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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a final environmental impact statement/environmental impact report (FEIS/EIR) for the Tijuana Estuary Tidal Restoration Program II Phase I project. The FEIS/EIR was prepared jointly by the Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act, respectively. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is participating in the NEPA process as a cooperating agency. The FEIS/EIR evaluates the environmental consequences of restoring 82 to 87 acres of native coastal wetlands and uplands within the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve on portions of both the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Border Field State Park, in San Diego County, California.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on applications to conduct certain activities with foreign species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew an information collection without change.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, after consideration of comments received from the public, have revised the marine mammal stock assessment reports (SAR) for two West Indian manatee stocks, the Florida manatee stock (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Puerto Rico stock of the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus). We now make both final revised SARs available to the public.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the National Park Service (NPS) are 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 Wayne County, MI.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Schiele Museum of Natural History (SMNH) 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 Gaston County, NC.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Forensic Science and Anthropology Program, has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any Indian Tribe. The human remains were removed from the City of Richmond, VA.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) 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 Clay, Prentiss, Yalobusha, and Quitman Counties, MS.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the National Park Service (NPS) is hereby giving notice that the Gateway National Recreation Area Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee (Committee) will meet as indicated below.

The purpose of this notice is to request public nominations for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Missouri Basin and Western Montana Resource Advisory Councils (RACs) to fill existing vacancies, as well as for member terms that are scheduled to expire. The RACs provide advice and recommendations to the BLM on land use planning and management of the National System of Public Lands within their geographic areas.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes this information collection request (ICR) to renew Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1010-0187.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, and the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument Advisory Committee will meet as indicated below.

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

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the National Park Service (NPS) is hereby giving notice that the Committee for the Preservation of the White House (Committee) will meet as indicated below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Rocky Mountain District, Ca[ntilde]on City, Colorado, will accept competitive bids to lease public lands for solar energy projects on approximately 1,064 acres in Saguache County, Colorado.

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.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Luxer Development, LLC (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally threatened sand skink (Plestiodon reynoldsi) and the federally threatened blue-tailed mole- skink (Eumeces egregius lividus) incidental to the construction of a residential development in Polk County, Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and on the Service's preliminary determination that the proposed permitting action may be eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual. To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a draft environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are also available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are initiating 5-year status reviews for 133 species in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Two of these species also occur outside of United States jurisdiction in Canada and Palau. A 5-year status review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any new information on these species that has become available since the last reviews.

As part of the rulemaking process for the 2023-2024 season, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter, Service or we) proposes a revised process for establishing special regulations for certain Tribes on Federal Indian reservations, off-reservation trust lands, and ceded lands for migratory bird hunting seasons. We are proposing no longer to require that Tribes annually submit a proposal to the Service for our review and approval and no longer to publish in the Federal Register the annual Tribal migratory bird hunting regulations, and instead to adopt as regulations elements of our current guidelines for establishing special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal Indian reservations (including off-reservation trust lands) and ceded lands. The Service recognizes the reserved hunting rights and management authority of Indian Tribes. Since the 1985-86 hunting season, we have successfully employed guidelines to establish special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal Indian reservations and ceded lands. We conclude that Tribal migratory bird harvest has been small with negligible impact to bird population status. We anticipate that Tribal hunting of migratory birds will continue to have similar negligible impacts to bird populations in the future. By proposing these regulations, the Service seeks to strengthen Tribal sovereignty and to reduce administrative burdens on both the Tribes and the Service while continuing to sustain healthy migratory game bird populations for future generations.

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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Alaska State Director intends to prepare a resource management plan (RMP) amendment with an associated environmental assessment (EA) for the Campbell Tract Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Designation Amendment. This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and seek input on issues and planning criteria.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the San Francisco State University NAGPRA Program and University of California, Berkeley have completed a joint inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and have 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 Shasta County, CA.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Filson Historical Society 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 Hardin County, TN, and an unknown location in TN.