Department of the Interior May 23, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing our intention to request renewed approval for the collection of information for the maintenance of state programs and procedures for substituting Federal enforcement of state programs and withdrawing approval of state programs. This information collection activity was previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and assigned control number 1029-0025.

In accordance with Title IV of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act, EnerVest Energy Institutional Fund XII-A LP, XXI-WIB, XXI-WIC, timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease UTU89234 for lands in Carbon County, Utah, and it was accompanied by all required rentals and royalties accruing from February 1, 2016, the date of termination. The BLM proposes to reinstate the lease.

As provided for under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of competitive oil and gas lease WYW184370 from Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC for land in Converse County, Wyoming. The lessee filed the petition on time, along with all rentals due since the lease terminated under the law. No leases affecting this land were issued before the petition was filed. The BLM proposes to reinstate the lease.

As provided for under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement of competitive oil and gas lease WYW180625 from Kirkwood Oil & Gas LLC for land in Converse County, Wyoming. The lessee filed the petition on time, along with all rentals due since the lease terminated under the law. No leases affecting this land were issued before the petition was filed. The BLM proposes to reinstate the lease.

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 (ESA) prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing recovery permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species.

The U.S. District Court for Alaska in its October 17, 2011, order in Peratrovich et al. v. United States and the State of Alaska, 3:92-cv-0734-HRH (D. Alaska), enjoined the United States ``to promptly initiate regulatory proceedings for the purpose of implementing the subsistence provisions in Title VIII of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) with respect to submerged public lands within Tongass National Forest'' and directed entry of judgment. To comply with the order, the Federal Subsistence Board (Board) initiated a regulatory proceeding to identify those submerged lands within the Tongass National Forest that did not pass to the State of Alaska at statehood and, therefore, remain Federal public lands subject to the subsistence provisions of ANILCA. Following the Court's decision, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the USDA-Forest Service (USDA-FS) started a review of hundreds of potential pre-statehood (January 3, 1959) withdrawals in the marine waters of the Tongass National Forest. In April and October of 2015, BLM submitted initial lists of submerged public lands to the Board. This rule adds those submerged parcels to the subsistence regulations to ensure compliance with the Court order. Additional listings will be published as BLM and the USDA-FS continue their review of pre-statehood withdrawals.