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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (DOI) Statement of Regulatory Priorities The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the principal Federal steward of our Nation's public lands and resources, including many of our cultural treasures. DOI serves as trustee to Native Americans and Alaska native trust assets and is responsible for relations with the island territories under United States jurisdiction. The Department manages more than 500 million acres of Federal lands, including 401 park units, 560 wildlife refuges, and approximately 1.7 billion submerged offshore acres. These areas include natural resources that are essential for America's industry -- oil and gas, coal, and minerals such as gol d and uranium. On public lands and the Outer Continental Shelf, Interior provides access for renewable and conventional energy development and manages the protection and restoration of surface-mined lands. The Department protects and recovers endangered species; protects natural, historic, and cultural resources; manages water projects that are a lifeline and economic engine for many communities in the West; manages forests and fights wildfires; manages Federal energy resources; regulates surface coal mining operations; reclaims abandoned coal mines; educates children in Indian schools; and provides recreational opportunities for over 400 million visitors annually in the Nation's national parks, public lands, national wildlife refuges, and recreation areas. DOI will continue to review and update its regulations and policies to ensure that they are effective and efficient, and that they promote accountability and sustainability. DOI will emphasize regulations and policies that:

 Promote environmentally responsible, safe, and balanced development of renewable and conventional energy on our public lands and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS);

 Use the best available science to ensure that public resources are protected, conserved, and used wisely;

 Preserve America's natural treasures for future generations;

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 Improve the nation- to -nation relationship with American Indian tribes and promote tribal selfdetermination and self-governance ;

 Promote partnerships with States, tribes, local governments, other groups, and individuals to achieve common goals; and

 Promote transparency, fairness, accountability, and the highest ethical standards while maintaining performance goals. Major Regulatory Areas The Department's bureaus implement congressionally mandated programs through their regulations. Some of these regulatory programs include:

 Developing onshore and offshore energy, including renewable, mineral, oil and gas, and other energy resources;

 Regulating surface coal mining and reclamation operations on public and private lands;

 Managing migratory birds and preserving marine mammals and endangered species;

 Managing dedicated lands, such as national parks, wildlife refuges, National Landscape Conservation System lands, and American Indian trust lands;

 Managing public lands open to multiple use;

 Managing revenues from American Indian and Federal minerals;

 Fulfilling trust and other responsibilities pertaining to American Indians and Alaska Natives;

 Managing natural resource damage assessments; and

 Ma naging assistance programs. Regulatory Policy DOI's regulatory programs seek to operate programs transparently, efficiently, and cooperatively while maximizing protection of our land, resources, and environment in a fiscally responsible way by: (1) Protecting Natural, Cultural, and Heritage Resources.

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The Department's mission includes protecting and providing access to our Nation's natural and cultural heritage and honoring our trust responsibilities to tribes. We are committed to this mission and to applying laws and regulations fairly and effectively. Our priorities include protecting public health and safety,restoring and maintaining public lands, protecting threatened and endangered species, ameliorating landand resource-management problems on public lands, and ensuring accountability and compliance with Federal laws and regulations. (2) Sustainably Using Energy, Water, and Natural Resources. Since the beginning of the Obama Administration, the Department has focused on renewable energy issues and has established priorities for environmentally responsible development of renewable energy on public lands and the OCS. Industry has respond ed by investing in the development of wind farms off the Atlantic seacoast and solar, wind, and geothermal energy facilities throughout the West. Power generation from these new energy sources produces virtually no greenhouse gases and, when done in an environmentally responsible manner, harnesses with minimum impact abundant renewable energy. The Department will continue its intra- and inter-departmental efforts to move forward with the environmentally responsible review and permitting of renewable energy projects on public lands, and will identify how its regulatory processes can be improved to facilitate the responsible development of these resources. In implementing these priorities through its regulations, the Department will create jobs and contribute to a healthy economy while protecting our signature landscapes, natural resources, wildlife, and cultural
resources.

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(3) Empowering People and Communities. The Department strongly encourages public participation in the regulatory process and will continue to actively engage the public in the implementation of priority initiatives. Throughout the Department, individual bureaus and offices are ensuring that the American people have an active role in managing our Nation's public lands and resources. For example, every year FWS establishes migratory bird hunting seasons in partnership with flyway councils composed of State fish and wildlife agencies. FWS also holds a series of public meetings to give other interested parties, including hunters and other groups, opportunities to participate in establishing the upcoming season's regulations. Similarly, BLM uses Resource Advisory Councils to advise on management of public lands and resources. These citizen-based groups allow individuals from all backgrounds and interests to have a voice in management of public lands. Retrospective Review of Regulations President Obama's Executive Order 13563 directs agencies to make the regulatory system work better for the American public. Regulations should "...protect public health, welfare, safety, and our environment while promoting economic growth, innovation, competitiveness, and job creation." DOI's plan for retrospective regulatory review identifies specific efforts to relieve regulatory burdens, add jobs to the economy, and make regulations work better for the American public while protecting our environment and
resources. Th e DOI plan seeks to strengthen and maintain a culture of retrospective review by consolidating all regulatory review requirements into DOI's annual regulatory plan. The Department routinely meets with stakeholders to solicit feedback and gather input on how to incorporate performance based standards. DOI has received helpful public input through this process and will continue to participate in this effort with relevant interagency partners as part of its retrospective regulatory review. Under section 6 of Executive Order 13563 "Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review" (Jan. 18, 2011), the following Regulation Identifier Numbers (RINs) were identified as associated with retrospective

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review and analysis in the Department's final retrospective review of regulations plan, which can be viewed at http://www.doi.gov/open/regsreview

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Bureau Title & RIN Description Reduces burdens on small business? Office of Natural Resources Revenue Oil and Gas

Royalty Valuation
1012
- AA13 DOI is exploring a simplified market
- based approach to

arrive at the value of oil and gas for royalty purposes that could dramatically reduce accounting and paperwork requirements and costs on industry and better ensure proper royalty valuation by creating a more transparent royalty ca lculation method. Yes

Fish and Wildlife Service ESA Section 7

Consultation Process; Incidental Take Statements
1018
- AX85 Court decisions over the last decade have prompted us,

along with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA, Commerce), to consider clarifying our regulations concerning incidental take statements during section 7 consultation under the Endangered Specie s Act. A proposed rule published on September 4, 2013. The proposed changes address use of surrogates to express the limit of exempted take and how to determine when deferral of an incidental take exemption is appropriate. This is a joint rulemaking with NOAA. No

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Bureau Title & RIN Description Reduces burdens on small business? Fish and Wildlife Service Regulations

Governing Designation of Critical Habitat Under Section 4 of the ESA
1018
- AX86 The proposed rule would revise requirements for

designatin g critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. The proposed revisions would make minor edits to the scope and purpose, add and remove some definitions, and clarify the criteria for designating critical habitat. A number of factors, including litigation and experience in interpreting and applying the statutory defi nition of critical habitat, have highlighted the need to clarify or revise the current regulations. This is a joint rulemaking with NOAA. No

Fish and Wildlife Service Policy Regarding

Implementation of Section 4(b)(2) of the Endangered Species Act
1018
- AX87 This draft policy would explain how we consider

partnerships and conservation plans ; habitat conservation plans ; and tribal, military, and Federal lands in the exclusion process. This draft policy is meant to complement our proposed regulatory amendments regarding exclusions from critical habitat and to clarify expectations regarding critical habitat . The policy would provide a credible, predictable, and simplified critical
habitat
- exclusion process and foster clarity and consistency in designa tion of critical habitat. We will seek public review and comment on the proposed policy. This is a joint policy with NOAA. No

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Bureau Title & RIN Description Reduces burdens on small business? Fish and Wildlife Service ESA Section 7

Consultation Regulations; Definition of "Destruction or Adverse Modification" of Critical Habitat
1018
- AX88 The proposed rule would amend the existing regulations

governing section 7 consultation under the Endangered Species Act to revise th e definition of "destruction or adverse modification" of critical habitat. The current regulatory definition has been invalidated by the courts for being inconsistent with the language of the Endangered Species Act. The revised definition will provide the Services and Federal agencies with greater clarity in how to ensure that any action they authorize, fund, or carry out is not likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat, consistent with section 7(a)(2) of the ESA. Thi s is a joint rulemaking with NOAA. No

Bureau of Indian Affairs Procedures for

Establishing that an Indian Group Exists as an Indian Tribe
1076
- AF18 The Department is examining its regulations governing the

process and criteria by which Indian groups are federally acknowledged as Indian tribes to determine how regulatory changes could increase transparency, timeliness, efficiency, and flexibility, whil e maintaining the integrity of the acknowledgment process. No

DOI bureaus work to make our regulations easier to comply with and understand. Our regulatory process ensures that bureaus share ideas on how to reduce regulatory burdens while meeting the requirements of the laws they enforce and improving their stewardship of the environment and resources. Results include:

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 Effective stewardship of our Nation's resources in a way that is responsive to the needs of small businesses;

 Increased benefits per dollar spent by careful evaluati on of the economic effects of planned rules; and

 Improved compliance and transparency by use of plain language in our regulations and guidance documents.
Bureaus and Offices within DOI The following sections give an overview of some of the major regulatory priorities of DOI bureaus and offices.

Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) provides services to approximately 1.9 million Indians and Alaska Natives, and maintains a government- to -government relationship with the 566 federally recognized Indian tribes. The Bureau also administers and manages 55 million acres of surface land and 57 million acres of subsurface minerals held in trust by the United States for Indians and Indian tribes. BIA's mission is to enhance the quality of life, promote economic opportunity, and protect and improve the trust assets of American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives, as well as to provide quality education opportunities to students in Indian schools. In the coming year, BIA will continue its focus on improved management of trust responsibilities with each regulatory review and revision. The Bureau will also continue to promote economic development in Indian communities by ensuring the regulations support, rather than hinder, productive land management. In addition, BIA will focus on updating Indian education regulations and on other regulatory changes to increase transparency in support of the President's Open Government Initiative. In the coming year, BIA's regulatory priorities are to:

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 Develop regulations to meet the Indian trust reform goals for rights- of -ways across Indian land.

 Develop regulatory changes necessary for improved Indian education. BIA is reviewing regulations that require the Bureau of Indian Education to follow 23 different State adequate yearly progress standards; the review will determine whether a uniform standard would better meet the needs of students at Bureau-funded schools. With regard to undergraduate education, the Bureau of Indian Education is reviewing regulations that address grants to tribally controlled community colleges and other Indian education regulations. These reviews will identify provisions that need to be updated to comply with applicable statutes and ensure that the proper regulatory framework is in place to support students in Bureau-funded schools.

 Develop regulatory changes to reform the process for Federal acknowledgment of Indian tribes. Over the years, BIA has received significant comments from American Indian groups and members of Congress on the Federal acknowledgment process. Most of these comments criticize the current process as cumbersome, overly restrictive, and lacking transparency

. BIA is reviewing the Federal ack nowledgment regulations to determine how regulatory changes may streamline the acknowledgment process and clarify criteria by which an Indian group is examined.

 Revise regulations to reflect updated statutory provisions and increase transparency. BIA is making a concentrated effort to improve the readability and precision of its regulations. Because trust beneficiaries often turn to the regulations for guidance on how a given BIA process works, BIA is ensuring that each revised regulation is written as clearly as possible and accurately reflects the current organization of the Bureau. The Bureau is also simplifying language and eliminating obsolete provisions. In the coming year, the Bureau also plans to revise regulations regarding rights- of -way (25 CFR 169); Indian Reservation Roads (25 CFR 170); and certain regulations specific to the Osage Nation.

Bureau of Land Management

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BLM manages the 245-million-acre National System of Public Lands, located primarily in the western States, including Alaska, and the 700-million-acre subsurface mineral estate located throughout the Nation. In doing so, BLM manages such varied uses as energy and mineral development, outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, and forestry and woodlands products. BLM's complex multiple-use mission affects the lives of millions of Americans, including those who live near and visit the public lands, as well as those who benefit from the commodities, such as minerals, energy, or timber, produced from the lands' rich resources. In undertaking its management responsibilities, BLM seeks to conserve our public lands' natural and cultural resources and sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In the coming year, BLM's highest regulatory priorities include: outdated hydraulic fracturing regulations. BLM's existing regulations applicable to hydraulic fracturing were promulgated over 20 years ago and do not reflect modern technology. In seeking to modernize its requirements and ensure the protection of our Nation's public lands, BLM will finalize a rule that will disclose to the public chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing on public land and Indian land, strengthen regulations related to well-bore integrity, and address issues related to recovered fluids

. Creating a competitive process for offering lands for solar and wind energy development

.
BLM recently published a proposed rule that would establish an efficient competitive process for leasing public lands for solar and wind energy development. The amended regulations would establish competitive bidding procedures for lands within designated solar and wind energy development leasing areas, define qualifications for potential bidders, and structure the financial arrangements necessary for the process. T he rule would enhance BLM's ability to capture fair market value for the use of public lands, ensure fair access to leasing opportunities for renewable energy development, and foster the growth and development of the renewable energy sector of the economy. Preventing waste of produced gas and ensuring fair return to the taxpayer.

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BLM’s current requirements regarding venting and flaring from oil and gas operations are over three decades old. The agency is currently preparing a proposed rule to address emissions reductions and minimize waste through improved standards for venting, flaring, and fugitive losses of methane from oil and gas production facilities on Federal and Indian lands.

 Seeking public input on managing waste mine methane. BLM issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) requesting information from the public that might assist the bureau in the establishment of a program to capture, use, or destroy waste mine methane from Federal coal leases and Federal leases for other solid minerals. The BLM is currently reviewing the information received through that process to identify potential appropriate regulatory approaches to reduce the waste of methane from mining operations on public lands.

 Ensuring a fair return to the American taxpayer for oil shale development. BLM is preparing a final rule that would ensure responsible development of federal oil shale resources and evaluate necessary safeguards to protect scarce water resources and important wildlife habitat while
ens uring a fair royalty to the American people.

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Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) promotes energy independence, environmental protection, and economic development through responsible, science-based management of offshore conventional and renewable energy resources. It is dedicated to fostering the development of both conventional and renewable energy and mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in an efficient and effective manner, balancing the need for economic growth with the protection of the environment

. BOEM thoughtfully considers and balances the potential environmental impacts involved in exploring and extracting these resources. BOEM's near-term regulatory agenda will focus on a number of issues, including:

 Expanding renewable energy resources.
As part of President Obama’s comprehensive plan to expand domestic clean energy sources, BOEM has held multiple offshore renewable energy lease sales along the Atlantic coast

. These lease sales are the
res ult of years of collaboration, data gathering and analysis, and outreach and have resulted in the identification of areas that are rich with potential wind resources but also minimize conflicts with other important OCS uses. . Based on the experiences to date in the offshore renewable energy program, BOEM is evaluating lessons learned and identifying opportunities for improvement in the program. As a part of this effort, BOEM is conducting a comprehensive review of our renewable energy regulations and highlighting areas for potential revision. For example, the Bureau recently completed a rulemaking to provi de additional time for renewable energy developers to s ubmit certain plans, after BOEM determined that the previous timelines for submission were proving to be unreasonable. This change provides an appropriate balance between ensuring diligent progress on our renewable energy leases and accounting for the needs of the renewable energy development community. Two proposed rulemakings address recommendations submitted to BOEM by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies and its stakeholders. Specifically, these include recommendations to: develop and incorporate state of the art wind turbine design standards and to clarify

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the role of Certified Verification Agents as part of the process of designing, fabricating, and installing offshore wind energy facilities for the OCS.

 Promoting safe drilling activities on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf
BOEM, jointly with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), is developing proposed rules to promote safe, responsible, and effective drilling activities on the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf, while also ensuring the protection of Alaska’s coastal communities and the marine environment

.

 Protecting the Environment.
In a continuing effort to ensure that the effects of any future potential oil spills can be minimized and fully mitigated, BOEM is amending its regulations to raise the limits of liability associated with future spills. BOEM has teamed with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Justice in developing new regulations to ensure that necessary resources will be made available to address potential contingencies of any future oil spill and associated damages.

 Updating BOEM's Air Quality Program.
BOEM’s original air quality rules date largely from 1980 and have not been updated substantially since that time. From 1990 to 2012, DOI has exercised jurisdiction for air quality only for OCS sources operating in the Gulf of Mexico. In fiscal year 2012, Congress expanded DOI’s authority by transferring to it res ponsibility for monitoring OCS air quality off the North Slope Borough of the State of Alaska , including the Beaufort Sea, the Chukchi Sea, and part of the Hope Basin. BOEM is in the process of updating its regulations to reflect changes that have occurred over the past thirty-four years and the new regulatory jurisdicti on . In its development of proposed regulations, BOEM will continue to consult and coordinate its efforts with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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 Modernizing Oil and Gas Leasing Regulations.
BOEM is developing a final rule to update and streamline the existing OCS leasing regulations to better reflect modern policy priorities, including incentivizing diligent development, as well as to reflect changes in applicable laws that have occurred over the past several years. The final rule reorganizes leasing requirements to communicate more effectively and clearly the leasing process as it has evolved, and to better delineate the roles, responsibilities and associated liabilities of all parties having an economic interest in leases or facilities on the OCS.

 Protecting OCS Sand, Gravel, and Shell Resources.
In light of the continuing need to provide resources to protect the coast from natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, BOEM is developing policies and goals to formally address the use of OCS sand, gravel, or shell resources funded by the Federal government. These policies are intended to ensure that necessary sand and gravel resources remain available to help communities that have been harmed by hurricanes and other disasters, so that beaches and other natural resources can effectively be restored, without adversely impacting the development of transmission lines and pipelines needed for energy development projects. Taken together, these policies will ensure that the development of renewable and conventional energy resources continues to take place in areas adjacent to key sand and gravel resource zones and that sand and gravel resources continue to be available for construction projects, shore protection, beach replenishment, or wetlands restoration purposes.

 Promoting Effective Financial Assurance and Risk Management.
BOEM has the responsibility to ensure that lessees and operators on the OCS do not engage in activities that could generate an undue risk of financial loss to the government. BOEM formally established a program office to review these issues, and issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking

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feedback on potential regulatory approaches to promote effective financial assurance and risk management. Agency staff will continue to work with industry and others to determine how to improve the r egulatory regime to better align with the realities of aging offshore infrastructure, hazard risks, and increasing costs of decommissioning.

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement BSEE's mission is to regulate safety, emergency preparedness, environmental responsibility and appropriate development and conservation of offshore oil and natural gas resources. BSEE's regulatory priorities are guided by the BSEE FY 2012-2015 Strategic Plan, which includes two strategic goals to focus the Bureau's priorities in fulfillment of its mission: ities, policies, and tools to compel safety and environmental responsibility and appropriate development of offshore oil and natural gas resources.

functions - capacity that keeps pace with OCS industry technology improvements, innovates in regulation and enforcement, and reduces risk through systemic assessment and regulatory and enforcement actions.
BSEE has identified the following four areas of regulatory priorities: (1) Safety; (2) Oil Spill Response; (3) Arctic; and (4) Managing and Mitigating Risk via Improved Technology

. Other regulatory topics under dev elopment include decommissioning costs, pipelines, and renewable energy.

 Safety

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BSEE will be requesting comments on regulatory options for improving aviation safety, crane safety, and safety management systems.

 Oil Spill Response BSEE will update regulations for offshore oil spill response planning and preparedness. This rule will incorporate lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon incident, improved preparedness capability standards, and applicable research findings.

 Arctic
BS EE is working with BOEM on a joint proposed rule to promote safe, responsible, and effective drilling activities on the Arctic OCS while ensuring protection of the Arctic’s communities and marine environment.

 Managing and Mitigating Risk via Improved Technology BSEE will develop a proposed rule containing requirements on blowout preventers and critical reforms in the areas of well design, well control, casing, cementing, real-time monitoring, and subsea containment. This proposed rule will address and implement multiple recommendations resulting from various investigations from the Deepwater Horizon incident. Additionally, BSEE will finalize revisions of its rule on production safety systems and life cycle analysis. This rule will expand the use of life cycle management of critical equipment. The rule addresses issues such as subsurface safety devices, safety device testing, and expands the requirements for operating production systems on the OCS.

Office of Natural Resources Revenue

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ONRR will continue to collect, account for, and disburse revenues from Federal offshore energy and mineral leases and from onshore mineral leases on Federal and Indian lands. The program operates nationwide and is primarily responsible for timely and accurate collection, distribution, and accounting fo r revenues associated with mineral and energy production. ONRR’s regulatory plan is as follows:

 Simplify valuation regulations ONRR plans to simplify the regulations at title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 1206 for establishing the value for royalty purposes of (1) oil and natural gas produced from Federal leases; and (2) coal produced from Federal and Indian leases. Additionally, the proposed rules would consolidate sections of the regulations common to all minerals, such as definitions and instructions regarding how a payor should request a valuation determination. ONRR published Advance Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRMs) to initiate the rulemaking process and to obtain input from interested parties.

 Clarify and simplify issuing notices of noncompliance and civil penalties This rule would amend ONRR civil penalty regulations to: (1) codify application of those regulations to solid minerals and geothermal leases as the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 authorizes; (2) adjust Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act civil penalty amounts for inflation as the Federal Civil Penalty Inflation Adjustment Act requires; (3) clarify and simplify the existing regulations for issuing notices of noncompliance and civil penalties under 30 CFR part 1241; and (4) provide notice that ONRR will post its matrices for civil penalty assessments on the ONRR website.

 Clarify and simplify distribution and disbursement of qualified revenues from certain leases under the GOMESA ONRR would amend the regulations on the distribution and disbursement of qualified revenues from certain leases on the Gulf of Mexico’s Outer Continental Shelf, under the provisions of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. These proposed regulations set forth the formulas and methodologies for calculating and allocating revenues during the second phase of revenue sharing to: the States of

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Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas; their eligible Coastal Political Subdivisions; the Land and Water Conservation Fund; and the United States Treasury. Additionally, in this proposed rule, the Department of the Interior moves the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006’s Phase I regulations from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s 30 CFR chapter V to ONRR’s 30 CFR chapter XII, and proposes additional clarification and minor definition changes to the current revenue-sharing regulations.

 Clarify and simplify valuation regulations for Indian oil leases
ONRR would ensure that Indian lessors receive maximum revenues from their mineral resources, as required by statute and the Secretary’s trust responsibility. The existing rule was published in 1988 with some amendments published in December 2007. Changes in the oil markets have raised concerns regarding the valuation methods for Indian oil. Generally, Indian leases have a provision that place the value of their oil at the highest price paid for a major portion of production of like-quality oil from the same field or area. Proposed changes that followed the 1988 rule were met with disagreement from Tribes and industry. In 2011, the Secretary convened the Indian Oil Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (Committee), established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, to address the major portion provision of the current Indian oil and gas rule. The Committee submitted its recommendations to ONRR in September 2013. Those recommendations form the basis of this proposed rule. By revising the method for valuing oil produced on Indian leases, the proposed rule provides clarity and certainty to all concerned parties while additionally assuring that Tribes and allottees receive, in a timely fashion, royalties that satisfy the major portion provision contained in most Indian leases.

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Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) was created by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). Under SMCRA, OSM has two principal functions - the regulation of surface coal mining and reclamation operations and the reclamation and restoration of abandoned coal mine lands. In enacting SMCRA, Congress directed OSM to "strike a balance between protection of the environment and agricultural productivity and the Nation's need for coal as an essential source of energy." In response to its statutory mandate, OSM has sought to develop and maintain a stable regulatory program that is safe, cost-effective, and environmentally sound. A stable regulatory program ensures that the coal mining industry has clear guidelines for operation and reclamation, and that citizens know how the program is being implemented. OSM's Federal regulatory program sets minimum requirements for obtaining a permit for surface and underground coal mining operations, sets performance standards for those operations, requires reclamation of lands and waters disturbed by mining, and requires enforcement to ensure that the standards are met. OSM is the primary regulatory authority for SMCRA enforcement until a State or Indi an tribe develops its own regulatory program, which is no less effective than the Federal program. When a State or Indian tribe achieves "primacy," it assumes direct responsibility for permitting, inspection, and enforcement activities under its federally approved regulatory program. The regulatory standards in Fed eral program states and in primacy states are essentially the same with only minor, non-substantive differences. Today, 24 States have primacy, including 23 of the 24 coal producing States. OSM's regulatory priorities for the coming year will focus on:

 Stream Protection. Protect streams and related environmental resources from the adverse effects of surface coal mining operations. OSM plans to revise its regulations to improve the balance between environmental protection and the Nation’s need for coal by better protecting streams from the adverse impacts of surface coal mining operations.

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 Coal Combustion Residues.
Establish Federal standards for the beneficial use of coal combustion residues on active and abandoned coal mines.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is to work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. FWS also provides opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our shared natural heritage. FWS fulfills its responsibilities through a diverse array of programs that:

 Protect and recover endangered and threatened species;

 Monitor and manage migratory birds;

 Restore native aquatic populations and nationally significant fisheries;

 Enforce Federal wildlife laws and regulate international trade;

 Conserve and restore wildlife habitat such as wetlands;

 Help foreign governments conserve wildlife through international conservation efforts;

 Distribute Federal funds to States, territories, and tribes for fish and wildlife conservation projects; and

 Manage the more than 150-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which protects and conserves fish and wildlife and their habitats and allows the public to engage in outdoor recreational activities. During the next year, FWS regulatory priorities will include: Regulations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA):

### 21 We will issue multiple rules to add species to, remove species from, and reclassify species on the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants and to designate critical habitat for certain listed species, and rules to transform the processes for listing species and designating critical habitat. We will improve the listing process by issuing rules to more clearly describe areas where listed species are protected and revise the process for submitting petitions to list, delist, or reclassify species. We will further the protection of native species and their ecosystems through a policy that will provide incentives for voluntary conservation actions taken for species prior to their listing under the ESA. We will issue rules to improve the process of critical habitat designation, including clarifying definitions of "critical habitat" and "destruction or adverse modification" of critical habitat, and a policy to explain how we consider various factors in determining exclusions to critical habitat under section 4(b)(2) of the ESA.
Regulations under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA): In carrying out our responsibility to manage migratory bird populations, we issue annual migratory bird hunting regulations, which establish the frameworks (outside limits) for States to establish season lengths, bag limits, and areas for migratory game bird hunting. To ensure proper administration of the MBTA, we will revise our regulations to prevent the wanton waste of migratory game birds to clarify that the h unting public must make reasonable efforts to retrieve birds that have been killed or injured. We will also revise our regulations regarding permits for certain take of eagles and eagle nests and propose regulations for the use of raptors other than eagles for abatement (the use of trained raptors to mitigate depredation problems caused by birds or other wildlife).
Regulations to administer the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS): In carrying out our statutory responsibility to provide wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities on NWRS lands, we issue an annual rule to update the hunting and fishing regulations on specific refuges. To ensure protection of NWRS resources, we will issue a proposed rule to ensure that businesses conducting oil or gas operations on NWRS lands do so in a manner that prevents or minimizes damage to the lands, visitor values, and management objectives. We will also issue a policy

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for managing cultural resources (archaeological resources, historic and architectural properties, and areas or sites of traditional or religious significance to Native Americans) on NWRS lands.
Regulations to carry out the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) Act: To strengthen our partnership with State conservation organizations, we are working on several rules to update and clarify our WSFR regulations. States rely on FWS to distribute finances, and the FWS relies on the States to implement eligible conservation projects. We will expand on existing regulations that prescribe processes that applicants and grantees must follow when applying for and managing grants from FWS. Among other rules, we will also revise our regulations under the Clean Vessel Act and Boating Infrastructure Grant programs to improve management and execution of thos e programs.
In accordance with section 3(a) of Executive Order 13609 ("Promoting International Regulatory Cooperation"), we will issue the following rulemaking actions:
Regulations to carry out the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
We will update our CITES regulations to incorporate provisions resulting from the 16 th Conference of the Parties to CITES. The revisions will help us more effectively promote species conservation and help U.S. importers and exporters of wildlife products understand how to conduct lawful international trade. We will also rewrite a substantial portion of our regulations for the importation, exportation, and transportation of wildlife by proposing changes to the port structure and inspection fees and making the regulations easier to understand.
To help protect African elephants, we will revise our regulations regarding ivory from African elephants to prohibit interstate commerce and export, except for antique specimens and certain other

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items. Import of sport-hunted trophies would still be allowed, but the number of trophies that could be imported by a hunter in a given year would be limited.
Finally, to protect native species and prevent the spread of injurious species, we will propose regulations to improve our process for making injurious wildlife determinations for foreign species under the Lacey Act to prevent the interstate transportation and commerce of injurious wildlife.

National Park Service The NPS preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values within more than 400 units of the National Park System encompassing nearly 84 million acres of lands and waters for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. NPS also cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout the United States and the world. To achieve this mission NPS adheres to the following guiding principles:

 Excellent Service : Providing the best possible service to park visitors and partners.

 Productive Partnerships : Collaborating with Federal, State, tribal, and local governments, private organizations, and businesses to work toward common goals.

 Citizen Involvement : Providing opportunities for citizens to participate in the decisions and actions of the National Park Service.

 Heritage Education : Educating park visitors and the general public about their history and common heritage.

 Outstanding Employees : Empowering a diverse workforce committed to excellence, integrity, and quality work.

 Employee Development : Providing developmental opportunities and training so employees have the "tools to do the job" safely and efficiently.

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 Wise Decisions : Integrating social, economic, environmental, and ethical considerations into the decision-making process.

 Effective Management : Instilling a performance management philosophy that fosters creativity, focuses on results, and requires accountability at all levels.

 Research and Technology : Incorporating research findings and new technologies to improve work practices, products, and services. NPS regulatory priorities for the coming year include:

 Managing Off-Road Vehicle Use Rules for Fire Island National Seashore, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and Cape Lookout National Seashore would allow for management of off-road vehicle (ORV) use, to protect and preserve natural and cultural resources, and provide a variety of visitor use experiences while minimizing conflicts among user groups. Further, the rules would designate ORV routes and establish operational requirements and restrictions.

 Managing Bicycling New rules would authorize and manage bicycling at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park.

 Implementing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (1) A new rule would establish a process for disposition of Unclaimed Human Remains and Funerar y Objects discovered after November 16, 1990, on Federal or Indian Lands. (2) A rule revising the existing regulations would describe the NAGPRA process in plain language, eliminate ambiguity, clarify terms, and include Native Hawaiians in the process. The rule would eliminate unnecessary requirements for museums and would not add process es or collect additional information.

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 Regulating non-Federal oil and gas activity on NPS land The rule would account for new technology and industry practices, eliminate regulatory exemptions, update new legal requirements, remove caps on bond amounts, and allow the NPS to recover compliance costs associated with administering the regulations.

 Authorizing and managing service animals
The rule will define and differentiate service animals from pets, and will describe the circumstances under which service animals would be allowed in a park area. The rule will ensure NPS compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (28 U.S.C 794) and better align NPS regulations with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 1211 et seq. ) and the Department of Justice Service Animal regulations of 2011 (28 CFR 36.104).

 Preserving and managing paleontological resources
This rule would implement provisions of the Paleontological Resources Protection Act. The rule would preserve, manage, and protect paleontological resources on Federal lands and ensure that these resources are available for current and future generations to enjoy as part of America’s national heritage. The rule would address management, collection, and curation of paleontological resources from Federal lands using scientific principles and expertise. Provisions of the rule will ensure that resources are collect ed in accordance with permits and curat ed in an approved repository. The rule would also protect confidential locality data, and authorize penalties for illegal ly collecting, damaging, altering, defacing, or selling paleontological resources.

 Collecting plants for traditional cultural practices

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The rule would propose authorizing Park Superintendents to enter into agreements with federally recognized tribes to permit tribal members to collect limited quantities of plant resources in parks to be used for traditional cultural practices and activities.

Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation's mission is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. To accomplish this mission, we employ management, engineering, and science to achieve effective and environmentally sensitive solutions.
Reclamation projects provide: Irrigation water service, municipal and industrial water supply, hydroelectric power generation, water quality improvement, groundwater management, fish and wildlife enhancement, outdoor recreation, flood control, navigation, river regulation and control, system optimization, and related uses. We have continued to focus on increased security at our facilities.
Our regulatory program focus in fiscal year 2015 is to publish a proposed minor amendment to 43 CFR part 429 to bring it into compliance with the requirements of the recently published final rule, 43 CFR part 5, Commercial Filming and Similar Projects and Still Photography on Certain Areas under Department Jurisdiction. Publishing this rule will implement the provisions of Public Law 106-206, which directs the establishment of permits and reasonable fees for commercial filming and certain still photography activities on public lands.