Department of the Interior June 20, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the extension of the public comment period on the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Lower Klamath, Clear Lake, Tule Lake, Upper Klamath, and Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuges (Refuges). We opened the comment period on May 6, 2016, via a Federal Register notice, and now extend it to accommodate public requests. If you have already submitted comments, you do not need to resubmit them. They will be considered.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (applicant) for a 5-year incidental take permit under the endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The application addresses the potential for ``take'' of two listed animals, the valley elderberry longhorn beetle and giant garter snake, likely to result from the construction of a new flood protection levee and raised all- weather access road around the existing South River Pump Station. The applicant would implement a conservation program to minimize and mitigate the project activities, as described in the applicant's low- effect habitat conservation plan (HCP). We request comments on the application package, which includes the HCP and our preliminary determination that the HCP qualifies as a ``low-effect'' HCP, eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). We discuss our basis for this determination in our environmental action statement (EAS), also available for public review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in coordination with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), are preparing a joint environmental impact statement/ environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) for the proposed restoration of ponds at the CDFW's Eden Landing Ecological Reserve (Reserve) in Alameda County, California. We intend to gather information necessary to prepare an EIS pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We encourage the public and other agencies to participate in the NEPA scoping process by attending the public scoping meeting and/or by sending written suggestions and information on the issues and concerns that should be addressed in the draft EIS/EIR, including the range of alternatives, appropriate mitigation measures, and the nature and extent of potential environmental impacts.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing a 30-day extension of the comment period on a petition, submitted pursuant to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, (SMCRA or the Act), requesting that we amend our self- bonding regulations to ensure that companies with a history of financial insolvency, and their subsidiary companies, are not allowed to self-bond coal mining operations. We are requesting comments on the merits of the petition and the rule changes suggested in the petition. Comments received will assist the Director of OSMRE in making the decision whether to grant or deny the petition.

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 (Act) prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The Act also requires that we invite public comment before issuing recovery permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species.