Department of the Interior November 23, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), notify the public that we are requesting new information to update the Species Status Assessment (SSA) for the North American Wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) occurring in the contiguous United States to make a final determination whether to list this species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). As a result of court action, the wolverine is now proposed for listing as a threatened species under the Act. The Service is updating the 2018 SSA and will reevaluate whether the North American wolverine occurring in the contiguous United States is a distinct population segment and, if so, whether the distinct population segment meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Act. We now request new information regarding the North American wolverine to inform our SSA update and reevaluation under the Act. As directed by the court, the Service is to make a final listing determination by the end of November 2023.

The Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management (DOE-LM) has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting that the Secretary of the Interior exercise authority under Title II of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 (UMTRCA) and permanently withdraw and transfer administrative jurisdiction to DOE-LM of 869.08 acres of public lands and 3,454.39 acres of Federal mineral estate at the Split Rock Site in Wyoming. The public land and interests in the land would be withdrawn from operation of the general land laws, including the United States mining laws, the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, and the mineral materials disposal laws, subject to valid existing rights, and would be transferred to DOE-LM for long term maintenance and monitoring under a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license as part of the Split Rock Disposal Cell Site. The BLM previously published notice of a DOE-LM application for withdrawal and transfer of jurisdiction for some of these lands and minerals for the same purpose in the Federal Register on April 14, 2008 (73 FR 20062-63). This notice announces a 30-day opportunity for the public to comment on the DOE-LM application.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of California, Berkeley has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary object and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The human remains and associated funerary object were removed from Suffolk County, NY.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM Alaska) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from the Aleutians West Census Area, AK.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Arizona State Museum (ASM) has completed an inventory of human remains and an associated funerary object and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary object and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The human remains and associated funerary object were removed from Pima County, Arizona.

The Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire in trust 320.04 acres, more or less, of land known as the Mettler Site in Kern County, California, (Site) for the Tejon Indian Tribe, (Tribe) for gaming and other purposes.

This notice publishes the approval of the Tribal-State Gaming Compact between the State of California sand the Tejon Indian Tribe (Compact) providing for Class III gaming between the Tejon Indian Tribe (Tribe) and the State of California (State).

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) approved the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan Leasing Ordinance under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act of 2012 (HEARTH Act). With this approval, the Tribe is authorized to enter into business leases without further BIA approval.