Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2001 / Notices 13343

infrequently prescribed fire further

reduced the open forest with grasses

and forbs that tortoises need for

burrowing, nesting, and feeding. Over

19,000 gopher tortoises have been

estimated to occur in the listed range.

The tortoise, however, is a long-lived

animal with low reproductive rates.

Remaining populations, though

relatively widespread, are individually

small, fragmented, and usually in poor

habitat without adequate reproduction

for a self-sustaining viable population.

Frequent fire no longer naturally occurs

in the listed range due to past effects of

habitat alteration and fragmentation.

Without prescribed fire and other

restoration actions the quality of gopher

tortoise habitat continues to decline.

Land management to avoid the

incidental take of tortoises will not

recover the species since restoration and

active management to maintain habitat

is required.

Under section 9 of the Act and its

implementing regulations, ‘‘taking’’ of

endangered and threatened wildlife is

prohibited. However, the Service, under

limited circumstances, may issue

permits to take such wildlife if the

taking is incidental to and not the

purpose of otherwise lawful activities.

The Applicant has prepared an HCP as

required for the incidental take permit

application.

The biological goal of the Applicant’s

HCP is to conserve, restore, and sustain

all gopher tortoise colonies for a 5-year

period in stands where timber will be

thinned or regenerated. Prior to timber

harvests, each stand will be

comprehensively surveyed for gopher

tortoise colonies. A management area

will be designated for each colony

where thinning, prescribed fire, and

other measures will be used to reduce

or eliminate encroaching shrubs,

hardwoods, and as necessary pine trees

to create an open forest and optimal

conditions for gopher tortoises. Since

the density of tortoises is greater in

colonies, the objective of the plan is to

conserve and manage segments of the

population that most likely continue to

breed.

Gopher tortoise surveys on 20,000

acres of transects on the Applicant’s

land have not identified any colonies or

populations that are potentially viable

with 50 or more interbreeding tortoises.

Gopher tortoises occur, overall, at low

densities on the Applicant’s land. The

focus of this interim plan is to conserve

the most likely breeding segments of the

population that are important for shortterm survival. During this period, a

long-term plan will be developed based

on additional research and

comprehensive surveys on up to 80,000

acres of habitat. The goal of the future

plan is restore and manage habitat for

aggregations of colonies with the

greatest potential to contribute to

recovery.

The HCP has the following objectives:

1. Survey Applicant’s lands within

the historic gopher tortoise range to

identify tortoise occurrence in relation

to soil type and other habitat parameters

in order to develop predictive models of

tortoise occurrence.

2. Conduct research to form a

scientific basis for submission of an

HCP for at least an additional 25 years

that would seek to build and maintain

viable gopher tortoise populations on

the Applicant’s lands.

3. Conduct research to evaluate

adverse effects of mechanized forest

management and harvesting, and other

silvicultural practices on gopher

tortoises.

4. Identify gopher tortoise colonies

and designate management areas around

these sites. Improve and perpetuate

favorable habitat conditions around

these management areas.

5. Conduct research necessary to

implement long term mitigation with

the goal of creating larger, contiguous

gopher tortoise management units that

will become viable population centers

contributing to species recovery goals.

6. Demonstrate successful application

of adaptive management, sound science,

and third party involvement in

development of a broad-base HCP that

has the core objective of contributing to

gopher tortoise recovery.

7. Establish management, mitigation,

and monitoring protocol for

implementation of future versions of the

HCP in longer term incidental take

authorizations.

8. Inform and train applicant’s

employees, contractors, and recreational

users on the gopher tortoise

management guidelines specified in the

HCP.

As stated above, the Service has made

a preliminary determination that the

issuance of the ITP is not a major

Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment

within the meaning of section 102(2)(C)

of NEPA. This preliminary information

may be revised due to public comment

received in response to this notice and

is based on information contained in the

draft EA and HCP.

The Service will also evaluate

whether the issuance of a section

10(a)(1)(B) ITP complies with section 7

of the Act by conducting an intraService section 7 consultation. The

results of the biological opinion, in

combination with the above findings,

will be used in the final analysis to

determine whether or not to issue the

ITP.

Dated: February 7, 2001.

Sam D. Hamilton,

Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 01–5231 Filed 3–2–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR–958–6320–ET; HAG–01–0080; OR–

10676, et al]

Cancellation of Proposed Withdrawals,

and Expiration of Public Land Order;

Oregon

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: On October 30, 2000, Public

Law (PL) 106–399, the Steens Mountain

Cooperative Management and Protective

Act of 2000 was enacted into law. As a

result of the law, the Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) has canceled two

withdrawal applications and allowed

Public Land Order (PLO) No. 5822 to

expire, in Harney County, Oregon.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charles R. Roy, BLM Oregon/

Washington State Office, 503–952–6189.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

October 30, 2000, the Steens Mountain

Cooperative Management and Protective

Act of 2000 (PL 106–399) was enacted

into law, superseding two proposed

withdrawals and PLO No. 5822.

A Notice of Proposed Withdrawal was

published in the Federal Register,

(64FR50531, September 17, 1999) as FR

Doc. 99–23812, for the BLM to

withdraw 619,000 acres of Federal

lands, 73,900 acres of Federal minerals,

and 37,400 acres of Federal Surface

lands from the non-discretionary public

land and mining laws, for the Steens

Mountain Area. Another Notice of

Proposed Withdrawal was published in

the Federal Register, (65FR38849, June

22, 2000) as FR Doc. 00–15781, for the

BLM to withdraw 17,056.18 acres of

public lands, and 680 acres of nonfederal lands, from surface entry and

mining, but not the mineral leasing, for

the Diamond Craters Outstanding

Natural Area/Area of Critical

Environmental Concern. In addition,

Public Land Order No. 5822, published

in the Federal Register, (46FR6947,

January 22, 1981) as FR Doc. 81–2310,

for the BLM withdrew 16,656.18 acres

of Federal lands from settlement, sale,

location, or entry under the general land

laws, including the mining laws, but not

13344 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2001 / Notices

from mineral leasing, for the Diamond

Craters Geologic Area has also been

superseded by PL 106–399, and allowed

to expire.

The segregative effect for the Federal

interests in the above mentioned

proposed withdrawals, and the PLO, are

lifted, subject to PL 106–399, valid

existing rights, the provisions of existing

withdrawals, other segregations of

record, and the requirements of

applicable law.

Dated: February 26, 2001.

Robert D. DeViney, Jr.,

Chief, Branch of Realty and Records Services.

[FR Doc. 01–5232 Filed 3–2–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–33–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Quarterly Status Report of Water

Service, Repayment, and Other WaterRelated Contract Negotiations

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of

proposed contractual actions pending

through December 31, 2000, and

contract actions that have been

completed or discontinued since the last

publication of this notice on October 16,

2000. From the date of this publication,

future quarterly notices during this

calendar year will be limited to new,

modified, discontinued, or completed

contract actions. This annual notice

should be used as a point of reference

to identify changes in future notices.

This notice is one of a variety of means

used to inform the public about

proposed contractual actions for capital

recovery and management of project

resources and facilities. Additional

Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)

announcements of individual contract

actions may be published in the Federal

Register and in newspapers of general

circulation in the areas determined by

Reclamation to be affected by the

proposed action. Announcements may

be in the form of news releases, legal

notices, official letters, memorandums,

or other forms of written material.

Meetings, workshops, and/or hearings

may also be used, as appropriate, to

provide local publicity. The public

participation procedures do not apply to

proposed contracts for sale of surplus or

interim irrigation water for a term of 1

year or less. Either of the contracting

parties may invite the public to observe

contract proceedings. All public

participation procedures will be

coordinated with those involved in

complying with the National

Environmental Policy Act.

ADDRESSES: The identity of the

approving officer and other information

pertaining to a specific contract

proposal may be obtained by calling or

writing the appropriate regional office at

the address and telephone number given

for each region in the supplementary

information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sandra L. Simons, Manager, Water

Contracts and Repayment Office, Bureau

of Reclamation, PO Box 25007, Denver,

Colorado 80225–0007; telephone 303–

445–2902.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to section 226 of the Reclamation

Reform Act of 1982 (96 Stat. 1273) and

43 CFR 426.20 of the rules and

regulations published in 52 FR 11954,

Apr. 13, 1987, Reclamation will publish

notice of the proposed or amendatory

contract actions for any contract for the

delivery of project water for authorized

uses in newspapers of general

circulation in the affected area at least

60 days prior to contract execution.

Pursuant to the ‘‘Final Revised Public

Participation Procedures’’ for water

resource-related contract negotiations,

published in 47 FR 7763, Feb. 22, 1982,

a tabulation is provided of all proposed

contractual actions in each of the five

Reclamation regions. Each proposed

action is, or is expected to be, in some

stage of the contract negotiation process

in 2001. When contract negotiations are

completed, and prior to execution, each

proposed contract form must be

approved by the Secretary of the

Interior, or pursuant to delegated or

redelegated authority, the Commissioner

of Reclamation or one of the regional

directors. In some instances,

congressional review and approval of a

report, water rate, or other terms and

conditions of the contract may be

involved.

Public participation in and receipt of

comments on contract proposals will be

facilitated by adherence to the following

procedures:

1. Only persons authorized to act on

behalf of the contracting entities may

negotiate the terms and conditions of a

specific contract proposal.

2. Advance notice of meetings or

hearings will be furnished to those

parties that have made a timely written

request for such notice to the

appropriate regional or project office of

Reclamation.

3. Written correspondence regarding

proposed contracts may be made

available to the general public pursuant

to the terms and procedures of the

Freedom of Information Act (80 Stat.

383), as amended.

4. Written comments on a proposed

contract or contract action must be

submitted to the appropriate regional

officials at the locations and within the

time limits set forth in the advance

public notices.

5. All written comments received and

testimony presented at any public

hearings will be reviewed and

summarized by the appropriate regional

office for use by the contract approving

authority.

6. Copies of specific proposed

contracts may be obtained from the

appropriate regional director or his

designated public contact as they

become available for review and

comment.

7. In the event modifications are made

in the form of a proposed contract, the

appropriate regional director shall

determine whether republication of the

notice and/or extension of the comment

period is necessary.

Factors considered in making such a

determination shall include, but are not

limited to: (I) the significance of the

modification, and (ii) the degree of

public interest which has been

expressed over the course of the

negotiations. As a minimum, the

regional director shall furnish revised

contracts to all parties who requested

the contract in response to the initial

public notice.

Acronym Definitions Used Herein

BON Basis of Negotiation

BCP Boulder Canyon Project

Reclamation Bureau of Reclamation

CAP Central Arizona Project

CUP Central Utah Project

CVP Central Valley Project

CRSP Colorado River Storage Project

D&MC Drainage and Minor

Construction

FR Federal Register

IDD Irrigation and Drainage District

IDD Irrigation District

M&I Municipal and Industrial

NEPA National Environmental Policy

Act

O&M Operation and Maintenance

P–SMBP Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin

Program

PPR Present Perfected Right

RRA Reclamation Reform Act

R&B Rehabilitation and Betterment

SOD Safety of Dams

SRPA Small Reclamation Projects Act

WCUA Water Conservation and

Utilization Act

WD Water District

Pacific Northwest Region: Bureau of

Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis Road,

Suite 100, Boise, Idaho 83706–1234,

telephone 208–378–5346.