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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum), a bird subspecies found in Mexico, southern Arizona, and southern Texas. This rule adds the subspecies 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 this subspecies. We concluded that designation of critical habitat is prudent and determinable at this time. Critical habitat will be proposed in a separate rule-making.

The purpose of this notice is to request public nominations for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or USFWS), propose to designate critical habitat for five distinct population segments (DPSs) of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA or Act). The five DPSs include the federally threatened North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Central North Pacific DPSs and the federally endangered Central South Pacific and Central West Pacific DPSs. In total, approximately 8,870 acres (ac) (3,590 hectares (ha)) are proposed across 101 units in the States of Florida and Hawai[revaps]i; the territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam; the commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and two USFWS-managed areas (Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll). We also announce five public informational meetings and public hearings and the availability of a draft economic analysis of the proposed critical habitat designation for the terrestrial areas included in this proposed rule. Elsewhere in today's Federal Register, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is also proposing to designate specific areas in the marine environment as critical habitat for DPSs of the green sea turtle.

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

Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that a public meeting of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) will meet as indicated below.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Boston Children's Museum 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 Cross County, AR; Poinsett County, AR; New Madrid, MO; and an unknown location or locations.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Nipomo Community Service District (Applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The Applicant requests the ITP to take the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) incidental to the construction of a new lift station and associated facilities to decommission the existing Blacklake Wastewater Reclamation Facility, in San Luis Obispo County, California. We request public comment on the application, which includes the Applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and 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.

The boundary of Redwood National Park is revised to include four parcels of land totaling 91.6 acres, more or less, located in Humboldt County, California, immediately adjoining the boundaries of Redwood National Park.

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.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge (Dungeness NWR) 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 Clallam County, WA.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History (CSMNH) 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 Hennepin County, MN.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Santa Barbara 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 San Juan County, Utah.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the M[uuml]tter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia 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 Santa Barbara, CA.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (PMAE) has completed an inventory of human remains and determined they are related to the lineal descendant in this notice. The human remains were collected at the Sherman Institute in Riverside County, CA.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (PMAE) 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 collected at the Pawnee Indian Reservation, Pawnee County, OK.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), provide this notice to open a public scoping period and announce public scoping meetings in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. We intend to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the impacts on the human environment related to our proposal to implement a general conservation plan for the federally threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in California, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act.

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, without change, an information collection.

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before July 1, 2023, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to renew an information collection with revisions.

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 with revisions.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) is proposing to amend its regulations to exempt certain records in the INTERIOR/OIG-02, Investigative Records, system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 because of criminal, civil, and administrative law enforcement requirements.

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

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Park Square Enterprises, LLC (Leesburg ROW; applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) incidental to the construction of a roadway in Lake 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.

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before June 24, 2023, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.