Department of the Interior 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule adjusts the level of civil monetary penalties contained in the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) regulations governing onshore oil and gas operations and coal trespass as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and consistent with applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance. The oil and gas operations penalty adjustments made by this final rule constitute the 2021 annual inflation adjustments, accounting for 1 year of inflation spanning the period from October 2019 through October 2020. The coal trespass inflation adjustments in this rule include the initial ``catch-up'' adjustment for 2016, and the annual adjustments for years 2017 to 2021.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is publishing this notice to announce that a Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will take place.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the National Park Service (NPS) are proposing to renew an information collection.

The McClure Archives and University Museum, University of Central Missouri, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the cultural item listed in this notice meet the definition of an object of cultural patrimony. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim this cultural item should submit a written request to the McClure Archives and University Museum. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of the cultural item to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The University of California, Berkeley, 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 and objects of cultural patrimony, respectively. 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 University of California, Berkeley. 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 University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 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 University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. 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 Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area (Metroparks Toledo) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, 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 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 and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to Metroparks Toledo. 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 the Interior (DOI) is issuing a public notice of its intent to rescind one Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Privacy Act system of records notice, INTERIOR/WBR-45, Equipment, Supply, and Service Contracts. This system was superseded by two Department-wide system of records notices; however, it was never formally rescinded. This rescindment will eliminate an unnecessary duplicate notice and promote the overall streamlining and management of DOI Privacy Act systems of records.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico State Office (NMSO), Santa Fe, New Mexico (NM), intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the environmental impacts associated with SunZia's application seeking to amend its right-of-way grant for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. Proposed amendments to SunZia's right-of-way grant may require plan amendments to the Socorro Field Office Resource Management Plan, the Las Cruces District Mimbres Resource Management Plan, the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan, and the Cibola National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, which the agencies will analyze in the EIS. BLM NMSO is the lead agency for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Forest Service (FS), National Park Service (NPS), and other agencies serving as cooperating agencies. This Notice initiates the scoping process and opens a 30-day public comment period to solicit public comments and identify issues.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list Tiehm's buckwheat (Eriogonum tiehmii) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Service has determined, after a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, that the petitioned action to list Tiehm's buckwheat, a plant species native to Nevada in the United States, is warranted. The Service, therefore, will promptly publish a proposed rule to list Tiehm's buckwheat under the Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application from California Ridge Wind Energy, LLC (applicant), for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), for its California Ridge Wind Farm (project). If approved, the ITP would authorize the incidental take of four bat species. The applicant has prepared a habitat conservation plan, which is also available for review. We also announce the availability of a draft environmental assessment, which has been prepared in response to the permit application in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. We request public comment on the application and associated documents.

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before May 22, 2021, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

The National Park Service is hereby giving notice that the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee (Committee) will hold six virtual meetings as indicated below.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite the public to comment on an applications to conduct certain activities with foreign species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and foreign or native species for which the Service has jurisdiction under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With some exceptions, the ESA and the MMPA prohibit activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The ESA and MMPA also require that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA or MMPA with respect to any endangered species or marine mammals.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list two Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of the lesser prairie- chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a grassland bird known from southeastern Colorado, western Kansas, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the lesser prairie-chicken. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the Southern DPS as endangered is warranted, and that listing the Northern DPS as threatened is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Southern DPS as an endangered species under the Act and the Northern DPS as a threatened species with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act (``4(d) rule''). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it will add these two DPSs to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to them. We also are notifying the public that we have scheduled informational meetings followed by public hearings on the proposed rule.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from PMDW Ventures, LLC (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink incidental to construction in Lake 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of our draft revised recovery plan for the Houston toad, listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Houston toad is a semi-aquatic species endemic to pine and oak forests within Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Milam, and Robinson Counties, Texas. We provide this notice to seek comments from the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are notifying the public that we intend to grant funds to eligible applicants for purposes authorized under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) Title IV Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Program and Title V Regulatory Program. We will award these grants during fiscal year 2021.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, along with the California Department of Parks and Recreation's Border Field State Park, propose to act in partnership to prepare a joint draft environmental impact statement/environmental impact report to evaluate the impacts on the human environment related to restoring coastal wetlands within the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve at the southwestern corner of San Diego County, California. We are providing this notice to open a public scoping period and announce our intent to conduct public scoping meetings in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, and its implementing regulations.

The San Juan County Museum Association (hereafter referred to as the Salmon Ruins Museum) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, 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 these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the Salmon Ruins Museum. 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.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Department of the Interior (Interior), is proposing a new information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs, are proposing to renew an information collection.

The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) seeks nominations for individuals to be considered for membership on the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council).