1894 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 7 / Thursday, January 10, 2008 / Notices 

is contained in an Environmental 

Action Statement which also is 

available for public review. 

DATES: All comments from interested 

parties must be received on or before 

February 11, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Please address written 

comments to Patrick Leonard, Field 

Supervisor, Pacific Islands Fish and 

Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana 

Boulevard, Room #3–122, Honolulu, HI 

96850. You may also send comments by 

facsimile at (808) 792–9580. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff 

Newman, Assistant Field Supervisor 

(see ADDRESSES), telephone (808) 792–

9400. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Availability of Documents 

Copies of the draft documents and 

permit applications are available for 

public inspection, by appointment 

between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

at the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife 

Office (see ADDRESSES). You may also 

request copies of the documents by 

contacting the Service’s Pacific Island 

Fish and Wildlife Office (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). We are 

furnishing this notice to provide the 

public, other state and Federal agencies, 

and tribes an opportunity to review and 

comment on these documents. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

e-mail address, or other personal 

identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Background 

A SHA encourages private 

landowners to conduct voluntary 

conservation activities and assures them 

that they will not be subjected to 

increased listed species restrictions 

should their beneficial stewardship 

efforts result in increased numbers of 

listed species. As long as enrolled 

landowners maintain agreed-upon 

baseline responsibilities, they may make 

any other lawful use of the enrolled 

property during the permit term, even if 

such use results in the take of 

individuals of the Federally listed 

species named within the permit. 

Application requirements and issuance 

criteria for enhancement of survival 

permits and SHAs are found in 50 CFR 

17.22(c). The primary objective of this 

proposed SHA is to establish a breeding 

population of Guam rails on Cocos 

Island by providing a predatorcontrolled habitat. 

The private lands subject to this 

proposed SHA and permit consist of 

83.1 acres of mixed forest and beach 

strand habitat on Cocos Island, Guam. 

Current land use practices include the 

operation of a day resort for tourists and 

overnight camping. Habitat conditions 

vary from manicured lawn surrounding 

the buildings to mixed native forest 

with invasive vines. The Guam rail was 

last observed in the wild on Northern 

Guam in the mid-1980s; therefore, the 

baseline for the species is zero, and 

there are no prohibitions on the use of 

the property or responsibilities for 

protecting existing individuals of the 

Guam rail or its habitat. However, 

management activities by the 

Applicants and other cooperators to 

encourage the establishment and 

survival of Guam rails on the enrolled 

lands during the term of the proposed 

SHA and the permit include: (1) 

Eradicating rats and mice and control 

monitor lizard population on Cocos 

Island prior to release of Guam rail; (2) 

reducing likelihood of reintroduction of 

rats, mice, and the introduction of the 

brown treesnake; (3) developing and 

implementing a forest enhancement 

plan to reduce invasive plant species 

and increase native plant species on 

Cocos Island; (4) releasing Guam rails 

and monitoring survivorship, breeding 

behavior, habitat preference, and 

nesting success; and (5) creating 

materials to promote understanding of 

wildlife recovery and invasive species 

issues for Cocos Island staff and visitors. 

Based upon the probable species’

response, we estimate it will take 10 

years of implementing the planned 

conservation measures to fully reach a 

net conservation benefit for the Guam 

rail; some level of benefit is expected 

within a shorter period of time as a 

result of predator control and habitat 

restoration effort. The duration of the 

SHA and permits will be for a term of 

10 years, although both may be renewed 

upon approval by the Service. 

We believe that approval of the 

proposed SHA may qualify for a 

categorical exclusion under NEPA, as 

provided by the Department of Interior 

Manual (516 DM 2, Appendix 1 and 516 

DM 6, Appendix 1) Based on the 

following criteria: (1) Implementation of 

the SHA would result in minor or 

negligible effects on federally listed, 

proposed, and candidate species and 

their habitats; (2) implementation of the 

SHA would result in minor or negligible 

effects on other environmental values or 

resources; and (3) impacts of the SHA, 

considered together with the impacts of 

other past, present and reasonably 

foreseeable similarly situated projects, 

would not result, over time, in 

cumulative effects to environmental 

values or resources which would be 

considered significant. This is more 

fully explained in our draft EAS. We 

will consider public comments in 

making its final determination on 

whether to prepare such additional 

NEPA documentation. 

This notice is provided pursuant to 

section 10(c) of the ESA and NEPA 

regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). The 

Service will evaluate the permit 

application, associated documents, and 

comments submitted thereon to 

determine whether the proposed 

Agreement and permit application 

meets the requirements of section 10(a) 

of the ESA and NEPA regulations. The 

final NEPA and permit determinations 

will not be completed until after the end 

of the 30-day comment period and will 

fully consider all comments received 

during the comment period. 

Dated: December 31, 2007. 

Jeff Newman, 

Acting Field Supervisor, Pacific Islands Fish 

and Wildlife Office, Honolulu, Hawaii. 

[FR Doc. E8–254 Filed 1–9–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Minerals Management Service 

Record of Decision for the Final 

‘‘Programmatic Environmental Impact 

Statement for Alternative Energy 

Development and Production and 

Alternate Use of Facilities on the Outer 

Continental Shelf’’

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service 

(MMS), Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a 

Record of Decision (ROD). 

SUMMARY: MMS prepared the ROD for 

the establishment of an alternative 

energy and alternate use (AEAU) 

program on the Outer Continental Shelf 

(OCS), as authorized by Section 388 of 

the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), 

and codified in subsection 8(p) of the 

OCS Lands Act. In accordance with the 

regulations implementing the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 

MMS is announcing the availability of 

this ROD. The decision is to select the 

Preferred Alternative described in the 

Final Programmatic Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS). This decision 

establishes an AEAU program for the 

issuance of leases, easements and rightsof-way (ROW) for alternative energy 

activities and the alternate use of 


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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 7 / Thursday, January 10, 2008 / Notices 1895 

structures on the OCS and the 

promulgation of regulations to govern 

the program. Selection of the Preferred 

Alternative also provides MMS the 

option to authorize individual projects 

on a case-by-case basis before 

promulgation of the final rule. The 

Director, MMS signed the ROD on 

December 21, 2007. 

Authority: This NOA is published 

pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR 1506.6) 

implementing the provisions of the NEPA of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This ROD 

was developed through the preparation 

of the final Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement 

Alternative Energy Development and 

Production and Alternate Use of 

Facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf 

(Final Programmatic EIS). The 

environmental impacts from potential 

activities that may arise from the AEAU 

program in the reasonably foreseeable 

future are assessed in the Final 

Programmatic EIS, which was prepared 

in accordance with the NEPA. Section 

388 of the EPAct grants the Secretary of 

the Interior (Secretary) discretionary 

authority to issue leases, easements, or 

ROWs for activities on the OCS that 

produce or support production, 

transportation, or transmission of energy 

from sources other than oil and gas, and 

are not otherwise authorized by law. 

Examples of the general types of 

alternative energy project activities that 

MMS has the discretion to authorize 

may include, but are not limited to: 

Wind energy, wave energy, ocean 

current energy, solar energy, and 

hydrogen production. The Secretary 

delegated this authority to MMS. 

Section 388 of the EPAct also grants 

the Secretary authority to issue leases, 

easements, or ROWs for other OCS 

project activities that make alternate use 

of existing OCS facilities for ‘‘energyrelated purposes or for other authorized 

marine-related purposes,’’ to the extent 

such activities are not otherwise 

authorized by law. Such activities may 

include, but are not limited to: Offshore 

aquaculture, research, education, 

recreation, and support for operations 

and facilities authorized under the OCS 

Lands Act. The Secretary delegated this 

authority to MMS as well. 

The MMS selected the Preferred 

Alternative that establishes an AEAU 

program for the issuance of leases, 

easements, and ROWs on the OCS for 

alternative energy activities and the 

alternate use of structures on the OCS. 

Selection of the Preferred Alternative 

also provides MMS the option to 

authorize, on a case-by-case basis, 

individual AEAU projects that are in the 

national interest prior to promulgation 

of the final rule. At the same time, the 

MMS will vigorously pursue its efforts 

to complete a comprehensive program 

with regulations for authorizing and 

managing AEAU activities on the OCS. 

Upon promulgation of the final rule, 

MMS leases, easements, and ROWs for 

AEAU activities on the OCS would be 

issued subject to the rule’s provisions. 

As initial mitigation measures, this 

decision also adopts the interim policies 

provided in Attachment A of the ROD 

and initial best management practices 

(BMPs) in Attachment B of the ROD. 

Two of the proposed BMPs were not 

adopted as explained in the ROD. The 

interim policies will guide and inform 

MMS’ decision-making when 

considering any proposal for an AEAU 

project on the OCS. In addition, the 

MMS will consider and, on a case-bycase basis, may select one or more of the 

BMPs as appropriate to be included as 

a binding stipulation in any lease, 

easement or ROW for AEAU activities 

that it issues. MMS will employ and act 

by these policies when considering 

projects submitted under the AEAU 

program. 

ROD Availability: To obtain a single 

printed copy of the ROD, you may 

contact the Minerals Management 

Service, Alternative Energy and 

Alternate Use Program (MS 4080), 381 

Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170. 

An electronic copy of the ROD is 

available at MMS’s EIS Web site at: 

ocsenergy.anl.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Minerals Management Service, Ms. 

Maureen Bornholdt, Alternative Energy 

and Alternate Use Program (MS 4080), 

381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 

20170, or by phone at (703) 787–1300. 

Dated: January 4, 2008. 

Chris C. Oynes, 

Associate Director for Offshore Minerals 

Management. 

[FR Doc. E8–210 Filed 1–9–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Office of Job Corps; Advisory 

Committee on Job Corps; Meeting 

AGENCY: Office of Job Corps. 

ACTION: Notice of Advisory Committee 

Meeting. 

SUMMARY: On August 22, 2006, the 

Advisory Committee on Job Corps 

(ACJC) was established in accordance 

with the provisions of the Workforce 

Investment Act and the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act. The 

Committee was established to advance 

Job Corps’ new vision for student 

achievement aimed at 21st century highgrowth employment. This Committee 

will also evaluate Job Corps program 

characteristics, including its purpose, 

goals, and effectiveness, efficiency, and 

performance measures in order to 

address the critical issues facing the 

provision of job training and education 

to the youth population that it serves. 

The Committee may provide other 

advice and recommendations with 

regard to identifying and overcoming 

problems, planning program or center 

development or strengthening relations 

between Job Corps and agencies, 

institutions, or groups engaged in 

related activities. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

January 23–24, 2008 from 8 a.m. to 4 

p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The Advisory Committee 

meeting will be held at the Omni Austin 

Hotel at Southpark, 4140 Governor’s 

Row, Austin, Texas 78744. Telephone: 

(512) 448–2222. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Crystal Woodard, Office of Job Corps, 

202–693–3000 (this is not a toll-free 

number). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 

22, 2006 the Advisory Committee on Job 

Corps (71 FR 48949) was established in 

accordance with the provisions of the 

Workforce Investment Act, and the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act. The 

Committee was established to advance 

Job Corps’ new vision for student 

achievement aimed at 21st century highgrowth employment. This Committee 

will also evaluate Job Corps program 

characteristics, including its purpose, 

goals, and effectiveness, efficiency, and 

performance measures in order to 

address the critical issues facing the 

provision of job training and education 

to the youth population that it serves. 

The Committee may provide other 

advice and recommendations with 

regard to identifying and overcoming 

problems, planning program or center 

development or strengthening relations 

between Job Corps and agencies, 

institutions, or groups engaged in 

related activities. 

Agenda: The agenda for the meeting 

will the full committee voting on draft 

recommendations of the three 

subcommittees. 

Public Participation: The meeting will 

be open to the public. Seating will be 

available to the public on a first-come 

first-served basis. Seats will be reserved 

for the media. Individuals with 

disabilities should contact the Job Corps 

official listed above, if special 

accommodations are needed. 


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