Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 6 / Tuesday, January 9, 2001 / Notices 1689

primary goal of the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service’s endangered species

program. To help guide the recovery

effort, we are working to prepare

recovery plans for most of the listed

species native to the United States.

Recovery plans describe actions

considered necessary for the

conservation of the species, establish

criteria for downlisting or delisting

listed species, and estimate time and

cost for implementing the recovery

measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973,

as amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et

seq.), requires the development of

recovery plans for listed species unless

such a plan would not promote the

conservation of a particular species.

Section 4(f) of the Act requires that

public notice and an opportunity for

public review and comment be provided

during recovery plan development. We

will consider all information presented

during the public comment period prior

to approval of each new or revised

recovery plan. Substantive technical

comments will result in changes to the

plans. Substantive comments regarding

recovery plan implementation may not

necessarily result in changes to the

recovery plans, but will be forwarded to

the appropriate Federal Agency or other

entities so that they can take these

comments into account during the

course of implementing recovery

actions.

The Bruneau hot springsnail

(Pyrgulopsis bruneauensis) is listed as

endangered. The species currently

survives in approximately 89, out of

155, small, flowing geothermal springs

and seeps along an approximately 6.9-

kilometer (4.3-mile) reach of the

Bruneau River and its tributary Hot

Creek in southwestern Idaho. The

species is found in a narrow elevation

range of 803.7 to 815.7 meters (2,636.9

to 2,676.1 feet).

The Bruneau hot springsnail has been

found in flowing geothermal springs

and seeps with temperatures ranging

from 15.7 to 36.9 degrees Celsius (60.3

to 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit), with the

highest densities of springsnails noted

at temperatures ranging from 22.8 to

36.6 degrees Celsius (73 to 98 degrees

Fahrenheit). Bruneau hot springsnails

are found in these habitats on the

exposed surfaces of various substrates,

including rocks, gravel, sand, mud, and

algal film. The principal threat to this

species is the reduction or elimination

of its geothermal spring habitats as a

result of agricultural-related

groundwater withdrawal and pumping.

The objective of this plan is to

provide a framework for the recovery of

the Bruneau hot springsnail so that

protection by the Endangered Species

Act is no longer necessary. Recovery is

contingent upon conserving and

increasing geothermal spring habitats

within the recovery area for the Bruneau

hot springsnail, while acknowledging

that geothermal groundwater can

continue to be managed to fulfill other

beneficial uses.

The Bruneau hot springsnail will be

considered for downlisting to a

threatened status when groundwater

management activities have been

implemented and monitoring indicates

an increasing trend in water levels in

the geothermal aquifer and occupied

geothermal springs for a period of 10

years. Delisting of the species will be

considered when: (1) Water levels in the

geothermal aquifer have increased and

stabilized at 816.96 meters (2,678.54

feet) in elevation (as measured in

October at one of the Hot Creek water

monitoring wells (USGS well number

03BDC1)); (2) the total number of

geothermal springs discharging within

the recovery area is 200 or more (this is

equivalent to the 1991 level of 211

geothermal springs), distributed within

the current range of the Bruneau hot

springsnail; (3) more than two-thirds of

available geothermal springs within the

recovery area (approximately 131

springs) are occupied by stable, medium

to high density populations of the

Bruneau hot springsnail; and (4)

groundwater levels are permanently

protected against further reductions

through implementation of groundwater

management activities.

Public Comments Solicited

We solicit written comments on the

recovery plan described. All comments

received by the date specified above

will be considered prior to approval of

this plan.

Authority

The authority for this action is section

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16

U.S.C. 1533 (f).

Dated: January 3, 2001.

Anne Badgley,

Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 01–505 Filed 1–8–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Information Collection Submitted to

the Office of Management and Budget

for Review Under the Paperwork

Reduction Act; Correction

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice; correction.

SUMMARY: On August 28, 2000, the

Bureau of Indian Affairs published a 60-

day notice in the Federal Register (65

FR 52123) inviting comments on the

proposed renewal of the collection of

information in 25 CFR part 151, Land

Acquisitions, OMB No. 1076–0100. One

comment was received to the Federal

Register notice.

This notice addresses the comment

that was inadvertently omitted in the

30-day notice published in the Federal

Register on November 3, 2000 (65 FR

66257). The comment suggested that

Indian tribes be required to consult with

local governments or other potentially

interested parties prior to an Indian

tribe’s submission of an application.

The comment was not accepted because

there is no statutory requirement that

Indian tribes consult with local

governments or other interested parties

prior to beginning the application

process.

All other information published in the

November 3, 2000 notice remains

unchanged.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Larry E. Scrivner or Helen R. Latall,

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of

Real Estate Services, MS 4510–MIB,

1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC

20240, telephone (202) 208–7737.

Dated: December 20, 2000.

Kevin Gover,

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 01–582 Filed 1–8–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Education Facilities Replacement

Construction Priority List as of FY

2000, With Additions

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs

is adding seven educational facilities to

the Education Facilities Replacement

Construction Priority List (Priority List)

1690 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 6 / Tuesday, January 9, 2001 / Notices

published January 31, 2000 in the

Federal Register (65 FR 4623). The

added schools are the Tiospa Zina

Tribal School, Wide Ruins Community

School, Low Mountain Boarding School,

St. Francis Indian School, Turtle

Mountain High School, Mescalero

Apache School, and Enemy Swim Day

School. In the 1999 application ranking

process for replacement school

construction projects, these schools

received the next highest rankings after

the 10 educational facilities placed on

the Priority List. The Bureau will use

the Priority List to determine the order

in which Congressional appropriations

are requested for funding education

facilities replacement construction

projects. Construction funding is not yet

currently available for all projects on the

Priority List.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions regarding the Education

Facilities Construction Priority List may

be addressed to Dr. Kenneth G. Ross,

Assistant Director, Office of Indian

Education Programs, 201 Third St. NW,

Suite 510, Albuquerque, New Mexico

87102, (505) 346–6544/5/6, Fax (505)

346–6553.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BIA is

adding Tiospa Zina Tribal School, Wide

Ruins Community School, Low

Mountain Boarding School, St. Francis

Indian School, Turtle Mountain High

School, Mescalero Apache School, and

Enemy Swim Day School to the 13

schools shown on the Priority List, in

the event that Congressional

appropriations are available to fully

fund construction costs for these 13

education facilities projects currently on

the Priority List prior to the BIA

conducting another nationwide

application solicitation and ranking

process.

On the Priority List as of FY 2000,

with Additions (see below), Tiospa Zina

Tribal School is ranked No. 14, Wide

Ruins Community School is ranked No.

15, Low Mountain Boarding School is

ranked No. 16, St. Francis Indian School

is ranked No. 17, Turtle Mountain High

School is ranked No. 18, Mescalero

Apache School is ranked No. 19, and

Enemy Swim Day School is ranked No.

20. Education Facilities Replacement

Construction projects on the Priority

List will be funded for construction in

the order in which they are ranked, as

appropriations become available, unless

a school is not ready for the next phase

of funding. In accordance with

Congressional directives, the projects do

not provide for new school starts nor

grade level expansions, and a new cost

share demonstration program requires a

tribe to contribute 50% of the

construction cost of a replacement

school. (Pub. L. 106–291, Sec. 153)

This notice is published under

authority delegated by the Secretary of

the Interior to the Assistant Secretary for

Indian Affairs in the Departmental

Manual at 209 DM 8.

Education Facilities Replacement

Construction Priority List as of FY

2000, With Additions

1. Tuba City Boarding School

2. Second Mesa Day School

3. Zia Day School

4. Baca/Thoreau (Dlo’ay Azhi)

Consolidated Community School

5. Lummi Tribal School

6. Wingate Elementary School

7. Polacca Day School

8. Holbrook Dormitory

9. Santa Fe Indian School (Cost Share*)

10. Ojibwa Indian School

11. Conehatta Elementary School (Cost

Share*)

12. Paschal Sherman Indian School

13. Kayenta Boarding School

14. Tiospa Zina Tribal School

15. Wide Ruins Community School

16. Low Mountain Boarding School

17. St. Francis Indian School

18. Turtle Mountain High School

19. Mescalero Apache School

20. Enemy Swim Day School

* Tribe or tribal organization commits to cost

share in application.

Note: Tribe or tribal organization is

required to cost share 50% of the cost for a

replacement school. Conehatta Elementary

School is the only school that committed to

a 50% cost share in its application.

Dated: December 27, 2000.

Kevin Gover,

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 01–516 Filed 1–8–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Final Determination to Acknowledge

the Chinook Indian Tribe/Chinook

Nation (Formerly: Chinook Indian

Tribe, Inc.)

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Final Determination.

SUMMARY: This notice is published in

the exercise of authority delegated by

the Secretary of the Interior to the

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs

(Assistant Secretary) by 209 DM 8.

Pursuant to 25 CFR 83.10(m), notice

is hereby given that the Assistant

Secretary acknowledges that the

Chinook Indian Tribe/Chinook Nation,

hereafter referred to as CIT/CN, exists as

an Indian tribe within the meaning of

federal law. This notice is based on the

Assistant Secretary’s determination that

the group satisfies all seven criteria set

forth in 25 CFR 83.7.

DATES: This determination is final and

is effective 90 days from publication of

the final determination, pursuant to 25

CFR 83.10(l)(4), unless a request for

reconsideration is filed with the Interior

Board of Indian Appeals pursuant to 25

CFR 83.11.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Office of the Assistant Secretary—

Indian Affairs, (202) 208–7163.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Assistant Secretary’s proposed finding

(PF) against acknowledgment of CIT/CN

was published in the Federal Register

on August 22, 1997. Notice, Proposed

Finding Against Federal

Acknowledgment of the Chinook Indian

Tribe, 62 FR 44714. CIT/CN

reconsidered its previous decision to

proceed under the 1978 regulations and

in February 1995 asked if the Bureau of

Indian Affairs (BIA) would allow the

CIT/CN to have its petition evaluated

under the 1994 regulations. However,

before the BIA responded to this

request, the CIT/CN attorney informed

the Branch of Acknowledgment and

Research (BAR) that the CIT/CN had

decided to continue under the 1978

regulations. Therefore, the PF was

conducted under the 1978 regulations.

On December 31, 1997, the CIT/CN

asked for ‘‘an opinion of whether or not

the BAR would allow the Chinook

Indian Tribe’s petition for Federal

acknowledgment to proceed under the

‘‘New Regulations’’ of 1994.’’ The BIA

considered this request, but advised, by

a letter dated March 13, 1998, that it

could not evaluate the CIT/CN final

determination evaluation under the

1994 revised regulations because (1) the

petitioner had twice affirmed that it

wished to proceed under the 1978

regulations, (2) an evaluation under

either set of regulations would

ultimately produce the same results,

and (3) a change [at that late date, which

was after the publication of the PF]

would neither reduce the research

burden on the Government’s researchers

nor provide benefits for the

administrative process of the petition

(BIA 3/13/1998). The AS–IA upheld this

position in May 1998 (AS–IA 5/29/

1998). The AS–IA now concludes that

he erred in upholding BIA’s refusal to

allow the petitioner to proceed under

the 1994 regulations. The AS–IA further

concludes that, while the petitioner

meets the seven criteria throughout the

period from first contact to the present,