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

The United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting that the Secretary of the Interior withdraw, for a period of 20 years, approximately 340,079 acres of National Forest System lands located in the Methow Valley, Okanagan National Forest. The purpose of the withdrawal is to protect the area while Congress considers legislation to permanently withdraw the lands, and to protect the value of ecological and recreational resources of the Methow Valley. Publication of this notice segregates the lands, subject to valid existing rights, for up to 2 years from settlement, sale, location, and entry under the public land laws, location and entry under the United States mining laws, and operation of the mineral and geothermal leasing laws. This notice also gives the public an opportunity to comment on the application for withdrawal.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), in coordination with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Report/Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIR/EIS) for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan/California WaterFix pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The DWR proposes to implement a strategy to help restore ecological functions of the Delta and improve water supply reliability in the state of California. The Final EIR/EIS describes and analyzes potential environmental impacts of alternatives and identifies mitigation measures to help avoid or minimize impacts. The initial approach focused on a Habitat Conservation Plan, referred to as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), which included modifications to the State Water Project (SWP) and associated Conservation Measures. A new alternative strategy emerged after public input on the Draft EIR/EIS and was further refined in a Recirculated Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS (RDEIR/SDEIS). This new strategy, the California Waterfix, focuses on a new water conveyance facility, habitat restoration measures necessary to minimize or avoid project effects, and a revised set of Conservation Measures. Endangered Species Act compliance would be achieved through Section 7 consultation.

The Pueblo of Santa Ana and the State of New Mexico entered into a compact governing Class III gaming. This notice announces that the compact is taking effect.

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

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Sierra Front- Northwestern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will hold one meeting in Nevada, in January 2017. The meeting is open to the public.

This notice announces the amendment of the September 24, 2015, application by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management to withdraw approximately 10 million acres of public and National Forest System lands from location and entry under the United States mining laws to protect the Greater Sage-Grouse and its habitat. The amendment adds 387,981.42 acres in the State of Nevada and refines the proposed withdrawal boundaries in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. In addition, this notice announces the release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for public review, which analyzes and discloses the impacts of the proposed withdrawal.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Steens Mountain Advisory Council (SMAC) will meet as indicated below:

In accordance with the Clean Air Act, Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulations, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has developed a Draft Presumed to Conform List of Actions under General Conformity for the Upper Green River Basin (UGRB) ozone nonattainment area and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

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.

Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to reclassify the Tobusch fishhook cactus (Sclerocactus brevihamatus ssp. tobuschii; currently listed as Ancistrocactus tobuschii) from endangered to threatened on the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants (List). This determination is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to this plant have been reduced to the point that it no longer meets the definition of endangered under the Act, but may still become endangered within the foreseeable future. This document also serves as the 12-month finding on a petition to reclassify this plant from endangered to threatened.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Dominguez- Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA) Advisory Council (Council) will meet as indicated below.

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. This information collection is scheduled to expire on December 31, 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

This notice announces that the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management proposes to withdraw 1,337,904 acres of public lands located within designated California Desert National Conservation Lands from mining to protect nationally significant landscapes with outstanding cultural, biological, and scientific values. This notice temporarily segregates the lands from location and entry under the United States mining laws for up to two years and provides the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposed withdrawal. In addition, this notice initiates the public scoping process for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which will analyze and disclose impacts of the proposed withdrawal.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a public teleconference meeting of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council). A Federal advisory committee, the Council was created in part to 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. This teleconference meeting is open to the public, and interested persons may make oral statements to the Council or may file written statements for consideration.

BOEM is announcing the availability of a Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed oil and gas Central Planning Area (CPA) Lease Sale 247. This ROD identifies the Bureau's selected alternative for proposed CPA Lease Sale 247, which is analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2017; Central Planning Area Lease Sale 247; Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (CPA 247 Supplemental EIS). The ROD and associated information are available on BOEM's Web site at https://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/.

On Wednesday, March 22, 2017, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will open and publicly announce bids received for blocks offered in the Gulf of Mexico Central Planning Area (CPA) Lease Sale 247 (CPA Sale 247.. The CPA Sale 247 Final Notice of Sale (NOS) package contains information essential to potential bidders.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), ONRR is notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an Information Collection Request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), parts 1202, 1206, 1210, 1212, 1217, and 1218. This ICR pertains to royalty and production reporting on solid minerals and geothermal leases on Federal and Indian lands. There are four forms associated with this information collection: ONRR-4430 [Solid Minerals Production and Royalty Report], ONRR-4292 [Coal Washing Allowance Report], ONRR-4293 [Coal Transportation Allowance Report], and ONRR-4440 [Solid Minerals Sales Summary]. This notice also provides the public with a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), revise the regulations concerning enhancement-of-survival permits issued under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), associated with Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances. We added the term ``net conservation benefit'' to the Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances regulations, and eliminated references to ``other necessary properties'' to clarify the level of conservation effort we require each agreement to include in order for us to approve a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances. We also made these changes to the Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances policy in a separate document published in today's Federal Register.

The National Park Service is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before December 3, 2016, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

The plats of survey described below are scheduled to be officially filed in the New Mexico State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Santa Fe, New Mexico, thirty (30) calendar days from the date of this publication.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho Falls District Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on our proposed rule to remove the Hualapai Mexican vole from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We are reopening the comment period for 30 days in order to publish a summary of the proposed regulation in a newspaper of general circulation and to allow for all interested parties further opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final listing determination.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, (5 U.S.C. Appendix 1-16), of the 2017 meeting schedule for the Wekiva River System Advisory Management Committee.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Records of Decision (RODs) and the Approved Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for the Beaver Dam Wash and Red Cliffs National Conservation Areas (NCA RMPs); and Approved Amendment to the St. George Field Office RMP (RMP Amendment) located in Washington County, Utah. The Utah State Director signed the RODs on December 21, 2016, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved NCA RMPs and RMP Amendment effective.