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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, advise the public that we intend to evaluate the impacts of, and alternatives to, the proposed issuance of an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, to LCRA Transmission Services Corporation (LCRA TSC; applicant) for incidental take of approximately 35 federally listed species for construction, operation, upgrade, decommissioning, and maintenance of the applicant's facilities within the proposed plan area (approximately 241 counties). LCRA TSC proposes to draft a Habitat Conservation Plan in support of the ITP. We also announce plans for public scoping meetings and the opening of a public comment period under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is announcing that the information collection request for the requirements for surface coal mining and reclamation operations on Indian lands has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden and cost.

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 for certain NIGC actions.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), High Plains District Office announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the potential impacts of leasing a tract of Federal coal. The EIS will be called the West Antelope 3 Coal Lease by Application EIS. Antelope Coal, LLC (Antelope) applied for a coal lease for approximately 3,508.31 acres (containing approximately 441 million tons of in-place coal) in a maintenance tract of Federal coal adjacent to the Antelope Mine in Campbell and Converse Counties, Wyoming.

The National Park Service is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before July 1, 2017, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation and State of Washington negotiated the Fifth Amendment to the Tribal State Compact for the Class III Gaming between the Squaxin Island Tribe and the State of Washington governing Class III gaming; this notice announces approval of the Agreement to Amend Compact.

We (National Park Service, NPS) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collections (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 October 31, 2017. 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.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Utah State Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication.

On March 26, 2015, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published in the Federal Register a final rule entitled, ``Oil and Gas; Hydraulic Fracturing on Federal and Indian Lands'' (2015 final rule). The BLM is now proposing to rescind the 2015 final rule because we believe it is unnecessarily duplicative of state and some tribal regulations and imposes burdensome reporting requirements and other unjustified costs on the oil and gas industry. This proposed rule would return the affected sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to the language that existed immediately before the published effective date of the 2015 final rule.

Introduced, nonnative, alien, and invasive species in Hawaii displace, compete with, and consume native species, some of which are endangered, threatened, or otherwise in need of additional protection in order to increase or maintain viable populations. To protect native species, we establish a control order for cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) and barn owls (Tyto alba), two invasive migratory bird species in Hawaii, under the direction of Executive Order 13112. We also make available the supporting final environmental assessment, the finding of no significant impact, and public comments for this control order.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate the potential impacts on the human environment caused by alternatives to the Deschutes River Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (Deschutes River Basin HCP). The Deschutes River Basin HCP is being prepared in support of a request for an Endangered Species Act (ESA) incidental take permit (ITP) or ITPs authorizing incidental take of listed species caused by covered activities. The potential applicants for the ITP(s) include the City of Prineville, the Arnold Irrigation District, Central Oregon Irrigation District, North Unit Irrigation District, Ochoco Irrigation District, Swalley Irrigation District, Three Sisters Irrigation District, Tumalo Irrigation District, and the Lone Pine Irrigation District in Oregon. These eight irrigation districts comprise the Deschutes Basin Board of Control (DBBC). We are also announcing the initiation of a public scoping period to engage Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments and the public in the identification of issues and concerns, potential impacts, and possible alternatives to the proposed action for consideration in the draft EIS. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a cooperating agency in the draft EIS process.

The State Historical Society of North Dakota, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the cultural items listed in this notice meet the definition of sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim these cultural items should submit a written request to the State Historical Society of North Dakota. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of the cultural items to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The Museum of Anthropology at Washington State University, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the cultural items listed in this notice meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim these cultural items should submit a written request to the Museum of Anthropology at Washington State University. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of the cultural items to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

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.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, has corrected an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects published in a Notice of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register on June 18, 2001. This notice corrects the minimum number of individuals and number of associated funerary objects. 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 and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States (BLM-ES) is publishing this Notice to inform the public of the intent to officially file the survey plat listed below, and afford a proper period of time to protest this action prior to the plat filing, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication. During this time, the plat will be available for review in the BLM-ES Public Room. The survey, executed at the request of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the BLM, is necessary for the management of these lands.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 6-month extension of the final determination of whether to list the Chorizanthe parryi var. fernandina (San Fernando Valley spineflower), a plant species from southern California, as a threatened species. Along with this announcement to extend the final determination, we are also reopening the comment period on the proposed rule to list the species, for an additional 30 days. We are taking this action to extend the final determination based on substantial disagreement regarding the potential impact of Argentine ant invasion on the pollination ecology of C. parryi var. fernandina and scientific uncertainty related to establishment of C. parryi var. fernandina using introduction of seed into suitable, unoccupied areas. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they are already incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in the final rule. We will submit a final listing determination to the Federal Register on or before March 15, 2018.

History Colorado, formerly Colorado Historical Society, has completed an inventory of human remains, 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 any 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 these human remains should submit a written request to History Colorado. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft environmental impact statement (dEIS), which evaluates the impacts of, and alternatives to, the proposed Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) Habitat Conservation Plan (dHCP) for federally-listed Barton Springs salamander (BSS) and Austin blind salamander (ABS) (collectively, covered species) incidental take in portions of Travis and Hays Counties, Texas, where pumping withdrawals are implemented, authorized, or permitted by BSEACD. We also announce that we will hold a public meeting on this project.

This notice announces that the Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact Amendment entered into between the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation of Wisconsin and the State of Wisconsin is taking effect.

The Principal Deputy Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire 51.35 acres, more or less, located in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma (the Parcels) in trust for the Cherokee Nation for gaming and other purposes on January 19, 2017.

The National Park Service is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before June 24, 2017, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Laguna County Sanitation District, for an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The permit would authorize take of the federally endangered California tiger salamander (Santa Barbara distinct population segment) and the federally threatened California red-legged frog incidental to otherwise lawful activities associated with the Laguna County Sanitation District Project Habitat Conservation Plan. We invite public comment.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing the availability of a Record of Decision for proposed Gulf of Mexico (GOM) regionwide oil and gas Lease Sale 249. This Record of Decision identifies BOEM's selected alternative for proposed Lease Sale 249, which is analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2017-2022; Gulf of Mexico Lease Sales 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 256, 257, 259, and 261; Final Multisale Environmental Impact Statement (2017-2022 GOM Multisale EIS).

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) that documents BOEM's decision to authorize the use of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) sand resources by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District in the Martin County Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction (HSDR) Project, Hutchinson Island, Martin County, Florida. BOEM will enter into a negotiated agreement with the USACE and Martin County and make available OCS sand for use in the Martin County HSDR project.