67400 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 1997 / Notices

(4) Only one percent of the

petitioner’s membership can document

American Indian ancestry.

In its response to the Proposed

Finding, the petitioner submitted

evidence including letters, photographs,

interviews, school/church records,

published secondary sources,

newspaper/journal articles, court

documents, Federal documents, land

records, maps, and time lines. Every

piece of evidence submitted was

reviewed and it is concluded that:

(1) Some of the evidence was either

irrelevant to criterion 83.7(e) because it

did not demonstrate genealogical

descent from four claimed ancestors or

descent from any historical tribe;

(2) Much of the evidence was oral

history and was unreliable when tested.

Much of the evidence was found to be

unsubstantiated by primary

documentation; and

(3) The evidence did not connect

known MOWA ancestors to the

individuals whom the MOWA claimed

were Native American or to a historical

Indian tribe.

(4) The evidence disproved Indian

ancestry to some of the MOWA

ancestors.

The BIA searched for evidence on the

local, state, and national levels. The

core ancestors of the petitioning group

are known. None of the primary records

demonstrated that these documented,

known core ancestors were American

Indian, or were descendants of a

historical tribe. The BIA also searched

the records of the historical tribes which

the petitioner claimed and found no

connection between the MOWA core

ancestors and these historical tribes.

The MOWA response to the Proposed

Finding offered no basis for reversing

the conclusions of the Proposed Finding

against Federal acknowledgment of the

MOWA. The evidence in the record

does not support the petitioner’s claim

that it descends from a historical tribe.

The record does not provide substantive

evidence or any reason to believe that

additional research might uncover such

evidence. The MOWA petitioner has not

demonstrated by a ‘‘reasonable

likelihood of the validity of the facts’’

standard that it meets the requirements

of criterion 83.7(e). There is thus no

need to complete a full evaluation of the

documented petition under all seven of

the mandatory criteria. The petitioner

fails to meet the requirements for

Federal acknowledgment as an Indian

Tribe.

The Proposed Finding which declined

to acknowledge that the petitioner is an

Indian tribe is affirmed. This

determination is final and will become

effective 90 days from the date of

publication unless the petitioner or any

interested party files a request for

reconsideration of this determination

with the Interior Board of Indian

Appeals (83.11(a)(1)). The petitioner’s or

interested party’s request must be

received no later than 90 days after the

publication of the Assistant Secretary’s

determination in the Federal Register

(83.11(a)(2)).

Dated: December 17, 1997.

Kevin Gover,

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 97–33532 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Notice of Availability and Public

Comment Period on Supplemental

Analysis to Environmental

Assessment No. CA–069–EA7–42;

Tritium and Related Materials Testing

on Public Lands in Ward Valley, San

Bernardino County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Public comment period on

Supplemental Analysis.

SUMMARY: The Department of the

Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) has prepared a

Supplemental Analysis on simultaneous

drilling activities by DOI/BLM and the

State of California, Department of

Health Services, and on related issues.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Public comments on the

Supplemental Analysis must be

received by January 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Supplemental

Analysis may be obtained upon request.

Submit requests to: External Affairs

Staff, Bureau of Land Management,

California Desert District, 6221 Box

Springs Blvd., Riverside, CA 92507; or

to: External Affairs Staff, Bureau of Land

Management, California State Office,

2135 Butano Drive, Sacramento,

California 95825. The EA is also

available on the Internet at:

www.ca.blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOI and

BLM prepared an Environmental

Assessment, EA No. CA–069–EA7–42,

on proposed tritium and related

materials testing and a proposal by the

State of California to conduct rainfall

infiltration studies. The EA was released

for public review on November 6, 1997.

Since the initial EA was released, new

information has become available that is

relevant to the DOI/BLM and State

proposals. Specifically, a simultaneous

drilling alternative is under

consideration, and more information

concerning unexploded military

ordnance on site has become available.

These topics are analyzed in the

Supplemental Analysis which is being

distributed for public review through

January 9, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ward Valley Project Coordinator Bureau

of Land Management, California State

Office, 2135 Butano Drive, Sacramento,

California 95825; tel: (916) 978–4630.

Carl Rountree,

Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.

[FR Doc. 97–33544 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ–910–0777–61–241A]

State of Arizona Resource Advisory

Council Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Arizona Resource Advisory

Council Meeting, notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a tour

and meeting of the Arizona Resource

Advisory Council. The tour and meeting

will be held January 23–24, 1998 in

Safford, Arizona. On January 23, the

RAC will tour a grazing allotment along

the Gila River and discuss various

issues involved in the Safford Field

Office Livestock Grazing Biological

Opinion. The tour will start at 8:00 a.m.

from the BLM Safford Field Office and

will conclude at 5:00 p.m. The Safford

Field Office is located at 711 14th

Avenue. On January 24, the RAC will

conduct a one-day business meeting.

Again, the meeting will be held at the

Safford Field Office, starting at 8:00 am.

until approximately 2:00 p.m. The

agenda items to be covered at the

meeting include review of previous

meeting minutes; BLM State Director’s

Update on legislation, regulations and

statewide planning efforts; Update on

Safford and Tucson Biological

Opinions; Presentation on a study

performed on the Gila River Watershed

and its Runoff; and Reports by the

Standards and Guidelines, Recreation

and Public Relations Working Groups;

Reports from RAC members; RAC

Discussion on future meeting dates and

locations. A public comment period will

take place at 11:30 a.m. January 24, 1998

for any interested publics who wish to

address the Council.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Deborah Stevens, Bureau of Land
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 1997 / Notices 67401

Management, Arizona State Office, 222

North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona

85004–2203, (602) 417–9215.

Michael A. Ferguson,

Deputy State Director, Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 97–33539 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–32–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY–921–1430–01; WYW 126227]

Opening of Land in a Proposed

Withdrawal; Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice cancels a

withdrawal application insofar as it

affects 1410.00 acres of public land and

opens the land to surface entry and

mining. It has been and remains open to

mineral leasing. The remaining portion

of the withdrawal application will

continue to be processed unless it is

cancelled or denied.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 24, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janet Booth, BLM Wyoming State Office

(WY 921), P.O. Box 1828, Cheyenne,

Wyoming 82003, 307–775–6124.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice

of Proposed Withdrawal published in

the Federal Register, 59 FR 5441, on

February 4, 1994, for the Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) to protect important

paleontological resources on Big Cedar

Ridge near Tensleep, Wyoming. After

completing an environmental

assessment, the BLM determined that

certain land is no longer needed for the

withdrawal. The land is described as

follows:

Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming

T. 45 N., R. 89 W.,

Sec. 8, E1⁄2SE1⁄4;

Sec. 9, W1⁄2SW1⁄4;

Sec. 16, W1⁄2NW1⁄4, S1⁄2SW1⁄4SW1⁄4;

Sec. 17, E1⁄2E1⁄2;

Sec. 20, E1⁄2E1⁄2;

Sec. 21, W1⁄2W1⁄2, NE1⁄4NW1⁄4,

NE1⁄4SE1⁄4NW1⁄4;

Sec. 28, W1⁄2E1⁄2NW1⁄4, NE1⁄4SE1⁄4NW1⁄4,

W1⁄2NW1⁄4, N1⁄2SW1⁄4, N1⁄2SW1⁄4SW1⁄4,

SW1⁄4SW1⁄4SW1⁄4;

Sec. 29, E1⁄2E1⁄2;

Sec. 32, E1⁄2NE1⁄4;

Sec. 33, NE1⁄4NE1⁄4NW1⁄4,

NW1⁄4NW1⁄4NW1⁄4, S1⁄2N1⁄2NW1⁄4,

S1⁄2NW1⁄4.

The area described contains 1,410 acres in

Washakie County.

At 9 a.m. on December 24, 1997 the

land will be opened to location and

entry under the general land laws,

including the United States mining

laws, subject to valid existing rights, the

provision of existing withdrawals, and

other segregations of record.

Appropriation of any of the land

described in this order under the

general mining laws prior to the date

and time of restoration is unauthorized.

Any such attempted appropriation,

including attempted adverse possession

under 30 U.S.C. 38 (1988), shall vest no

rights against the United States. Acts

required to establish a location and to

initiate a right of possession are

governed by State law where not in

conflict with Federal law. The Bureau of

Land Management will not intervene in

disputes between rival locators over

possessory rights since Congress has

provided for such determinations in

local courts.

Alan R. Pierson,

State Director.

[FR Doc. 97–33536 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA–360–1230–00]

Special Area—Fee Adjustment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management

(BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of fee adjustment for use

of Special Area within Butte County,

California.

SUMMARY: The BLM is adjusting the

daily fee from $2.50 per site, per day to

$5.00 per site, per day for recreational

mineral collection at the Forks of Butte

Creek Special Recreation Management

Area. This fee adjustment is required to

reflect the current market value of the

recreation opportunity being offered by

BLM, and to reduce over-crowding and

degradation within the Special

Recreation Management Area.

DATES: This fee adjustment will take

effect January 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charles M. Schultz, Area Manager,

Bureau of Land Management, 355

Hemsted Drive, Redding, CA 96002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forks

of Butte Creek Special Recreation

Management Area in Butte County,

California, was placed under protective

withdrawal (S 4528) by Public Land

Order 5329 on January 18, 1973, to

segregate the area from all forms of

appropriation, including the mining

laws. While the mineral rights to much

of this area continue to be held under

mining claims that pre-date this

withdrawal, several segments (sites) of

Butte Creek are not encumbered with

mining claims. These sites have become

extremely popular for recreational

mineral collection via panning, sluicing

and dredging.

The authority for this fee adjustment

is 43 CFR 8372. Any person who

engages in mineral collection within the

Forks of Butte Creek Special Recreation

Area in violation of permit terms or

stipulations may be subject to a fine not

to exceed $1,000 and/or imprisonment

not to exceed 12 months.

Charles M. Schultz,

Redding Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–33409 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ–010–98–1610]

Arizona Strip District Resource

Management Plan: Intent To Amend

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Notice of intent to amend the

Arizona Strip Resource Management

Plan, Arizona.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the BLM Planning

Regulations (43 CFR part 1600) this

notice advises the public that the

Arizona Strip Field Office, Bureau of

Land Management, is proposing to

amend the Arizona Strip Resource

Management Plan to establish allowable

resource uses on the Lee’s Ferry Grazing

Allotment. In accordance with 43 CFR

part 4100.0–8 ‘‘The authorized officer

shall manage livestock grazing on public

lands under the principle of multiple

use and sustained yield, and in

accordance with applicable land use

plans. Land use plans shall establish

allowable resource uses (either singly or

in combination), related levels of

production or use to be maintained,

areas of use, * * *’’. The Bureau of

Land Management, in cooperation with

the Lee’s Ferry Grazing permittee,

desires to retire the grazing preferences

associated with the grazing allotment to

alleviate conflicts between livestock and

recreationist using the narrow Paria

River Canyon corridor.

The main issues anticipated in this

plan amendment are: (1) potential

impacts on recreation opportunities; (2),

and potential impacts on the socioeconomics of Coconino County,

Arizona.

This amendment is limited to the area

contained within the Lee’s Ferry

Allotment on the Arizona Strip.