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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove the northeastern bulrush (Scirpus ancistrochaetus) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that delisting the species is warranted. Our review indicates that the threats to the northeastern bulrush have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the species no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Accordingly, we propose to delist the northeastern bulrush. If we finalize this rule as proposed, the prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the Act, particularly through Sections 7 and 9 would no longer apply to the northeastern bulrush.

This order extends the duration of the withdrawal created by Public Land Order (PLO) No. 7614 for an additional 20-year period. PLO No. 7614 withdrew 646.40 acres of National Forest System lands in the Colville National Forest near Metaline, Washington from location and entry under the United States mining laws to protect the Halliday Fen Research Natural Area (RNA). A Federal Register notice published on September 29, 2023, revised the legal land description and acreage written in PLO No. 7614 to reflect the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cadastral Survey's current standards for Specifications for Descriptions of Land.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Oklahoma-Texas Area Office (OTAO) (Reclamation) intends to carry out the disposition of human remains removed from Federal or Tribal lands to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization with priority for disposition in this notice.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and in response to claims from the Chickasaw Nation dated December 22, 2023, the Tennessee Department of Conservation and Environment, Division of Archaeology (TDEC-TDOA) has completed an inventory of human remains from Benton County, Tennessee and has determined in consultation 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), Wesleyan University 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.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Kansas State University 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 Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (PMAE) has completed an inventory of human remains and has determined that there are known lineal descendants connected to the human remains in this notice.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Florida-Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) 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), Western Washington University (WWU), 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 45-WH-15 in Whatcom County, WA.

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Oklahoma-Texas Area Office (OTAO) (Reclamation) 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 Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are reopening the public comment period in response to feedback received in response to a concern letter for a proposed amendment to the Montana regulatory program (hereinafter, the Montana program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Montana proposed this amendment to OSMRE, on its own initiative, following its passing of Montana House Bill 576 (2023), which amends the Montana Code Annotated (Mont. Code Ann.). Montana proposes changes to the definition of material damage and changes to permit requirements related to hydrologic information. HB 576 also adds four contingencies to the proposed amendments of the Mont. Code Ann.: a severability clause, a contingent voidness clause, an effective date clause, and a retroactive applicability clause. This document gives the times and locations that the Montana program and this revised proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection and the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the revised amendment.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing receipt of a proposed regulatory amendment to the Wyoming coal program (Wyoming program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). On February 19, 2019, the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council (EQC) approved several revisions to the rules governing Financial Assurances and Self-Bonding under the Wyoming program. This document gives the times and locations that the Wyoming program and this proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

The purpose of this public notice is to: describe the unsolicited proposal submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) by Hecate Energy Gulf Wind LLC (Hecate Energy) to acquire an outer continental shelf (OCS) commercial wind energy lease; solicit indications of interest in acquiring two commercial leases for wind energy development on the OCS in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in the areas described in this notice; and solicit public input regarding the areas described in this notice, the potential environmental consequences associated with wind energy development in the areas, and existing and planned multiple uses of the areas.

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

The U.S. Department of the Army (Army) filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for extension of the withdrawal created by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (2002 Act) for an additional 25-year term. The withdrawal created by the 2002 Act, enacted on December 28, 2001, expires on December 27, 2026, unless extended by Congress. The 2002 Act withdrew public land from all forms of appropriation under the general land laws, including the mining laws and mineral and geothermal leasing laws, to conduct combined arms military training and develop and test military equipment at Fort Irwin National Training Center in San Bernardino County, California, and for other defense-related purposes. This notice also provides official publication of the legal land description and location of the map for the National Training Center withdrawal created by the 2002 Act. This notice initiates a 90-day comment period on the Army's application and announces that the BLM and the Army will hold a public meeting on the application. While the BLM will process the application, only Congress can extend the withdrawal.

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) Nevada State Director has prepared a draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment with an associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for seven adjacent solar photovoltaic projects proposed on BLM-administered public lands in Esmeralda County, Nevada. This notice announces the opening of the 90-day comment period and provides the planning criteria for public review.

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) announces the availability of the Final Hult Reservoir and Dam Safety Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

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

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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the Sira curassow (Pauxi koepckeae) and southern helmeted curassow (Pauxi unicornis), two bird species from South America. This rule extends the protections of the Act to these species.

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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, from Turnagain Marine Construction, propose to authorize nonlethal, incidental take by harassment of small numbers of Southcentral Alaska stock northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from July 19, 2024, to July 18, 2025. The applicant has requested this authorization for take by harassment that may result from activities associated with pile driving and marine construction activities on the western shore of Passage Canal in Whittier, Alaska. We estimate that this project may result in the nonlethal incidental take by harassment of up to 162 northern sea otters from the Southcentral stock. This proposed authorization, if finalized, will be for up to 17 takes of northern sea otters by Level A harassment and 145 takes of northern sea otters by Level B harassment. Neither the applicant nor the FWS anticipated any lethal take, and the FWS does not propose to authorize any lethal take. We invite comments on the proposed incidental harassment authorization and the accompanying draft environmental assessment from the public, and local, State, Tribal and Federal agencies.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of the Secretary are proposing to renew an information collection, with revisions.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of the Secretary are proposing to renew an information collection.