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

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 Subpart E, Oil and Gas Well Completion Operations. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the revised paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is notifying the public that we have submitted an information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements for 30 CFR 553, Oil Spill Financial Responsibility for Offshore Facilities, as well as the revised forms. The OMB previously approved this information collection activity, and assigned it control number 1010-0106. This notice provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of this collection.

We (National Park Service, NPS) 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. 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), announce the availability of the draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (draft CCP/EA) for Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) and the Black River Unit (Unit) of Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (collectively, Refuges) for public review and comment. The draft CCP/EA describes our proposal for managing the Refuges for a period of 15 years following approval of the final CCP.

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.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. This collection consists of 1 form. 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.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. This collection consists of 2 forms. 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 National Park Service is seeking public comments and suggestions on the planning of the 2016 National Christmas Tree Lighting and the subsequent 31-day event. The general plan and theme for the event is the celebration of the holiday season with the display of the traditional American symbols of Christmas.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix 1-16) for a meeting of the Cold War Advisory Committee.

The Bureau of Reclamation has made available for public review and comment the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Long-Term Plan to Protect Adult Salmon in the Lower Klamath River (LTP). The DEIS describes the potential environmental effects of the No-Action and Action Alternatives to augment flows in the Lower Klamath River to reduce the likelihood, and reduce the severity, of any Ich epizootic event that could lead to an associated fish die-off in future years.

We (National Park Service, NPS) 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 October 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.

The National Park Service is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before September 24, 2016, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and Reclamation, as joint lead agencies, have prepared and made available the Lower Yellowstone Intake Diversion Dam Fish Passage Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). The Final EIS analyzes and discloses potential effects associated with the proposed Federal action to improve passage for endangered pallid sturgeon and other native fish at Intake Diversion Dam in the lower Yellowstone River while continuing the effective and viable operation of the Lower Yellowstone Project.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. 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.

On October 7, 2016, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) approved the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation, California leasing regulations under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act of 2012 (HEARTH Act). With this approval, the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe is authorized to enter into business site leases without further BIA approval.

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

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to continue the collection of information that enables the BLM 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 collection.

The boundary of Big Thicket National Preserve is modified to include ten tracts totaling 822.48 acres of land. These lands are located in Hardin County, Liberty County, Orange County and Tyler County, Texas, immediately adjacent to the boundary of the preserve. Subsequent to the publication of this notice, the United States will acquire fee title to those tracts of land by donation from several nonprofit conservation organizations and an individual donor.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Nevada State Office, has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects recovered from Spirit Cave, NV, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and present- day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the BLM. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects from Spirit Cave may proceed.

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) Boise District Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will hold a meeting 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. 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Secretary's Indian Water Rights Office, Department of the Interior announces the proposed creation of a new public information collection and seeks public comments on the provisions thereof.

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (State) has filed a petition for classification and application to obtain public lands and mineral estate in lieu of lands to which the State was entitled, but did not receive under its Statehood Act. The State did not receive title because the lands had previously been appropriated. Under Section 7 of the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to classify sufficient acreage of public lands/minerals in Montana for title transfer to the State to satisfy this obligation to the State. Of the area proposed for State Indemnity Selection, 10,560 acres are designated as greater sage-grouse General Habitat Management area.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the Columbia River distinct population segment (DPS) of Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus). This subspecies of white-tailed deer is found in limited areas of Clatsop, Multnomah, and Columbia Counties in Oregon, and Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Skamania, and Clark Counties in Washington. The effect of this rule is to change the listing status of the Columbia River DPS of Columbian white-tailed deer from an endangered species to a threatened species on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We call this ``reclassifying'' or ``downlisting'' the DPS. We are also adopting a rule under the authority of section 4(d) of the Act (a ``4(d) rule'') that is necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the Columbia River DPS of the Columbian white-tailed deer.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended; the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended; and the National Forest Management Act of 1976, as amended (NFMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have participated as cooperating agencies with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the preparation of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project (MVP) and Equitrans Expansion Project (Equitrans) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Draft EIS addresses the impacts of these projects, the associated draft Jefferson National Forest Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) amendments of the USFS, and the application to the BLM for a right-of-way grant sought by Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC (Mountain Valley) for the MVP project. With this agency-specific Notice of Availability, the BLM and the USFS are announcing the opening of the FERC comment period. Comments need to be timely and specific, showing a direct relationship to the proposal and include supporting reasons.