Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 120 / Thursday, June 21, 2001 / Notices 33269

projects and the cumulative effects of

past, present, and reasonably

foreseeable actions. The proposed action

discussed in this draft EIS is the

sequential drilling of 4 or 5 delineation

wells on four separate OCS units using

a semi-submersible drilling vessel,

commonly referred to as a mobile

offshore drilling unit. A unit is a

number of leases grouped together to

prevent waste, conserve natural

resources, and protect Federal royalty

interests. Each of the four subject units

has been previously explored under

Exploration Plans (EP) approved by the

MMS and found consistent with the

California Coastal Management Plan by

the California Coastal Commission.

Operators are expected to submit to the

MMS revisions to 4 to 5 existing EP’s in

September 2001. The operators of these

units, Nuevo Energy Company, Aera

Energy LLC, and Samedan Oil

Corporation, propose to drill delineation

wells to complete their data on reservoir

configuration and characteristics. It

would take 68 to 92 days to drill and

test each well. The first well would

commence drilling in May 2002 and the

last well in May 2003. The data received

from these wells would assist the

operators in determining how to

develop and produce the oil and gas

reserves underlying these and possibly

adjacent units.

The Notice of Intent to prepare this

EIS (Federal Register, Vol. 65, No. 226,

pages 70361–70362, November 22,

2000) referred to ‘‘exploratory drilling

activities.’’ We have renamed the

document to more specifically reflect

the fact that ‘‘delineation drilling

activities’’ are the focus of the draft EIS.

As discussed above, and defined in the

Notice of Intent, delineation is a type of

exploration drilling activity that

involves drilling a well to gather

additional information about the nature

and extent of the hydrocarbon reservoirs

in areas where a discovery has already

been made.

EIS Availability: The draft EIS is

available on our web site at

www.mms.gov/omm/pacific. In

addition, you may obtain single copies

of the draft EIS by writing the Minerals

Management Service, Pacific OCS

Region, Attention: Delineation Drilling

Activities Draft EIS, 770 Paseo

Camarillo, Camarillo, California 93010–

6064, or by calling Janice Hall at 1–800–

672–2627. Please indicate whether you

would like to receive a paper copy of

the draft EIS or a CD–ROM. To avoid

excess printing and mailing costs, we

will not accept e-mail requests for hard

copies or CD–ROM’s.

The draft EIS will also be available at

the following California libraries:

Camarillo Public Library, 3100

Ponderosa Drive, Camarillo;

Cambria Library, 900 Main Street,

Cambria;

Carpinteria Public Library, 5141

Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria;

Goleta Public Library, 500 N. Fairview,

Goleta;

Davidson Library, University of

California at Santa Barbara, Santa

Barbara;

Robert F. Kennedy Library, Cal Poly

State University, San Luis Obispo;

Santa Barbara Central Public Library, 40

E. Anapamu, Santa Barbara;

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural

History, Library, 2559 Puesta Del Sol

Road, Santa Barbara;

U.S. National Park Service Library,

Channel Islands National Park, 1901

Spinnaker Drive, Ventura;

Ventura College Library, 4667

Telephone Road, Ventura.

Public Hearings: The MMS will hold

two public hearings to receive

comments on the draft EIS. The hearings

present one of the opportunities to

provide us with information that will

help in the evaluation of the potential

effects of the proposed action. The

second is direct mail or email comments

on the document.

Hearings will be held in Santa Barbara

and Santa Maria on the following dates

and times: July 10, 2001, 1–5 p.m. and

6–9 p.m., Fess Parker Doubletree Hotel,

633 East Cabrillo Boulevard, Santa

Barbara; and July 12, 2001, 1–5 p.m. and

6–9 p.m., Ethel Pope Auditorium, 901 S.

Broadway Street Santa Maria.

If you wish to testify at a hearing, you

may register at the hearing site from

noon to 8:30 p.m. Speakers will be

limited to 3 minutes and will speak in

the order of their registration. Elected

officials will be given preference.

Written statements submitted at a

hearing will be considered part of the

hearing record. If you are unable to

attend the hearing, or prefer to provide

written comments separately, you may

submit your comments until Monday,

August 13, 2001, the closing date for

public comments. Send written

comments to the Minerals Management

Service, Pacific OCS Region, Attention:

Delineation Drilling Activities Draft EIS,

770 Paseo Camarillo, Camarillo,

California 93010–6064. Written

comments may be provided by e-mail to

Delineation Drilling@mms.gov. Please

provide your name and address when

commenting by mail or e-mail.

Dated: June 18, 2001.

Carolita U. Kallaur,

Associate Director for Offshore Minerals

Management.

[FR Doc. 01–15639 Filed 6–20–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural

Items in the Possession of the

Williamson Museum, Northwestern

State University of Louisiana,

Natchitoches, LA, and in the Control of

the Louisiana Division of Archaeology,

Baton Rouge, LA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

Notice is hereby given under the

Native American Graves Protection and

Repatriation Act, 43 CFR 10.10 (a)(3), of

the intent to repatriate cultural items in

the possession of the Williamson

Museum, Northwestern State University

of Louisiana, Natchitoches, LA, and in

the control of the Louisiana Division of

Archaeology, Baton Rouge, LA, that

meet the definition of ‘‘unassociated

funerary objects’’ under Section 2 of the

Act.

This notice is published as part of the

National Park Service’s administrative

responsibilities under NAGPRA, 43 CFR

10.2 (c). The determinations within this

notice are the sole responsibility of the

museum, institution, or Federal agency

that has control of these cultural items.

The National Park Service is not

responsible for the determinations

within this notice.

The one object from the Mill Creek

site, Bienville Parish, LA, is a Maddox

Engraved vessel.

This object was removed in 1960s,

during archeological excavations

conducted by Dr. Clarence H. Webb,

who donated it to the Louisiana

Division of Archaeology. In 1971, the

object was transferred to the Williamson

Museum.

Museum records indicate that this

vessel was removed from a grave; no

remains from the grave are held in the

museum. Maddox Engraved pottery is

dated to Caddo III–IV (A.D. 1200–1500)

periods.

The two objects from the Allen

Plantation site, Natchitoches Parish, LA,

are one Hickory Engraved bottle and one

bowl.

These objects were removed in 1935–

41, during archeological excavations

conducted by Dr. Clarence H. Webb,

who donated them to the Louisiana

Division of Archaeology. In 1979, the

objects were transferred to the

Williamson Museum.

Museum records and consultation

with the Caddo Tribe identified these

vessels as unassociated funerary objects.

The objects were salvaged from a grave

in a road cut; no remains from the grave

33270 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 120 / Thursday, June 21, 2001 / Notices

are held in the museum. Typologically,

these vessels fall into the Caddo I period

(A.D. 900–1000), and are not associated

with the nearby historic Allen Site.

The 53 objects from the Mounds

Plantation site (16CD12), Caddo Parish,

LA, are 50 cane mat fragments, 1 pottery

jar, 1 bois d’arc wand/staff, and 1 bois

d’arc fragment.

These objects were removed in the

1960s, during archeological excavations

conducted by Dr. Clarence H. Webb,

who donated them to the Louisiana

Division of Archaeology. In 1979, the

objects were transferred to the

Williamson Museum.

The Mounds Plantation site is one of

the earliest Caddoan ceremonial centers

(circa A.D. 900–1000). The objects were

found in a log tomb; no remains from

the tomb are held in the museum.

Consultation with the Caddo,

supplemented by museum records,

established that these were funerary

objects.

Based on the above-mentioned

information, officials of the Williamson

Museum, Northwestern State University

of Louisiana, and the Louisiana Division

of Archaeology have determined that,

pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(2)(ii), these

56 cultural items are reasonably

believed to have been placed with or

near individual human remains at the

time of death or later as part of the death

rite or ceremony and are believed, by a

preponderance of the evidence, to have

been removed from specific burial sites

of Native American individuals.

Officials of the Williamson Museum,

Northwestern State University of

Louisiana, and the Louisiana Division of

Archaeology also have determined that,

pursuant to 43 CAR 10.2 (e), there is a

relationship of shared group identity

that can be reasonably traced between

these unassociated funerary objects and

the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

This notice has been sent to officials

of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

Representatives of any other Indian tribe

that believes itself to be culturally

affiliated with these unassociated

funerary objects should contact Dr. Pete

Gregory, Director, Williamson Museum,

Northwestern State University of

Louisiana, Natchitoches, LA 71497,

telephone (318) 357–8170, or Dr. Tom

Eubanks, Louisiana Division of

Archaeology, P.O. Box 44247, Baton

Rouge, LA 70804, telephone (504) 342–

8170, before July 23, 2001. Repatriation

of these unassociated funerary objects to

the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma

may begin after that date if no

additional claimants come forward.

Dated: May 25, 2001.

John Robbins,

Assistant Director, Cultural Resources

Stewardship and Partnerships.

[FR Doc. 01–15561 Filed 6–20–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–F

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Inventory Completion for

Native American Human Remains and

Associated Funerary Objects in the

Possession of the Williamson

Museum, Northwestern State

University of Louisiana, Natchitoches,

LA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

Notice is hereby given in accordance

with provisions of the Native American

Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

(NAGPRA), 43 CFR 10.9, of the

completion of an inventory of human

remains and associated funerary objects

in the possession of the Williamson

Museum, Northwestern State University

of Louisiana, Natchitoches, LA.

This notice is published as part of the

National Park Service’s administrative

responsibilities under NAGPRA, 43 CFR

10.2 (c). The determinations within this

notice are the sole responsibility of the

museum, institution, or Federal agency

that has control of these Native

American human remains and

associated funerary objects. The

National Park Service is not responsible

for the determinations within this

notice.

A detailed assessment of the human

remains was made by the Williamson

Museum, Northwestern State University

of Louisiana, professional staff in

consultation with representatives of the

Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

In the 1960s, human remains

representing a minimum of one

individual were recovered from the

Cedar Bluff site (16WN1), Winn Parish,

LA, by Clint Pine and H.F. Gregory, who

donated these remains to the

Williamson Museum, Northwestern

State University of Louisiana. No known

individual was identified. No associated

funerary objects are present.

Cedar Bluff is located within 12–15

miles of sites known to have been

inhabited by two historic Caddoan

speaking groups, the Natchitoches and

Doustioni. The archeological sequence

derives these tribal entities directly from

a long occupation of northwestern

Louisiana by these Caddoan tribal

groups. Surface collections including

sherds and projectile points suggest a

Caddo II–III (Belcher-Bossier phase,

circa A.D. 1200–1500) affiliation for this

site.

In 1939–40, human remains

representing one individual were

recovered from the Lawton Gin site,

Natchitoches Parish, LA, by an

unknown person. In the 1960s, the

remains were donated to the Williamson

Museum, Northwestern State University

of Louisiana, by Caroline Dormon.

Information in the Dormon Papers in

Northwestern State University of

Louisiana Archives indicates that these

remains were taken from the Lawton

Gin site. No known individual was

identified. No associated funerary

objects are present.

The Lawton Gin site is a postcontact

site, dating to the 1700s. Consultation

with the Caddo Tribe has identified

these remains as Caddo. In addition,

archeological evidence from this and

contemporaneous sites was used to

define the Lawton Phase (A.D. 1714–

1800), which has been culturally

identified with the Natchitoches

confederacy of the Caddo. Lawton Phase

sites cluster around Natchitoches,

which was established as a French

trading post in 1714. While other tribes

visited the area to trade, the Native

American settlements were Caddoan.

The archeological evidence for the

cultural continuity between Lawton

Phase sites and the Caddo Tribe consists

primarily of ceramic styles, vessel

forms, and geographical locations. The

historical record includes documentary

and cartographic materials describing

the Natchitoches confederacy of the

Caddo Tribe, which lived along the Red

River near Natchitoches.

In the 1970s, human remains

representing a minimum of one

individual were recovered from the J.C.

LaCaze site, Natchitoches Parish, LA, by

Northwestern State University of

Louisiana students, who donated them

to the Williamson Museum,

Northwestern State University of

Louisiana. No known individual was

identified. No associated funerary

objects are present.

The remains were collected from the

surface of a plowed field. Sherd

collections suggest that this midden site

dates to Caddo I period (A.D. 900–1200).

Archeological evidence in northwestern

Louisiana, eastern Texas, and

southwestern Arkansas suggests that the

contemporary Caddo people are the

descendants of peoples whose cultural

development began in the Caddo I

period.

In the 1980s, human remains

representing a minimum of one

individual were recovered from the

Luster site (16NA403), Bayou Terre