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

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing new regulations to reduce the waste of natural gas from venting, flaring, and leaks during oil and gas production activities on Federal and Indian leases. The proposed regulations would be codified in the Code of Federal Regulations and would replace the BLM's current requirements governing venting and flaring, which are more than four decades old.

On Friday, December 30, 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will open and publicly announce bids received for blocks offered in the Cook Inlet Planning Area Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258 (Cook Inlet Sale 258), in accordance with the provisions of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), as amended, and its implementing regulations. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, signed into law on August 16, 2022, requires BOEM to hold Cook Inlet Sale 258 by December 31, 2022. The Cook Inlet Sale 258 Final Notice of Sale (NOS) package contains information essential to potential bidders and consists of the Final NOS, Information to Lessees, and Lease Stipulations.

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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits, permit renewals, and/or permit amendments to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered 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 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, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes this information collection request (ICR) to renew the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) Control Number 1010-0114.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing a new information collection.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) gives notice of a virtual meeting of the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council (HWCC), in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce that we are extending the comment periods for four proposed rules under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. On September 27, 2022, we published a proposed rule to list the Florida Keys mole skink (Plestiodon egregius egregius) as a threatened species with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act and to designate its critical habitat. On October 14, 2022, we published proposed rules to designate critical habitat for Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis (Big Pine partridge pea), Chamaesyce deltoidea ssp. serpyllum (wedge spurge), Linum arenicola (sand flax), and Argythamnia blodgettii (Blodgett's silverbush); to designate critical habitat for Sideroxylon reclinatum ssp. austrofloridense (Everglades bully), Digitaria pauciflora (Florida pineland crabgrass), Chamaesyce deltoidea ssp. pinetorum (pineland sandmat), and Dalea carthagenensis var. floridana (Florida prairie- clover); to list the Key ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus acricus) and the rim rock crowned snake (Tantilla oolitica) as endangered species, and to designate critical habitat for the Key ring- necked snake and the rim rock crowned snake. We are extending the comment period for each of these proposed rules to allow all interested parties additional time to comment on the proposed rules following the impacts of Hurricane Ian. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparing the final determinations.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are listing two Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a grassland bird known from southeastern Colorado, western Kansas, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle. We determine threatened status for the Northern DPS and endangered status for the Southern DPS. This rule adds the DPSs to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We also finalize a rule under the authority of section 4(d) of the Act that provides measures that are necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the Northern DPS.

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 Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), are proposing renew an information collection.

In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS), Record of Decision (ROD) and the Consent Decree, the Federal and State natural resource trustee agencies for the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG) have prepared the Final Phase 2 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #7.1: Terrebonne HNC Island Restoration Project (Final RP/EA #7.1) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The Terrebonne HNC Restoration Project (HNC Island project) was approved for engineering and design (E&D) in a 2020 restoration plan entitled Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Final Restoration Plan #7: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats and Birds (RP/EA #7). In the Final RP/EA #7.1, the LA TIG analyzes a reasonable range of design alternatives for the HNC Island project and selects design alternative 7A for construction, under the ``Birds'' restoration type. A No Action alternative is also analyzed for the project. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of the availability of the Final RP/EA #7.1 and FONSI.

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before November 12, 2022, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

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

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 has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The human remains were removed from the Bethel Census Area, Alaska.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Field Museum of Natural History has completed an inventory of human remains and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The human remains were removed from Glacier and Pondera Counties, Montana.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of sacred objects and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

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

The Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire in trust 92.18 acres, more or less, of land known as the Buschelle Site in Clearwater County, Wisconsin, (Site) for the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota, (Tribe) for gaming and other purposes.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are revising our proposed designation of critical habitat for the Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. In response to new information we received and public comments on our June 10, 2020, proposed rule, we are now proposing to designate approximately 1,174,011 acres (475,105 hectares) in 13 Florida counties as critical habitat for the species. We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the revised proposed designation of critical habitat for the Florida bonneted bat. We request comments from all interested parties on this revised proposed rule and the associated DEA. Comments submitted on our June 10, 2020, proposed rule need not be resubmitted as they will be fully considered in the preparation of the final rule. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species' critical habitat.

The Coastal Barrier Resources Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to review the maps of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) at least once every 5 years and make any minor and technical modifications to the boundaries of the CBRS as are necessary to reflect changes that have occurred in the size or location of any unit as a result of natural forces. We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have conducted this review for CBRS units in Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. This notice announces the findings of our review and request for comments on the draft revised boundaries from Federal, State, and local officials.

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before November 5, 2022, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) are proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.

In compliance 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) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) Caribou-Targhee National Forest (CTNF), announce the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Husky 1 North Dry Ridge Phosphate Mine (Project).