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

The plats of survey of the following described lands are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Oregon State Office, Portland, Oregon, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication.

Indian Affairs will conduct consultation sessions with federally recognized Tribes to obtain oral and written comments concerning appeals from administrative actions.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reclassifying the Stephens' kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi) from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This action is based on our evaluation of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the species' status has improved such that it is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, but that it is still likely to become so throughout all of its range in the foreseeable future. We also finalize a rule under section 4(d) of the Act that provides for the conservation of the Stephens' kangaroo rat.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), are amending the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List) by adding Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei). We are also updating the entries for the Central America, Mexico, and Western North Pacific distinct population segments (DPSs) of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to reflect the designation of critical habitat for these DPSs. These amendments are based on previously published determinations by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, which has jurisdiction for these species.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to renew an information collection.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the prostrate milkweed (Asclepias prostrata), a plant species from Texas, as an endangered species and designate critical habitat 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 prostrate milkweed. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the prostrate milkweed as an endangered species. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants and extend the Act's protections to the species. We also propose to designate critical habitat for the prostrate milkweed under the Act. In total, approximately 691.3 acres (279.8 hectares) in Starr and Zapata Counties, Texas, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for prostrate milkweed.

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

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plats of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Utah State Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication.

This notice advises the public that LPC Conservation LLC (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an incidental take permit (ITP) supported by the Oil and Gas Habitat Conservation Plan for the Lesser Prairie-chicken; Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas (HCP). The applicant has applied to the Service for the ITP pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The requested ITP, if approved, would authorize incidental take of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; LEPC) resulting from activities covered by the HCP (e.g., all activities associated with oil and gas upstream and midstream buildout, including ancillary (e.g., access road) ground disturbing activities associated with these project types) and would authorize incidental take resulting from conservation actions taken to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts of incidental take to LEPC that result from covered activities. If approved, the requested ITP would become effective should the LEPC become federally listed during the life of the ITP and HCP. With this notice we announce the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) that has been prepared to evaluate the ITP application in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. We are making the ITP application package, including the HCP and draft EA, available for public review and comment.

The Anniston Museum of Natural History has corrected an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, published in a Notice of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register on August 10, 2018. This notice corrects the cultural affiliation. 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 Anniston Museum of Natural History. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

The Bureau of Reclamation, Oklahoma-Texas Area Office (Reclamation), 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 Reclamation. 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 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) proposes to adjust electric power rates for the Power Division of San Carlos Irrigation Project (SCIP/PD).

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before January 29, 2022, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

The purpose of this notice is to request public nominations for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Advisory Committees (MACs). The MACs provide advice and recommendations to the BLM on the development and implementation of management plans in accordance with the statutes under which the monuments were established.

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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce 90- day findings on three petitions to add species to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Based on our review, we find that the petitions to list the thick-leaf bladderpod (Physaria pachyphylla) and variable cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus variabilis) present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this document, we announce that we are initiating status reviews of these species to determine whether the petitioned actions are warranted. To ensure that the status reviews are comprehensive, we request scientific and commercial data and other information regarding the species and factors that may affect their status. Based on the status reviews, we will issue 12-month petition findings, which will address whether or not the petitioned actions are warranted, in accordance with the Act. We further find that the petition to recognize the Texas population of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) as a distinct population segment (DPS) and to list that DPS does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, we are not initiating a status review of the Texas ocelot population.

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

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) Colorado's Southwest Resource Advisory Council (RAC) announces the 2022 schedule of public meetings.

The plats of surveys for the lands described in this notice are scheduled to be officially filed 30 calendar days after the date of this publication in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Montana State Office, Billings, Montana. The surveys, which were executed at the request of the BLM Division of Energy, Minerals, and Realty, Fluids Adjudication, Billings, Montana, are necessary for the management of these lands.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District Office, Ely, Nevada, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment (RMPA), with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA), to the 2008 Ely District Record of Decision and Approved RMP. The proposed RMPA would evaluate whether the subject parcel of public land meets the disposal criteria described in Section 203 of the FLPMA, as amended, and allow the direct sale (without competition) of 0.66 acres of BLM managed public land to Nina Higgs, Trustee for Shirley Schena, if the parcel is determined to meet the disposal criteria. The purpose of the sale would be to resolve an inadvertent trespass and the EA would analyze the environmental effects of the direct sale of the land identified for disposal. The sale would be for no less than the appraised fair market value of $10,000. The sale would be subject to the applicable provisions of Section 203 of FLPMA and the BLM land sale regulations. Section 203 of FLPMA states that tracts of public land may be sold because of land use planning required under Section 202 of FLPMA; the subject parcel was not previously identified for disposal in the RMP, therefore the BLM must amend the RMP to allow the proposed sale to proceed. This notice serves to notify the public of the BLM's proposed realty action and initiates the public scoping process to solicit public comments on anticipated issues and planning criteria.

The plats of surveys for the lands described in this notice are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Montana State Office, Billings, Montana, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication. The surveys, which were executed at the request of the BLM Billings Field Office are necessary for the management of these lands.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, we, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), are conducting a new information collection.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or USFWS), are removing San Benito evening-primrose (Camissonia benitensis), a plant native to California, from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants on the basis of recovery. This final rule is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to the species have been reduced or eliminated to the point that it has recovered and is no longer in danger of extinction or likely to become in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future. Therefore, the plant no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is announcing that the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children will hold two-day online meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) for Indian children with disabilities.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), are proposing a new information collection that is currently in use without OMB approval. The publication of this 60-day notice is the first step in bringing this information collection into compliance.