Farm Service Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The boundary of Lassen Volcanic National Park is modified to include 136.69 acres of land located in Tehama County, California, immediately adjoining the current park boundary. Subsequent to the proposed boundary revision, the National Park Service will acquire the land by purchase, with available funds, from willing sellers.

The boundary of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is adjusted to include one parcel of land totaling 550.65 acres, more or less. Fee simple interest in the land will be donated to the United States. The property is located in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, adjacent to the current boundary of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

The Bureau of Reclamation has prepared and made available for public review and comment, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on impacts of implementing the 2008 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion and the 2009 National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion, including the Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives, for the Coordinated Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. This action will continue the operation of the Central Valley Project in coordination with the State Water Project. The DEIS was drafted in response to the November 16, 2009 United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling that the Bureau of Reclamation must conduct a National Environmental Policy Act review to determine whether the associated 2008 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and 2009 National Marine Fisheries Service Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives cause a significant effect to the human environment.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following recovery permit applications to conduct activities intended to enhance the survival of target endangered species.

Pursuant to Public Law 106-503, the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (NEPEC) will hold its next meeting at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. The Committee is comprised of members from academia, industry, and State government. The Committee shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on matters relating to the USGS's participation in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. At the meeting, the Council will receive briefings and updates on: The USGS's strategic plan for operational earthquake forecasting and outcomes of a user-needs workshop on that subject held in March 2015; on USGS work to calculate the probability of future earthquakes in areas of the U.S. subject to induced seismicity; on the estimation of aftershock probabilities and on new modeled estimates of earthquake likelihood along the Wasatch fault zone by a technical working group; and on development of a plan for rapid communication of earthquake information in the Cascadia region. The NEPEC will review USGS procedures for calculating and communicating aftershock probabilities following large earthquakes in areas outside of California and the application of these procedures following the M7.8 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake of April 2015. The council will also finalize a statement for public release summarizing the proper procedures for posing and testing earthquake predictions and forecasts. Meetings of the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council are open to the public. A draft meeting agenda is available upon request from the Executive Secretary on request (contact information below). In order to ensure sufficient seating and hand-outs, it is requested that visitors pre-register by September 13. Members of the public wishing to make a statement to the Council should provide notice of that intention by August 26 so that time may be allotted in the agenda. A meeting summary will be posted by September 30 to the committee Web site: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/aboutus/nepec/.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are listing the Honduran emerald hummingbird (Amazilia luciae) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This species is endemic to Honduras, and the population is estimated to be between 5,000 and 10,000 breeding pairs. Its suitable habitat has decreased significantly in the past 100 years; habitat degradation, fragmentation, and loss have been identified as the primary threats to the continued survival of this species.

The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing a general management plan (GMP) for Martin Van Buren National Historic Site. A Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the GMP was published in the Federal Register on December 11, 2007. The NPS has decided to terminate the EIS and instead, has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the GMP (GMP/EA).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to revise the rule for the African elephant promulgated under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), to increase protection for African elephants in response to the alarming rise in poaching of the species to fuel the growing illegal trade in ivory. The African elephant was listed as threatened under the ESA effective June 11, 1978, and at the same time a rule issued under section 4(d) of the ESA (a ``4(d) rule'') was promulgated to regulate import and use of specimens of the species in the United States. This proposed rule would update the current 4(d) rule with measures that are appropriate for the current conservation needs of the species. We are proposing measures that are necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the African elephant as well as appropriate prohibitions from section 9(a)(1) of the ESA. Among other things, we propose to incorporate into the 4(d) rule certain restrictions on the import and export of African elephant ivory contained in the African Elephant Conservation Act (AfECA) as measures necessary and advisable for the conservation of the African elephant. We are not, however, revising or reconsidering actions taken under the AfECA, including our determinations in 1988 and 1989 to impose moratoria on the import of ivory other than sport-hunted trophies from both range and intermediary countries. We are proposing to take these actions under section 4(d) of the ESA to increase protection and benefit the conservation of African elephants, without unnecessarily restricting activities that have no conservation effect or are strictly regulated under other law.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Montana State Office, Billings, Montana, on August 27, 2015.

This notice publishes the Indian Gaming Compact between the State of New Mexico and the Pueblo of Isleta governing Class III gaming (Compact) taking effect.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Boise District Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will hold a meeting as indicated below.

On March 23, 2015, NMFS and USFWS (or the Services) published a proposed rule to revise the listings of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas; hereafter referred to as the green turtle) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We opened a public comment period that lasted through June 22, 2015. On June 7, 2015, we published a notice extending the public comment period through July 27, 2015. Having received requests to further extend the comment period, with this document we extend the comment period to August 26, 2015.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE or OSM), are proposing to revise our regulations, based on, among other things, advances in science, to improve the balance between environmental protection and the Nation's need for coal as a source of energy. This proposed rule would better protect streams, fish, wildlife, and related environmental values from the adverse impacts of surface coal mining operations and provide mine operators with a regulatory framework to avoid water pollution and the long-term costs associated with water treatment. We propose to revise our regulations to clearly define ``material damage to the hydrologic balance outside the permit area'' and require that each permit specify the point at which adverse mining-related impacts on groundwater and surface water would reach that level of damage; collect adequate premining data about the site of the proposed mining operation and adjacent areas to establish an adequate baseline for evaluation of the impacts of mining and the effectiveness of reclamation; adjust monitoring requirements to enable timely detection and correction of any adverse trends in the quality or quantity of surface water and groundwater or the biological condition of streams; ensure protection or restoration of perennial and intermittent streams and related resources; ensure that permittees and regulatory authorities make use of advances in science and technology; ensure that land disturbed by mining operations is restored to a condition capable of supporting the uses that it was capable of supporting before mining; and update and codify the requirements and procedures for protection of threatened or endangered species and designated critical habitat. The proposed changes would apply to both surface mines and the surface effects of underground mines. The majority of the proposed revisions update our regulations to incorporate or reflect the best available science and experience gained over the last 30 years. Approximately thirty percent of the proposed rule consists of editorial revisions and organizational changes intended to improve consistency, clarity, accuracy, and ease of use.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a joint meeting between the Trinity River Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) and Trinity Management Council (TMC). The TAMWG is a Federal advisory committee that affords stakeholders the opportunity to give policy, management, and technical input concerning Trinity River (California) restoration efforts to the TMC. The TMC interprets and recommends policy, coordinates and reviews management actions, and provides organizational budget oversight.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered or threatened species. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activities. Both the Act and the National Environmental Policy Act require that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received three applications for incidental take permits (ITPs) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Lake County Board of County Commissioners requests a 5-year ITP; Property Investment Brokers requests a 10-year ITP; and Casabella Development, LLC requests a 5- year ITP. We request public comment on the permit applications and accompanying proposed habitat conservation plans (HCPs), as well as on our preliminary determination that the plans qualify as low-effect under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low- effect screening form, which are also available for review.

The plats of survey of lands described below are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, Sacramento, California.

The National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, is seeking nominations for individuals to be considered for appointment to the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Advisory Council.

This action corrects the land description referenced in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of a notice published in the Federal Register on Thursday, February 12, 2015 (80 FR 7877). On page 7877, column 3, line 67 of the notice, which reads, ``THENCE, North 89 degrees 25 minutes 53 seconds West, 3297.38 feet to a point on the North line of Section 21,'' is hereby corrected to read, ``THENCE, North 1 degree 20 minutes 28 seconds West, 3297.38 feet to a point on the North line of Section 21.''

This notice publishes the liquor ordinance of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). This ordinance regulates and controls the possession, sale and consumption of liquor within the jurisdiction of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). The ordinance will increase the ability of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to control liquor distribution and possession on tribal lands and Indian country, and at the same time will provide an important source of revenue for the strengthening of the tribal government and the delivery of tribal services.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) are announcing that the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Four Corners Power Plant (FCPP) and Navajo Mine Energy Project is available for public review. The Deputy Secretary for the Department of the Interior, Director of OSMRE, Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) signed the ROD on [July 15, 2015], which constitutes the final decision of the Department.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the information collection request (ICR) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this ICR.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter Service or we) is proposing to establish the 2015-16 early-season hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds. We annually prescribe frameworks, or outer limits, for dates and times when hunting may occur and the maximum number of birds that may be taken and possessed in early seasons. Early seasons may open as early as September 1, and include seasons in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These frameworks are necessary to allow State selections of specific final seasons and limits and to allow recreational harvest at levels compatible with population status and habitat conditions. This proposed rule also provides the regulatory alternatives for the 2015-16 duck hunting seasons.