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

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is announcing that the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children will hold a two-day in-person and 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. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and for the safety of all individuals, an online meeting option is provided for those who cannot attend in-person.

This notice corrects the total acreage figure and the legal land description of the proposed public land withdrawal identified as the Chaco Culture National Historical Park Area withdrawal published in the Federal Register on January 6, 2022. The initial notice omitted legal descriptions totaling 3,188.01 acres. The updated total for the proposed withdrawal is 354,667.98 acres, located in San Juan, Sandoval, and McKinley Counties, New Mexico.

The National Park Service (NPS) is hereby giving notice that the Aniakchak National Monument Subsistence Resource Commission (SRC), the Denali National Park SRC, the Cape Krusenstern National Monument SRC, the Lake Clark National Park SRC, the Kobuk Valley National Park SRC, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park SRC, and the Gates of the Arctic National Park SRC will meet as indicated below.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) is issuing a public notice of its intent to rescind the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Privacy Act system of records notice, INTERIOR/WBR-48, Lower Colorado River Well Inventory, from its existing inventory. This system of records was maintained by Reclamation and is no longer required as the records are neither stored nor retrieved using an individual's personal identifier. All well inventory records are stored and retrieved by either site identification data or well number. As such, these records do not meet the statutory definition of a system of records under the Privacy Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to revise the List of Birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) by both adding and removing species. Reasons for the changes to the list include adding species based on new taxonomy and new evidence of natural occurrence in the United States or U.S. territories, removing species no longer known to occur within the United States or U.S. territories, and changing names to conform to accepted use. The net increase of 13 species (16 added and three removed) would bring the total number of species protected by the MBTA to 1,106. We also propose to revise the scientific name of a species subject to specific migratory-bird-permit regulations and to revise corresponding entries for several migratory bird species that are also listed on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act to reflect currently accepted taxonomy and nomenclature. We regulate the taking, possession, transportation, sale, purchase, barter, exportation, and importation of migratory birds. An accurate and up-to-date list of species protected by the MBTA is essential for public notification, regulatory, and law- enforcement purposes. These revisions would also ensure consistency in the use of common and scientific names across Service regulations.

This notice provides the names of individuals appointed to serve on the Department of the Interior Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance Review Board.

Through this notice the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is segregating public lands for the Bonanza Solar Project right-of-way application from appropriation under the public land laws, including the Mining Law, but not the Mineral Leasing or Material Sales Acts, for a period of 2 years from the date of publication of this notice, subject to valid existing rights. This segregation is to allow for the orderly administration of the public lands to facilitate consideration of development of renewable energy resources. The public lands segregated by this notice total 6,239 acres.

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before November 26, 2022, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

The North Carolina Office of State Archaeology 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 North Carolina Office of State 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.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), The Children's Museum of Indianapolis intends to repatriate a cultural item that meets the definition of a sacred object and that has a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The cultural item was removed from Arizona.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology (RSPI) has amended a Notice of Inventory Completion published in the Federal Register on October 31, 2007. This notice amends the minimum number of individuals, number of associated funerary objects, and cultural affiliation of human remains and associated funerary objects removed from Bolivar County, MS.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The cultural items were removed from Jackson and Yazoo Counties, MS.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 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 Delaware and Le Flore Counties, OK.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the New York State Museum (NSYM) 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 Bronx, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties, NY.

Through this notice the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is segregating public lands included in the right-of-way applications for the Pinyon Solar Project and the Elisabeth Solar Project from appropriation under the public land laws, including the Mining Law, but not the Mineral Leasing or Material Sales Acts, for a period of 2 years from the date of publication of this notice, subject to valid existing rights. This segregation is to allow for the orderly administration of the public lands to facilitate consideration of development of renewable energy resources. The public lands segregated by this notice total 4,439.92 acres.

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before November 19, 2022, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Yuma Field Office, Yuma, Arizona, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider the effects of the Jove Solar Project (Jove Solar), an up to 600-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) project and battery storage system proposed on 3,495 acres of BLM-administered land in La Paz County, Arizona, and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues. The BLM also announces the segregation of the 3,495 acres of public lands from appropriation under the public land laws, including the Mining Law, but not the Mineral Leasing or Materials Acts, for a period of 2 years from the date of publication of this notice, subject to valid existing rights. This segregation will facilitate the orderly administration of the public lands while the BLM considers potential solar development on the described parcel.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) seeks input on changes to its regulations governing the discretionary acquisition of land into trust for the benefit of tribal governments and individual Indians. Since these regulations were first promulgated in 1980, the BIA has developed extensive experience in the fee-to-trust acquisition process. Relying on that experience and input from tribal governments and individual Indians, this proposed rule seeks to make the land into trust process more efficient, simpler, and less expensive to support restoration of tribal homelands.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the American Numismatic Society intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of an unassociated funerary object and that has a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The cultural item was removed from Oregon.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reclassifying (downlisting) the plant Eugenia woodburyana (no common name) from an endangered species to a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), due to improvements in the species' status since its original listing in 1994. This action is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that E. woodburyana is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, but it is likely to become so within the foreseeable future. We are also finalizing a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act to provide measures that are necessary and advisable for the conservation of E. woodburyana.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is establishing and seeking nominations for the Advisory Council for Climate Adaptation Science (Council). The Council will advise the Secretary of the Interior on the establishment and operations of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Climate Adaptation Science Center (NCASC) and its nine regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite the public to comment on species for which the Service has jurisdiction under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With some exceptions, the MMPA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. This Act also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity it otherwise prohibits with respect to any species.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) publishes this notice to inform the public of the official filing of the plats of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Utah State Office, Salt Lake City, Utah.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), list the Puerto Rican harlequin butterfly (Atlantea tulita), a species from Puerto Rico, as a threatened species with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. We also designate critical habitat for this species under the Act. In total, approximately 41,266 acres (16,699.8 hectares) in six units in the municipalities of Isabela, Quebradillas, Camuy, Arecibo, Utuado, Florida, Ciales, Maricao, San Germ[aacute]n, Sabana Grande, and Yauco are within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. This rule extends the Act's protections to the species and its designated critical habitat.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove island bedstraw (Galium buxifolium) and Santa Cruz Island dudleya (Dudleya nesiotica) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants on the basis of recovery. Both of these native plant species occur in the Channel Islands National Park off the coast of California. This proposed rule is based on our review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicates that the threats to island bedstraw and Santa Cruz Island dudleya have been eliminated or reduced to the point that these species have recovered and no longer meet the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We request information and comments from the public regarding this proposed rule and the draft post-delisting monitoring plans for island bedstraw and Santa Cruz Island dudleya.