Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2017 / Notices 52937 

Service will evaluate each permit 

application that we receive on an 

individual basis. We will also conduct 

a tiered review under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; NEPA) and produce 

a finding identifying whether any 

additional actions or assessments are 

needed. 

The proposed action and the preferred 

alternative in the EA address the need 

of the Service to maintain cormorant 

populations and process depredation 

permit applications for the lethal take of 

cormorants to: (1) Alleviate damage at or 

near aquaculture facilities; (2) protect 

human health and safety; (3) protect 

threatened and endangered species (as 

listed under the Endangered Species Act 

of 1973, as amended, (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

seq.)); and (4) alleviate damage to 

property. The geographic scope of the 

EA is limited to 37 central and eastern 

States and the District of Columbia, as 

identified in the EA. This EA assists 

with our compliance with NEPA and 

aids us in making a determination as to 

whether the actions could 

‘‘significantly’’ impact the human 

environment, which includes ‘‘the 

natural and physical environment and 

the relationship of people with that 

environment’’ (40 CFR 1508.14). 

Based on the independent analysis 

within the EA, the Service has found 

that this action would not constitute a 

major Federal action significantly 

affecting the quality of the human 

environment. A FONSI has been signed 

for the proposed action of making 

decisions on depredation permit 

applications to manage cormorant 

damage related to human health and 

safety, aquaculture facilities, protection 

of threatened and endangered species, 

and property damage and is now 

available. 

Authority 

This notice is published under the 

authority of the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 

Dated: October 27, 2017. 

Gregory J. Sheehan, 

Principal Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24702 Filed 11–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLMT924000 L14400000.FR0000 

17XL1109AF; MO#4500106754; MTM 

108489] 

Initial Classification and Extension of 

the Proposed Classification and 

Segregation for State In Lieu Selection, 

Montana 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of lands suitable for 

conveyance. 

SUMMARY: The Montana Department of 

Natural Resources and Conservation 

(State) has filed a petition for 

classification and application to obtain 

public lands and the mineral estate in 

lieu of lands to which the State was 

entitled, but did not receive, under its 

Statehood Act. This classification, made 

under Section 7 of the Taylor Grazing 

Act of June 8, 1934, partially satisfies 

the obligation to the State. This Notice 

also extends the segregation initiated by 

that application, and the proposed 

classification published in the Federal 

Register on October 17, 2016, for the 

remaining lands included in the State’s 

application to allow continued review 

to determine suitability. 

DATES: Written comments requesting 

administrative review regarding the 

classification of lands and minerals may 

be submitted to the Secretary of the 

Interior (Secretary) on or before 

December 15, 2017. Additional 

administrative review requirements are 

found in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section. 

ADDRESSES: Send requests for 

administrative review to the Secretary of 

the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., Room 

2134LM, WO–350 (Wilhight), 

Washington, DC 20240. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Renee Johnson, Branch of Lands, Realty, 

and Renewable Energy; telephone (406) 

896–5028; email rrjohnso@blm.gov. 

Persons who use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800– 

877–8339 to contact the above 

individual during normal business 

hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week, to leave a message 

or question with the above individual. 

You will receive a reply during normal 

business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sections 

2275 and 2276 of the Revised Statutes, 

as amended (43 U.S.C. 851 and 852), 

provide authority for the State of 

Montana to receive title to public land 

in lieu of lands to which it was entitled 

under the Enabling Act of 1889 (25 Stat. 

676) but did not receive because the 

lands were either encumbered or no 

longer held in Federal ownership. 

Section 7 of the Taylor Grazing Act of 

June 8, 1934 (43 U.S.C. 315 et seq.) 

requires that such public lands and/or 

minerals identified for proposed 

transfers out of Federal ownership 

under this authority must first be 

classified. The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) is classifying these 

lands and minerals pursuant to 43 CFR 

2400 and Section 7 of the Taylor 

Grazing Act of June 8, 1934. The BLM 

has completed a review and 

environmental analysis on a portion of 

the lands included in the proposed 

classification dated October 17, 2016 (80 

FR 71529), and is hereby classifying 

2,126.11 acres as suitable for 

conveyance. The environmental 

analysis resulted in a Finding of No 

Significant Impact. The BLM is 

continuing review of the remaining 

13,929.63 acres of the total 16,055.74 

acres included in the proposed 

classification. 

For a period of 30 days from the date 

of publication of this Notice, this 

classification is subject to the exercise of 

administrative review and modification 

by the Secretary as provided for under 

43 CFR 2461.3. All persons who wish to 

request that the Secretary conduct an 

administrative review of the finding that 

these lands are suitable for conveyance 

to the State may present their views to 

the address given in the ADDRESSES

section above. Electronic mail, 

facsimile, or telephone requests will not 

be accepted. Requests for administrative 

review will be evaluated by the 

Secretary, or his delegate, who will 

issue a notice of determination to 

proceed with, modify, or cancel the 

initial classification. In the absence of 

any requests for administrative review, 

this initial classification will become 

final and effective on December 15, 

2017. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email 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 request to 

withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

The lands/minerals affected by this 

classification are in Chouteau, Hill, and 

Custer Counties, Montana, and are 

described as follows: 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
52938 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2017 / Notices 

Principal Meridian, Montana 

T. 29 N., R. 11 E., 

Sec. 21, N1⁄2NE1⁄4 and N1⁄2NW1⁄4; 

Sec. 22, NW1⁄4NW1⁄4. 

T. 29 N., R. 12 E., 

Sec. 9, W1⁄2 and SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 21, N1⁄2NE1⁄4 and N1⁄2NW1⁄4; 

Sec. 22; 

Sec. 28, W1⁄2; 

Sec. 29, E1⁄2NE1⁄4 and E1⁄2SE1⁄4. 

T. 30 N., R. 12 E., 

Sec. 35, SE1⁄4. 

T. 7 N., R. 47 E., 

tracts DD and FF. 

The areas described aggregate 2,126.11 

acres. 

The BLM has examined the lands 

described above for evidence of valid 

existing rights and any constraints that 

would prevent conveyance. No persons 

other than holders of leases, permits, 

and rights-of-way, asserted a claim to, or 

interest in, the lands proposed for 

classification. 

When the selection is certified to the 

State, the document transferring title 

will contain the following reservations 

to the United States: 

1. A right-of-way thereon for ditches 

and canals constructed by the authority 

of the United States, pursuant to the Act 

of August 30, 1890, 26 Stat. 391 (43 

U.S.C. 945). 

2. A right-of-way for a storm water 

drainage system and all appurtenances 

thereto, through, over, and upon the 

land described as tracts DD and FF, 

T.7N, R.47E, Principal Meridian, 

Montana, including the right of the 

United States and its agents, assigns, or 

employees, to enter upon, maintain, 

operate, repair, or improve the same, so 

long as needed or used for or by the 

United States. 

The title will also be taken subject to: 

1. Those rights for a power line 

granted to MDU Resources Group, Inc., 

its successors or assigns, by right-of-way 

No. MTM 91401, pursuant to the Act of 

October 21, 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1761), 

located in tracts DD and FF, T. 7 N., R. 

47 E., Principal Meridian, Montana. 

2. Those rights for a power line 

granted to Northwestern Corporation, its 

successors or assigns, by right-of-way 

No. MTM 108329, pursuant to the Act 

of October 21, 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1761), 

located in sections 21, 22, 28, and 29, 

T. 29 N., R. 12. E., Principal Meridian, 

Montana. 

3. Those rights for a water pipeline 

granted to Loma Sewer and Water, its 

successors or assigns, by right-of-way 

No. MTM 93467, pursuant to the Act of 

October 21, 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1761), 

located in the E1⁄2NE1⁄4 and E1⁄2SE1⁄4, 

section 29, T. 29 N., R. 12. E., Principal 

Meridian, Montana. 

Right-of-way holders will be afforded 

the opportunity to modify their existing 

authorization per 43 CFR 2807.15 prior 

to official transfer of the lands to the 

State. 

The subject lands contain grazing 

leases authorized under Section 15 of 

the Taylor Grazing Act. The holders of 

the BLM grazing use authorizations 

received the required 2-year notices as 

outlined in 43 CFR 4110.4–2(b). The 

lands will not be conveyed until 

expiration of the 2-year period or receipt 

of a waiver from the current holder. 

State of Montana procedures provide 

that upon Land Board Approval, the 

State will offer 10-year grazing leases to 

the current holders of BLM permits/ 

leases on any transferred lands. 

The lands contain no oil and gas, 

geothermal, or other leases issued under 

the authority of the Mineral Leasing Act 

of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.). No 

mining claims are recorded with the 

BLM on these lands, nor was any 

evidence of mining activity found on 

the ground. Title will not be subject to 

the agricultural leases issued under the 

authority of the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

1732) that expire on December 31, 2017. 

This Notice also extends the proposed 

classification and segregation of the 

land contained in the State’s 

application, but not yet found suitable 

for conveyance, for a period of 2 

additional years through December 1, 

2019. These lands remain segregated 

from all forms of disposal under the 

public land laws, including the mining 

laws, except for the form of land 

disposal specified in the notice of 

proposed classification. This 

publication does not alter the 

applicability of the public land laws 

governing the use of the lands under 

lease, license, or permits or governing 

the disposal of their mineral and 

vegetative resources, other than under 

the mining laws. 

The segregative effect of this 

extension will terminate in one of the 

following ways: 

(1) Classification of the lands within 

2 years of publication of this notice of 

extension of the proposed classification 

in the Federal Register; 

(2) Publication of a notice of 

termination of the proposed 

classification in the Federal Register; 

(3) An Act of Congress; or 

(4) Expiration of the additional 2-year 

period extending the proposed 

classification afforded by publication of 

this Notice. 

Authority: 43 CFR parts 2400 and 2621. 

Jon K. Raby, 

Acting State Director, Montana/Dakotas. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24665 Filed 11–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–DN–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLWO320000.17X.19900000.PO0000; OMB 

Control Number 1004–0169] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Use and Occupancy Under 

the Mining Laws 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 

are proposing to renew an information 

collection with revisions. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before January 

16, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on 

this information collection request (ICR) 

by mail to the U.S. Department of the 

Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 

1849 C Street NW., Room 2134LM, 

Washington DC 20240, Attention: Jean 

Sonneman; or by email to Jean 

Sonneman at jesonnem@blm.gov. Please 

reference OMB Control Number 1004– 

0169 in the subject line of your 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request additional information about 

this ICR, contact Adam Merrill by email 

at amerrill@blm.gov, or by telephone at 

202–912–7044. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, we provide the 

general public and other Federal 

agencies with an opportunity to 

comment on new, proposed, revised, 

and continuing collections of 

information. This helps us assess the 

impact of our information collection 

requirements and minimize the public’s 

reporting burden. It also helps the 

public understand our information 

collection requirements and provide the 

requested data in the desired format. 

We are soliciting comments on the 

proposed ICR that is described below. 

We are especially interested in public 

comment addressing the following 

issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to 

the proper functions of the BLM; (2) will 

this information be processed and used 

in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate 

of burden accurate; (4) how might the 

BLM enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (5) how might the BLM 

minimize the burden of this collection 

on the respondents, including through 

the use of information technology. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES