Department of the Interior 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew an information collection.

The National Park Service is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before August 17, 2019, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reopening the comment periods on our August 6, 2013, proposed rules to list Graham's beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii) and White River beardtongue (Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis) as threatened species throughout their ranges and to designate critical habitat for these two plant species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are reopening the comment period for 30 days to give all interested parties further opportunity to comment on the proposed rules. 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, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from KBC Development (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed scrub-jay incidental to construction in Volusia County, Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and the Service's preliminary determination that this HCP qualifies as ``low-effect,'' categorically excluded, under the National Environmental Policy Act. To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low- effect screening form, both of which are also available for public review.

The plats of survey of the following described lands are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado State Office, Lakewood, Colorado, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication. The surveys, which were executed at the request of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the BLM, are necessary for the management of these lands.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), open seven National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) that are currently closed to hunting and sport fishing. In addition, we expand hunting and sport fishing at 70 other NWRs, and add pertinent station-specific regulations for other NWRs that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing for the 2019-2020 season. We also formally open 15 units of the National Fish Hatchery System to hunting and sport fishing. We also add pertinent station-specific regulations that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing at these 15 National Fish Hatcheries (NFHs) for the 2019-2020 season. This rule includes global administrative updates to every NWR entry in our refuge-specific regulations and the reorganization of general public use regulations. We remove approximately 2,100 regulations that will have no impact on the administration of hunting and sport fishing within the National Wildlife Refuge System. We also simplify over 2,900 refuge-specific regulations to comply with a Presidential mandate to adhere to plain language standards and to reduce the regulatory burden on the public. Lastly, we remove the provision concerning same-day airborne hunting of the regulations specific to Alaska NWRs.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, recently published a proposed rule to reclassify the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) from endangered to threatened and to adopt a rule under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, to provide for the conservation of the species. We announced a 60-day public comment period on the proposed rule, ending July 2, 2019. We now reopen the public comment period on the proposed rule for 30 days, to allow all interested parties additional time to comment on the proposed rule. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule. We also announce a public informational meeting and public hearing on the proposed rule.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the National Park Service is hereby giving notice that the Made in America Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee (Committee) will meet as noted below.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the National Environmental Policy Act, make available the final environmental impact statement analyzing the impacts of issuance of an incidental take permit (ITP) for implementation of the Lower Colorado River Authority's Transmission Services Corporation's Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Our decision is to issue a 30-year ITP for implementation of the HCP, which authorizes incidental take of 22 listed and 1 unlisted species under the Endangered Species Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce 90- day findings on three petitions to add species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), or to revise the critical habitat designation for a listed species. Based on our review, we find that of the two petitions to add species to the list, one presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this document, we announce that we plan to initiate a review of the status of Mojave poppy bee (Perdita meconis) to determine whether the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding that species. Based on the status review, we will issue a 12-month petition finding, which will address whether or not the petitioned action is warranted, in accordance with the Act. We find that the second petition to add a species to the list does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, we are not initiating a status review of Yellowstone National Park bison (population of Bison bison bison) in response to the petition. We refer to this finding as a ``not substantial'' petition finding. Lastly, we find that the third petitiona petition to revise the critical habitat designation for the currently listed Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis)presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, we announce that we plan to determine how we will proceed with the request to revise a critical habitat designation for the species.

The plat of survey of the following described land is scheduled to be officially filed 30 days after the date of this publication in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), New Mexico Office, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The survey announced in this notice is necessary for the management of lands administered by the agency indicated.

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) Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

The plats of survey of lands described in this notice are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), California State Office, Sacramento, California, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication. The surveys, which were executed at the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, are necessary for the management of these lands.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year reviews under the Endangered Species Act, as amended (ESA), for seven northeastern species. A 5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We are requesting submission of any such information that has become available since the previous 5-year review for each species.

We are following up on a 2013 proposal to remove regulations that set forth a means for controlling damage caused by certain depredating scrub jays and Steller's jays. We had proposed to remove the regulations that set forth a depredation order for these species to protect nut crops in certain counties in Washington and Oregon. Our reason for the proposed removal of these regulations was that we believed they were no longer necessary. However, we now withdraw this proposal based on comments received, as well as reports of activities conducted under this depredation order. Instead of removing the regulations, we hereby make minor updates to them to ensure timely reporting of activities conducted under this depredation order.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from the City of Highland (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat incidental to construction in San Bernardino County, California. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) and the Service's preliminary determination that this HCP qualifies as ``low-effect,'' categorically excluded under the National Environmental Policy Act. To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, which is also available for review.

The Field Museum 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. 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 Field Museum. 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 Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 should submit a written request to the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of these human remains to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology (Peabody) has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 should submit a written request to the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

Historic Westville, Inc. has corrected an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, published in a Notice of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register on November 13, 2018. This notice corrects the 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 the Historic Westville, Inc. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The Department of Anthropology, University of Alaska Anchorage has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 should submit a written request to the Department of Anthropology, University of Alaska Anchorage. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The Department of Anthropology, University of Alaska Anchorage has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary object, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary object and present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 object should submit a written request to the Department of Anthropology, University of Alaska Anchorage. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary object to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing any of the requested permits, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

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 prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Willow Master Development Plan (MDP) and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period. The BLM is also announcing that it will be holding public meetings on the Willow MDP Draft EIS and a subsistence-related hearing to receive comments on the Willow MDP Draft EIS and the proposed project's potential to impact subsistence resources and activities.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined certain public lands in Clark County, Nevada, and has found them suitable for classification for lease or conveyance to Clark County School District under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, Sec. 7 of the Taylor Grazing Act, and Executive Order No. 6910. Clark County School District proposes to use the land as an elementary school. The lands consist of 15 acres and must conform to the official plat of survey.