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

Notice is hereby given that the Skinny Dipper Hot Springs, which is located on public lands administered by the Four Rivers Field Office, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is closed to all uses.

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.

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 October 31, 2016.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) previously published a final rule ``Leasing of Osage Reservation Lands for Oil and Gas Mining'' on May 11, 2015, but due to a court order enjoining the final rule and subsequent remand, that version of the rule never became effective. This final rule amends the Code of Federal Regulations to reinstate the version of the rule that was in effect prior to the 2015 final rule because that prior version of the rule remains operative.

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 needed to evaluate and process applications for commercial, competitive, and organized group recreational uses of the public lands, and individual use of special areas. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has assigned control number 1004-0119 to this information collection.

The Bureau of Indian Education is updating its regulations governing grants to Tribal colleges and universities and Din[eacute] College. The Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978, as amended (TCCUA), authorizes Federal assistance to institutions of higher education that are formally controlled or have been formally sanctioned or chartered by the governing body of an Indian Tribe or Tribes. The Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978, as amended (NCCA) authorizes Federal assistance to the Navajo Nation in construction, maintenance, and operation of Din[eacute] College. This final rule would update implementing regulations in light of amendments to the TCCUA and the NCCA.

This notice informs the public that the Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs proclaimed approximately 2.00 acres, more or less, an addition to the reservation of the Bay Mills Indian Community of Michigan on March 31, 2016.

Following consultation with the General Services Administration, the Secretary of the Interior has renewed the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council) charter for 2 years. A Federal advisory committee, the Council will foster partnerships to enhance public awareness of the importance of aquatic resources and the social and economic benefits of recreational fishing and boating in the United States.

The Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science (Committee) has a vacancy for a representative from state government in the region covered by the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns renewal to the paperwork requirements in the regulations under Subpart E, Oil and Gas Well- Completion Operations.

The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared a Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the restoration of native species in high elevation aquatic ecosystems within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI)(Restoration Plan/Final EIS). The Restoration Plan/Final EIS will guide management actions by the NPS to restore and conserve the native species diversity and ecological function of selected high elevation aquatic ecosystems that have been adversely impacted by human activities and to increase the resistance and resilience of these species and ecosystems to human induced environmental modifications, such as nonnative fish, disease, and climate change. The Restoration Plan/Final EIS would be implemented over a period of 20 to 35 years, depending on the alternative selected, with an internal evaluation of management effectiveness scheduled every 5 to 10 years.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit public nominations for eight positions on the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (D-E NCA) Advisory Council (Council). The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) was directed by the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 to establish the D-E NCA Council. The 10-member Council was formed in December 2010 to provide recommendations to the Secretary through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) during the development of a resource management plan (RMP) for the D-E NCA. The appointments of eight members of the Council are scheduled to expire in November 2016. This call for nominations is to fill those eight expiring appointments.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter the Service or we) proposes to establish annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 2017-18 hunting season. We annually prescribe outside limits (frameworks) within which States may select hunting seasons. This proposed rule provides the regulatory schedule, announces the Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee (SRC) and Flyway Council meetings, describes the proposed regulatory alternatives for the 2017-18 duck hunting seasons, and requests proposals from Indian tribes that wish to establish special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal Indian reservations and ceded lands. Migratory game bird hunting seasons provide opportunities for recreation and sustenance; aid Federal, State, and tribal governments in the management of migratory game birds; and permit harvests at levels compatible with migratory game bird population status and habitat conditions.

On behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management proposes to withdraw, subject to valid existing rights, 4,964.75 acres of public land from location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not from leasing under the mineral or geothermal leasing laws, for a period of 20 years. The proposed withdrawal is needed to protect cultural and recreational resources of the Johnny Behind the Rocks Recreation Zone in Fremont County, Wyoming. This notice temporarily segregates the land for up to 2 years from location and entry under the United States mining laws, while the application is processed. This notice also gives an opportunity to comment on the proposed withdrawal, and announces a public meeting date, time, and location.

We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 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. 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.

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 November 30, 2016. 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.

On Tuesday, July 14, 2009, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office, published a Notice of Stay of Filing of Plat, in the Federal Register (74 FR 34035) to inform the public of a stay on the proposed filing of the dependent resurvey of the east boundary and a portion of the subdivisional lines in Township 42 North, Range 13 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, accepted on December 22, 2008, pending consideration of the protest and/or appeal that was filed. On May 27, 2016, the Interior Board of Land Appeals affirmed the BLM's decision to dismiss the protest. The BLM Colorado State Office is publishing this notice to inform the public of the intent to officially file the survey plat listed above and afford a proper period of time to protest this action prior to the plat filing. During this time, the plat will be available for review in the BLM Colorado State Office.

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) publishes this interim final rule to adjust the amount of our civil monetary penalties (CMPs) for inflation with an initial ``catch-up'' adjustment under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance.

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology 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 University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. 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 Office of the State Archaeologist Bioarchaeology Program, previously listed as the Office of the State Archaeologist Burials Program, 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 Office of the State Archaeologist Bioarchaeology Program. 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 Department of Anthropology at Indiana University, Bloomington 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 Indiana University NAGPRA Office. 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.