Department of the Interior April 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, as amended, 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 American 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.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Birmingham Museum of Art 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.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) 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.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology (UTK) 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.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Florida Department of Transportation 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce that we are extending the comment period for the public to review the draft revised habitat conservation plan (HCP) and draft supplemental environmental impact statement (draft SEIS) associated with Nebraska Public Power District's application under the Endangered Species Act for a permit associated with incidental take of the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus). Comments previously submitted, or provided at public meetings, need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparing the final documents.

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 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Southern New Mexico Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

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) New Mexico State Director is announcing the availability of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument (Monument) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Resource Management Plan (RMP). This notice begins a 90-day public comment period to solicit public comments associated with the Monument RMP land use allocations and resource management goals and objectives, and the environmental analysis developed using best available science to identify potential impacts to objects of scientific and historic interest, as well as natural resources, resource values, and wildlife habitat located on the Monument.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), revise our regulations concerning protections of endangered species and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (Act or ESA). We reinstate the general application of the "blanket rule" option for protecting newly listed threatened species pursuant to section 4(d) of the Act, with the continued option to promulgate species-specific section 4(d) rules. We also extend to federally recognized Tribes the exceptions to prohibitions for threatened species that the regulations currently provide to the employees or agents of the Service and other Federal and State agencies to aid, salvage, or dispose of threatened species. We also make minor changes to clarify or correct the existing regulations for endangered species and threatened species; these minor changes do not alter the substance or scope of the regulations.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reopening the public comment period on our October 3, 2023, proposed rule to list the northwestern pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata), a species from Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and northern and central California, and the southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida), a species from central and southern California and Baja California, Mexico, as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are taking this action to allow all interested parties an additional opportunity to comment on the proposed listing of the two species and the proposed rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act ("4(d) rule") for the species. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in our final determinations.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Central California Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as follows.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Department of the Interior (Interior) are proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.

To comply with a court order, the Secretaries, through the Federal Subsistence Board (Board), initiated regulatory proceedings to identify those submerged lands within the Tongass National Forest that did not pass to the State of Alaska at statehood and, therefore, remain Federal public lands subject to Federal subsistence provisions. This rule adds to the list of submerged parcels in the Federal subsistence regulations that have been identified through agency review. The purpose of this rule is to complete regulatory proceedings addressing submerged public lands within the Tongass National Forest, as directed by the Court, and will result in increased subsistence harvest opportunities for rural Alaskans. This final rule will also make nonsubstantive changes to present the list of submerged parcels in a tabular format.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), as lead agency, intends to gather information necessary for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in connection with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Colville Tribes) proposed Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project in the City of Pasco, Franklin County, Washington. This notice also opens public scoping to identify potential issues, concerns, and alternatives to be considered in the EIS.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gives notice of a public meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The ANS Task Force's purpose is to develop and implement a program for U.S. waters to prevent introduction and dispersal of aquatic invasive species; to monitor, control, and study such species; and to disseminate related information.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act that a meeting of the National Historic Landmarks Committee (Committee) of the National Park System Advisory Board (Board) will meet as indicated below.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, as amended, 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.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Florida Department of TransportationFlorida's Turnpike Enterprise (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperii) incidental to the construction of the Suncoast Parkway 2 Segment 3A from County Road (CR) 486 to CR 495 in Citrus 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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority propose to act in partnership to prepare a joint draft environmental impact statement/environmental impact report to evaluate the impacts on the environment related to placing excavated or other fill material into several former salt production ponds on, and adjacent to, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge to raise the pond bottoms for the purpose of accelerating the timeline for tidal marsh habitat restoration. The Service is providing this notice to open a public scoping period in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and its implementing regulations. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

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 BLM Montana State Office, Billings, Montana. The surveys, which were executed at the request of the United States Forest Service, Fort Pierre Ranger District, South Dakota are necessary for the management of these lands.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are revising the rule for the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) promulgated under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The purposes are threefold: To increase protection for African elephants in light of the recent rise in international trade of live African elephants by establishing ESA enhancement permit requirements for international trade in live elephants and specific enhancement requirements for the import of wild-sourced elephants, as well as requirements to ensure that all proposed recipients of live African elephants are suitably equipped to house and care for them; to clarify the existing enhancement requirement during our evaluation of an application for a permit to import African elephant sport-hunted trophies; and to incorporate a Party's designation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) National Legislation Project into the decision-making process for the import of live African elephants, African elephant sport-hunted trophies, and African elephant parts and products other than ivory and sport-hunted trophies. Amendments to the section 4(d) regulations in 2016 prohibited the import and export of African elephant ivory with limited exceptions. This final rule does not affect the regulations pertaining to African elephant ivory.