highway 12 in Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina. Instead, the NPS will be preparing an environmental assessment (EA) to assist the NPS in determining whether, where, and under what conditions the NPS would issue a Special Use Permit to Dare County for actions related to the protection of Highway 12 in the Buxton Village area.

The National Park Service plans to establish fees for the tour of the Launch Control Facility Delta-01. The proposed amenity fee is intended to provide enhanced tour reservation services through the Recreation.gov system. This reservation service would replace the existing first-come first-serve system for providing tour tickets. The park will use the revenue to fund preservation maintenance requirements of the Launch Control Facility Delta-01 site, potentially increase staff to accommodate the increase in visitation and implement a tour reservation system through Recreation.gov.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) invites public comments on, and plans to request approval to continue, the collection of information from applicants for a land patent under the Color-of-Title Act. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has assigned control number 1004-0029 to this information collection.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the revised paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Butte Sink, Willow Creek-Lurline, and North Central Valley Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) for public review and comment. The CCP/EA, prepared under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, describes how the Service proposes to manage the three WMAs for the next 15 years. Draft compatibility determinations for several existing and proposed public uses are also available for review and public comment with the Draft CCP/EA.

The Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources intend to prepare a partially Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIR/SDEIS) on the Draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan (BDCP, or the Plan). The RDEIR/SDEIS will describe and analyze refinement of the resource area analyses, alternatives, and actions, including additional alternatives that describe conveyance alternatives that do not contain all the elements of a Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Communities Conservation Plan that are described in the previously circulated Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS).

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, (5 U.S.C. Appendix 1-16), of two meetings of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee (Review Committee). The Review Committee will meet on November 18-19, 2015, in Norman, OK, and if necessary, via teleconference, on December 14, 2015. All meetings will be open to the public.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the John Day Basin planning area located in northern central Oregon. The Oregon/Washington State Director signed the ROD on April 28, 2015, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective immediately.

The Bureau of Land Management, Albuquerque District and Rio Puerco Field Offices located at 435 Monta[ntilde]o NE., Albuquerque, New Mexico is relocating to 100 Sun Avenue NE., Suite 330, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix 1-16), notice is hereby given that the June 16, 2015, meeting of the Big Cypress National Preserve Off-Road Vehicle Advisory Committee previously announced in the Federal Register, Vol. 80, April 1, 2015, p. 17486, is cancelled.

The purpose of this notice is to inform the public and interested State and local government officials of the filing of Plats of Survey in Nevada.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), acting through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribe; and the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of the Pottawatomi Indians have written a Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft Plan), which describes proposed alternatives for restoring injured natural resources and compensating for losses resulting from the discharges of oil from Enbridge's Line 6B oil pipeline near Marshall, Michigan, in July 2010. The Draft Plan was prepared in accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of the availability of the Draft Plan and to seek written comments.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we intend to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the impacts of several alternatives relating to the proposed issuance of Endangered Species Act (ESA) Incidental Take Permits (Permit(s) or ITP(s)) under the Midwest Wind Energy Multi- Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP). We also provide this notice to announce a public scoping period. The MSHCP is being prepared by the Service and their planning partners for wind energy development within an eight-state Plan Area. The activities covered under the MSHCP (``Covered Activities'') include the construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of wind energy facilities within portions of the Plan Area where ESA incidental take coverage may be considered, as well as activities associated with the management of mitigation lands. The planning partners have requested incidental take coverage for eight species in the MSHCP (``Covered Species''), including six species that are federally listed, one species that is not federally listed but may become listed during the term of the MSHCP, and the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), which is protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act; 50 CFR 22.11). As allowed under the Eagle Act, we anticipate extending Eagle Act take authorization for bald eagle through the section 10(a)(1)(B) permit(s) associated with the MSHCP, provided permittees are in full compliance with the terms and conditions of the ITP and Eagle Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species or marine mammals. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibit activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Na Pua Makani Power Partners, LLC (applicant), for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The applicant is requesting an ITP to authorize take of one threatened and six endangered species (``covered species''). If issued, the ITP would authorize incidental take of the covered species that may occur as a result of the construction and operation of the Na Pua Makani Wind Energy Project (Project). The ITP application includes a draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) describing the applicant's actions and the measures the applicant will implement to minimize, mitigate, and monitor incidental take of the covered species. The Service also announces the availability of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that has been prepared in response to the permit application in accordance with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We are making the ITP application, including the draft HCP and the draft EIS, available for public review and comment.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is announcing that the information collection request for Areas Designated by Act of Congress, has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden and cost. This information collection activity was previously approved by OMB and assigned control number 1029-0111.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is announcing that the information collection request for its maintenance of state programs and procedures for substituting Federal enforcement of state programs and withdrawing approval of state programs, has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden and cost.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) will meet to select North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) U.S. Standard grant proposals for recommendation to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (Commission). This meeting is open to the public, and interested persons may present oral or written statements.

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 request your comments on the proposed rate adjustments.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to add 1 national wildlife refuge (NWR or refuge) to the list of areas open for hunting, add 4 NWRs to the list of areas open for fishing, increase the hunting activities available at 16 other NWRs, increase fishing opportunities at 1 NWR, and add pertinent refuge-specific regulations for other NWRs that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing for the 2015-2016 season.

The plats of survey of the following described lands are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Office, Portland, Oregon, 30 days from the date of this publication.