Department of the Interior January 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule of agency organization reassigns responsibilities for the administration of certain regulations governing renewable energy development and alternate uses of existing facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's orders and the Departmental Manual. This final rule transfers the applicable renewable energy Departmental regulations from BOEM to BSEE. Furthermore, this final rule reassigns renewable energy regulations pertaining to safety, environmental oversight, and enforcement from BOEM to BSEE. This rule does not make substantive changes to current regulatory requirements and does not impose additional regulatory burdens on the public or the regulated community.

This Order withdraws approximately 225,504 acres of National Forest System lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis counties, Minnesota, from disposition under the United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws, for a period of 20 years, subject to valid existing rights, to protect and preserve the fragile and vital social and natural resources, ecological integrity, and wilderness values in the Rainy River Watershed, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Mining Protection Area (MPA), and the 1854 Ceded Territory of the Lake Superior Chippewa in northeastern Minnesota from the potential adverse effects of mineral and geothermal exploration and development.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are listing the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti), a butterfly from New Mexico, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. This rule extends the Act's protections to the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly. We will propose the designation of critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly in a future rulemaking.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we) is issuing this final rule, in accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, to adjust for inflation the statutory civil monetary penalties that may be assessed for violations of Service-administered statutes and their implementing regulations. We are required to adjust civil monetary penalties annually for inflation according to a formula specified in the Inflation Adjustment Act. This rule replaces the previously issued amounts with the updated amounts after using the 2023 inflation adjustment multiplier provided in the OMB guidance.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to renew an information collection.

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

In light of recent geopolitical events and concurrent with the return of primary helium data-collection responsibility from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the USGS is soliciting input from the public, including domestic helium users, that will aid the USGS in analyzing whether there is an increasing risk of helium-supply disruption; whether that risk stems from supply from countries that may be unwilling or unable to continue to supply the United States; and whether those risks pose a significant likelihood of increasing the Nation's import reliance or creating a concentration and risk of permanent or intermittent supply disruptions from a small number of international or domestic supply sources. The USGS is also soliciting input that will aid the USGS in analyzing whether potential disruptions to helium supply would jeopardize manufacturing or use of products vital to the defense, healthcare, aerospace, consumer electronics, and other industries.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Michigan State Police has completed an inventory of human remains and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any Indian Tribe. The human remains were removed from Gladwin County, MI.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology, University of Kentucky (WSWM) 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: Breathitt, Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Greenup, Jessamine, Johnson, Lewis, Nicholas, Perry, and Scott Counties, KY.

The Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire in trust 110.34 acres, more or less, of land known as the Far West Valley Site in Maricopa County, Arizona, (Site) for the Tohono O'odham Nation, (Nation) for gaming and other purposes.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Museum of Us 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 Tunica County, MS.

The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is amending department regulations to provide parties to a hearing or appeal the option of sending and receiving documents electronically; to specifically recognize the OHA Director's authority to issue Standing Orders to provide procedural information to parties and the public; and to make clear that OHA will communicate information on how and where to file and serve documents through OHA Standing Orders issued by the Director and posted on OHA's Department of the Interior website. This rule removes specific office addresses, some outdated, from the regulatory text and provides for up-to-date contact information to be provided in OHA Standing Orders on Contact Information. This rule further provides that OHA may issue Standing Orders to provide procedural information in an emergency or to address an immediate need, such as an office closure, natural disaster or other unanticipated event. This rule, and the associated Standing Orders, would not add to, change, or diminish any substantive rights of any parties or the public.

The first Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) renewable energy regulations were promulgated in 2009 by BOEM's predecessor, the Minerals Management Service (MMS). BOEM's renewable energy program has matured over the past 13 years, during which time BOEM conducted eleven auctions and issued and managed 27 active commercial leases. Based on this experience, the Department has identified opportunities to modernize its regulations to facilitate the development of offshore wind energy resources to meet U.S. climate and renewable energy objectives. This proposed rule contains reforms identified by the Department and recommended by industry since 2010, including proposals for incremental funding of decommissioning accounts; more flexible geophysical and geotechnical survey submission requirements; streamlined approval of meteorological (met) buoys; revised project verification procedures; reform of BOEM's renewable energy auction process; and greater clarity regarding safety requirements. This proposed rule would advance the Department of the Interior's (DOI) energy policies in a safe and environmentally sound manner that would provide a fair return to the U.S. taxpayer.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application from Consumers Energy Company for an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act, for its Crescent Wind Project (project). If approved, the permit would authorize the incidental take of two endangered species, the Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat. The applicant has prepared a habitat conservation plan in support of their application. 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 invite comments from the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA''), ONRR is proposing to renew an information collection. Through this Information Collection Request (``ICR''), ONRR seeks renewed authority to collect information necessary to determine net profit share payments due the United States pursuant to Outer Continental Shelf (``OCS'') oil and gas leases.

The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (Trustee Council) is soliciting nominations for the Public Advisory Committee (Committee). This Committee advises the Trustee Council on decisions related to the planning, evaluation, funds allocation, and conduct of injury assessment and restoration activities related to the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill of March 1989.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the National Park Service (NPS) is hereby giving notice that the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission (Commission) will meet as indicated below.

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

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Bryn Mawr College intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of objects of cultural patrimony and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The cultural items were removed from the Northwest Coast.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) 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 Oconee and Pickens Counties, SC.

This notice publishes the approval of the Delaware Nation and State of Oklahoma Gaming Compact Non-house-Banked Table Games Supplement (Amendment) governing certain forms of class III gaming between the Delaware Nation (Tribe) and the State of Oklahoma (State).

The boundary of Petroglyph National Monument is modified to exclude four parcels of land from the monument boundary which contain private homes and property, totaling 8.37 acres and to include two parcels of land containing 3.78 acres, located in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Upon publication of the Notice, the National Park Service will accept, by donation, a perpetual easement (3.47 acres) from Albuquerque Public Schools (APS). The other tract to be included in the boundary (0.31 acres) is already federally owned.

The National Park Service removes from the Code of Federal Regulations special fishing regulations for Mount Rainier National Park, including those that restrict the take of nonnative species. Instead, the National Park Service will publish closures and restrictions related to fishing in the Superintendent's Compendium for the park. This action helps implement a 2018 Fish Management Plan that aims to conserve native fish populations and restore aquatic ecosystems by reducing or eliminating nonnative fish.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a draft resource management plan (RMP) and draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the North Dakota Field Office and by this notice announces the opening of the comment period on the Draft RMP/EIS. This notice also announces the comment period on the BLM's proposed area of critical environmental concern (ACEC) within the RMP area.

The plat of survey of the following described lands are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Idaho State Office, Boise, Idaho, 30 calendar days from the date of this publication. The surveys, which were executed at the request of the BLM, are necessary for the management of the Birds of Prey National Conservation Area.