Search Results for keywords:"Department of the Interior"

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Tri-state Fuel Breaks Project in southeastern Oregon. This project involves creating approximately 26,585 acres of fuel breaks along roads using different treatments such as mechanical and chemical methods. The selected plan, known as Alternative 5, combines elements from other options to benefit firefighters and minimize environmental impact. The ROD decision is final and approved by the Department of the Interior.

The Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, announced a decision related to land acquisitions under the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996. The decision permits the Hopi Tribe to acquire and place in trust up to 500,000 acres of land in northern Arizona. The Hopi Tribe has already purchased over 161,000 acres of private land, and together with the state of Arizona, they have identified another 110,759.17 acres of state trust lands for acquisition. The Department of Justice has started the process of condemning these state trust lands to facilitate the transfer into trust for the Hopi Tribe.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs has completed an inventory of human remains and funerary objects and identified a cultural connection with the Pueblo of Nambe in New Mexico. The remains are those of at least 11 Native American individuals, along with 157 associated objects, such as stone tools and ceramics. The repatriation of these items can occur on or after May 19, 2025, with requests being accepted from identified tribes or individuals showing cultural links. Competing claims will be resolved by the Bureau before any repatriation.

The Secretary of the Interior plans to renew the National Park System Advisory Board as per the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This renewal is important to support the functions of the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. The Board has been providing valuable advice since 1935 and continues to represent a wide range of expertise related to the mission of the National Park Service. The renewal ensures that the Board can continue its work without interruption.

The Office of Hearings and Appeals within the Department of the Interior has announced the delay of an interim final rule's effective date. Originally set to take effect on February 10, 2025, it will now be effective on March 21, 2025. This decision aligns with a directive from President Trump's memo titled "Regulatory Freeze Pending Review," which advises delaying rules to allow further review. The delay was implemented without public comment due to exemptions allowing immediate action when feedback is impractical or contrary to public interest.

The Department of the Interior is reopening the comment period for a proposed rule about oil and gas operations in the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf. This rule was initially published on December 9, 2020, and its comment period was set to close on February 8, 2021. Due to requests for more time, the comment period is now extended by 60 days, giving the public until April 9, 2021, to share their thoughts on the proposed changes. This proposal and its commentary are managed by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

The U.S. Department of the Interior has issued final regulations revising the rules that implement Tribal Self-Governance as part of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. This update was created through negotiations among Self-Governance and non-Self-Governance Tribes and the Department. The new regulations aim to give Tribes more control over certain federal programs and associated funding, reduce bureaucratic barriers, and better align these regulations with Tribal sovereignty and self-determination principles. These rules also establish procedures for future involvement and input from Tribal nations, along with setting standards for managing federal programs and responsibilities.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), part of the Interior Department, is seeking public comments on a proposal to renew an information collection related to the William T. Pecora Award. This award honors achievements in remote sensing and is co-sponsored by NASA and the Department of the Interior. The agency invites comments, particularly regarding the necessity and accuracy of the collection, methods to reduce respondent burden, and ways to improve the quality of collected data. The collection has an estimated completion time of 6 hours per respondent, involving 12 respondents annually.

The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that an amendment to the Tribal-State compact for class III gaming between the Chitimacha Tribe and the State of Louisiana has been approved by law. This amendment extends the compact's term by seven years and raises the dollar amount for Tribal licensing and State certification of vendors to the Tribe's gaming facilities. The approval took effect automatically since the Secretary of the Interior did not act within the required 45-day review period set by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has made available the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, which was approved by the Department of the Interior (DOI). This decision allows Magic Valley Energy to build and operate a wind-power facility with up to 231 turbines on public lands in Jerome, Lincoln, and Minidoka counties. The project will take place on a designated area managed by the BLM and will follow specific conditions and mitigation measures as outlined in the ROD. This approval is the final decision by the DOI and cannot be appealed.