Department of the Interior June 28, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following application for a permit to conduct activities intended to enhance the survival of endangered species. Federal law prohibits certain activities with endangered species unless a permit is obtained.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we) is revising our civil procedure regulations. The regulations provide uniform rules and procedures for the assessment of civil penalties resulting from violations of certain laws and regulations enforced by the Service. We are issuing this interim rule, in accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, to adjust for inflation in the statutory civil monetary penalties that may be assessed for violations of Service-administered statutes and their implementing regulations. We are required to adjust civil monetary penalties as necessary for inflation according to a formula specified in the Inflation Adjustment Act. This interim rule also revises the authority citation of part 11, updates the scope of the regulations, and corrects the address for the Departmental Cases Hearings Division, Office of Hearings and Appeals, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Georgia State University 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 Georgia State University. 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), issue Endangered Species Act incidental take permits and help applicants develop conservation plans as a prerequisite to obtaining those permits. We announce the availability of and request public comment on a draft revision of our joint Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Handbook, which describes requirements, procedures, and guidance for permit issuance and conservation-plan development. The HCP Handbook initially was released in 1996, and revised by addendum in July 2000.

This rule adjusts the level of civil monetary penalties contained in U.S. Department of the Interior regulations implementing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act with an initial ``catch-up'' adjustment under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and Office of Management and Budget guidance.

This rule adjusts the level of civil monetary penalties contained in the Bureau of Land Management's regulations governing onshore oil and gas operations as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (the ``Act''). The adjustments made by this interim final rule constitute the initial catch-up adjustments contemplated by the Act, and are consistent with applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance.