Department of the Interior January 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our finding of no significant impact (FONSI) and final environmental assessment (Final EA) for the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (Monument) Northern Islands Submerged Lands (submerged lands) Transfer to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The FONSI documents our decision to implement Alternative 2, as it is described in the Final EA, resulting in the Department of the Interior (DOI) conveying title to certain submerged lands within the Monument from the United States to the CNMI Government through a Patent, under the authority of the Territorial Submerged Lands Act (TSLA), as amended, 48 U.S.C. 1705, et seq. The effective date of the submerged lands transfer was December 21, 2016, the day the Patent was signed by the Governor of the CNMI.

The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC or ``the Commission'') is amending its protocol for categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, Executive Order 11514, as amended, and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) for certain NIGC actions.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), a species that occurs in the eastern and Midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada. The effect of this regulation will be to add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

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 to monitor right-of-way compliance and determine road use and road maintenance fees to be charged to permit holders for tramroads and logging roads. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved this information collection activity, and assigned it control number 1004-0168.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) hereby amends its existing Onshore Oil and Gas Order Number 1 (Onshore Order 1) to require the electronic filing (or e-filing) of all Applications for Permit to Drill (APD) and Notices of Staking (NOS). Previously, Onshore Order 1 stated that an ``operator must file an APD or any other required documents in the BLM Field Office having jurisdiction over the lands described in the application,'' but allowed for e-filing of such documents as an alternative. This change makes e-filing the required method of submission, subject to limited exceptions. The BLM is making this change to improve the efficiency and transparency of the APD and NOS processes.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has signed the Northwestern and Coastal Oregon Record of Decision (ROD)/Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Southwestern Oregon ROD/RMP, and by this notice is announcing their availability. The Deputy Director of Operations for the Bureau of Land Management signed the RODs.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Records of Decision (RODs) for the Approved Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for the Fortymile, Draanjik, Steese, and White Mountains planning areas located in Eastern Interior Alaska. The Alaska State Director signed the RODs on December 30, 2016, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMPs effective immediately.

The National Park Service proposes to revise the regulation that defines smoking to include the use of electronic cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems. The National Park Service also proposes to allow a superintendent to close an area, building, structure, or facility to smoking when necessary to maintain public health and safety.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to reclassify Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri (Kuenzler hedgehog cactus) from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that reclassifying E. fendleri var. kuenzleri as threatened is warranted. This document also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to reclassify E. fendleri var. kuenzleri as threatened. We request information and comments from the public regarding this proposed rule and our 12-month finding.

Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove the lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List) due to recovery. This determination is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to this subspecies have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the subspecies has recovered and no longer meets the definition of endangered or threatened under the Act. This document also serves as the 12-month finding on a petition to reclassify this subspecies from endangered to threatened on the List. We are seeking information, data, and comments from the public on the proposed rule to remove the lesser long-nosed bat from the List.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a public meeting of the Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking (Council). The Council's purpose is to advise the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, through the Secretary of the Interior, on national strategies to combat wildlife trafficking.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove the plant Trichostema austromontanum ssp. compactum (Hidden Lake bluecurls) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants on the basis of recovery. This determination is based on a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to T. a. ssp. compactum have been eliminated or reduced to the point where it no longer meets the definition of an endangered species or a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are seeking information and comments from the public regarding this proposed rule and the draft post- delisting monitoring (PDM) plan for T. a. ssp. compactum.

This notice publishes amendments to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Liquor Ordinance, Title 14, Chapter 4. In 2016, the Grand Traverse Tribal Council enacted the amendments to the Liquor Ordinance. The amended Liquor Ordinance supersedes the existing Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Liquor Ordinance that was last published in the Federal Register on June 13, 2005 (70 FR 34146).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, and Bureau of Reclamation (Action Agencies) are extending the public comment period for the Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to Tuesday February 7, 2017. The NOI and Notice of Public Meetings was published in the Federal Register on Friday, September 30, 2016. The public comment period for the NOI was originally scheduled to end on Tuesday, January 17, 2017.