[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 166 (Wednesday, August 26, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 52725-52728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16747]



[[Page 52725]]

Vol. 85

Wednesday,

No. 166

August 26, 2020

Part IX





Department of the Interior





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Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 166 / Wednesday, August 26, 2020 / 
UA: Reg Flex Agenda  

[[Page 52726]]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

25 CFR Ch. I

30 CFR Chs. II and VII

36 CFR Ch. I

43 CFR Subtitle A, Chs. I and II

48 CFR Ch. 14

50 CFR Chs. I and IV

[167D0102DM; DS6CS00000; DLSN00000.00000; DX6CS25]


Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Semiannual regulatory agenda.

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SUMMARY: This notice provides the semiannual agenda of Department of 
the Interior (Department) rules scheduled for review or development 
between Spring 2020 and Spring 2021. The Regulatory Flexibility Act and 
Executive Order 12866 require publication of the agenda.

ADDRESSES: Unless otherwise indicated, all agency contacts are located 
at the Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 
20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct all comments and 
inquiries about these rules to the appropriate agency contact. Please 
direct general comments relating to the agenda to the Office of 
Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs, Department of the 
Interior, at the address above or at (202) 208-5257.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: With this publication, the Department 
satisfies the requirement of Executive Order 12866 that the Department 
publish an agenda of rules that we have issued or expect to issue and 
of currently effective rules that we have scheduled for review.
    Simultaneously, the Department meets the requirement of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) to publish an agenda 
in April and October of each year identifying rules that will have 
significant economic effects on a substantial number of small entities. 
We have specifically identified in the agenda rules that will have such 
effects. The complete Unified Agenda will be published at 
www.reginfo.gov, in a format that offers users enhanced ability to 
obtain information from the Agenda database. Agenda information is also 
available at www.regulations.gov, the government-wide website for 
submission of comments on proposed regulations.
    In some cases, the Department has withdrawn rules that were placed 
on previous agendas for which there has been no publication activity or 
for which a proposed or interim rule was published. There is no legal 
significance to the omission of an item from this agenda. Withdrawal of 
a rule does not necessarily mean that the Department will not proceed 
with the rulemaking. Withdrawal allows the Department to assess the 
action further and determine whether rulemaking is appropriate. 
Following such an assessment, the Department may determine that certain 
rules listed as withdrawn under this agenda are appropriate for 
promulgation. If that determination is made, such rules will comply 
with Executive Order 13771.

Bivan Patnaik,
Deputy Director, Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs.

   Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management--Proposed Rule
                                  Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Regulation
       Sequence No.                    Title             Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
141.......................  Revisions to the                   1082-AA01
                             Requirements for
                             Exploratory Drilling on
                             the Arctic Outer
                             Continental Shelf.
142.......................  Risk Management, Financial         1082-AA02
                             Assurance and Loss
                             Prevention.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


      United States Fish and Wildlife Service--Proposed Rule Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Regulation
       Sequence No.                    Title             Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
143.......................  Migratory Bird Hunting;            1018-BD89
                             2020-2021 Migratory Game
                             Bird Hunting Regulations.
144.......................  Migratory Bird Hunting;            1018-BE34
                             2021-22 Migratory Game
                             Bird Hunting Regulations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


       United States Fish and Wildlife Service--Long-Term Actions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Regulation
       Sequence No.                    Title             Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
145.......................  Migratory Bird Hunting;            1018-BF07
                             2022-23 Migratory Game
                             Bird Hunting Regulations.
146.......................  Importation, Exportation           1018-BF16
                             and Transportation of
                             Wildlife; Updates to the
                             Regulations.
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (DOI)

Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management (ASLM)

Proposed Rule Stage

141. Revisions to the Requirements for Exploratory Drilling on the 
Arctic Outer Continental Shelf

    E.O. 13771 Designation: Deregulatory.
    Legal Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1331 to 1356a; 33 U.S.C. 2701
    Abstract: This proposed rule would revise specific provisions of 
the regulations published in the final Arctic Exploratory Drilling 
Rule, 81 FR 46478 (July 15, 2016), which established a regulatory 
framework for exploratory drilling and related operations within the 
Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas on the Outer Continental 
Shelf of Alaska. The rulemaking for this RIN replaces the Bureau of 
Safety and Environmental Enforcement's RIN 1014-AA40.
    Timetable:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Action                    Date            FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................   07/00/20
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
    Agency Contact: Justin Abernathy, Deputy Director for Policy, 
Office of the

[[Page 52727]]

Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs, Department of the 
Interior, Office of the Secretary, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 
20240, Phone: 202 513-0357, Email: [email protected].
    RIN: 1082-AA01

142. Risk Management, Financial Assurance and Loss Prevention

    E.O. 13771 Designation: Deregulatory.
    Legal Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.
    Abstract: As directed by Executive Order 13795, the Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management (BOEM) has reconsidered its financial assurance 
policies, as reflected in Notice to Lessees No. 2016-N01 (September 12, 
2016). In consideration of that review, BOEM and the Bureau of Safety 
and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) are now developing a joint rule 
that is intended to revise existing financial assurance policies for 
oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf in order to 
ensure operator compliance with financial and performance obligations 
while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.
    Timetable:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Action                    Date            FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................   06/00/20
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
    Agency Contact: Justin Abernathy, Deputy Director for Policy, 
Office of the Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs, Department 
of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, 
DC 20240, Phone: 202 513-0357, Email: [email protected].
    RIN: 1082-AA02

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (DOI)

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

Proposed Rule Stage

143. Migratory Bird Hunting; 2020-2021 Migratory Game Bird Hunting 
Regulations

    E.O. 13771 Designation: Fully or Partially Exempt.
    Legal Authority: 16 U.S.C. 703 to 712; 16 U.S.C. 742a-j
    Abstract: We propose to establish annual hunting regulations for 
certain migratory game birds for the 2020-2021 hunting season. We 
annually prescribe outside limits (frameworks), within which States may 
select hunting seasons. This proposed rule provides the regulatory 
schedule, describes the proposed regulatory alternatives for the 2020-
2021 duck hunting seasons, and requests proposals from Indian tribes 
that wish to establish special migratory game bird hunting regulations 
on Federal Indian reservations and ceded lands. Migratory game bird 
hunting seasons provide opportunities for recreation and sustenance; 
aid Federal, State, and Tribal governments in the management of 
migratory game birds; and permit harvests at levels compatible with 
migratory game bird population status and habitat conditions. We rely 
on a regulatory impact analysis developed in 2013 to quantify the costs 
and benefits of different regulatory alternatives in these annual 
hunting regulations. We will incorporate the most recent available data 
in this analysis to inform the final rule and subsequent rulemakings.
    Timetable:

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               Action                    Date            FR Cite
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NPRM................................   10/15/19  84 FR 55120
NPRM Comment Period End.............   11/15/19
NPRM--Proposed Frameworks...........   03/19/20  85 FR 15870
NPRM Comment Period End.............   04/20/20
NPRM--Proposed Tribal Regulations...   04/02/20  85 FR 18532
NPRM Comment Period End.............   05/04/20
Final Frameworks....................   06/00/20
Final Tribal Regulations............   07/00/20
Season Selections...................   08/00/20
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
    Agency Contact: Dr. Eric L. Kershner, Chief, Branch of 
Conservation, Permits, and Regulations, Department of the Interior, 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: MB, 
Falls Church, VA 22041, Phone: 703 358-2376, Fax: 703 358-2217, Email: 
[email protected].
    RIN: 1018-BD89

144. Migratory Bird Hunting; 2021-22 Migratory Game Bird Hunting 
Regulations

    E.O. 13771 Designation: Fully or Partially Exempt.
    Legal Authority: 16 U.S.C. 703 to 712; 16 U.S.C. 742a-j
    Abstract: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to establish 
annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 
2021-22 hunting season. We annually prescribe outside limits 
(frameworks) within which States may select hunting seasons. This 
proposed rule provides the regulatory schedule, announces the Service 
Migratory Bird Regulations Committee and Flyway Council meetings, 
describes the proposed regulatory alternatives for the 2021-22 duck 
hunting seasons, and requests proposals from Indian Tribes that wish to 
establish special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal 
Indian reservations and ceded lands.
    Timetable:

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               Action                    Date            FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................   07/00/20
NPRM--Supplemental..................   09/00/20
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
    Agency Contact: Jerome Ford, Assistant Director--Migratory Bird 
Program, Department of the Interior, United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS-MB, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803, Phone: 
703 358-1050, Email: [email protected].
    RIN: 1018-BE34

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (DOI)

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

Long-Term Actions

145.  Migratory Bird Hunting; 2022-23 Migratory Game Bird 
Hunting Regulations

    E.O. 13771 Designation: Fully or Partially Exempt.
    Legal Authority: 16 U.S.C. 703 to 712; 16 U.S.C. 742a-j
    Abstract: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to establish 
annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 
2022-23 hunting season. We annually prescribe outside limits 
(frameworks) within which States may select hunting seasons. This 
proposed rule provides the regulatory schedule, announces the Service 
Migratory Bird Regulations Committee and Flyway Council meetings, 
describes the proposed regulatory alternatives for the 2022-23 duck 
hunting seasons, and requests proposals from Indian Tribes that wish to 
establish special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal 
Indian reservations and ceded lands.
    Timetable:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Action                    Date            FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................   06/00/21
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.

[[Page 52728]]

    Agency Contact: Jerome Ford, Assistant Director--Migratory Bird 
Program, Department of the Interior, United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS-MB, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803, Phone: 
703 358-1050, Email: [email protected].
    RIN: 1018-BF07

146.  Importation, Exportation and Transportation of Wildlife; 
Updates to the Regulations

    E.O. 13771 Designation: Other.
    Legal Authority: 16 U.S.C. 668; 16 U.S.C. 704; 16 U.S.C. 712; 16 
U.S.C. 1382; 16 U.S.C. 1538(d)-(f),; 16 U.S.C. 1540(f); 16 U.S.C. 33 
8(d)-(f); 16 U.S.C. 3371 to 3378; 16 U.S.C. 4223 to 4244; 16 U.S.C. 
4901 to 4916; 18 U.S.C. 42; 31 U.S.C. 42; 31 U.S.C. 9701
    Abstract: We propose to rewrite our regulations governing the 
importation and exportation of wildlife to make these regulations 
easier to understand. In addition, we propose to revise the inspection 
fees associated with the importation and exportation of wildlife and to 
update the list of species that qualify as domesticated species, for 
which U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspection and clearance is not required. 
The current inspection fees have been in effect since 2012. The 
establishment of these fees is consistent with the Independent Offices 
Appropriations Act of 1952 and OMB Circular No. A-25, which provide 
that services provided by Federal agencies are to be self-sustaining to 
the extent possible and that fees assessed should be sufficient to 
recover the full cost to the Federal Government of providing the 
service and are based on market prices.
    Timetable:

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               Action                    Date            FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................   06/00/21
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
    Agency Contact: Edward Grace, Assistant Director, Office of Law 
Enforcement, Department of the Interior, United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: LEO, Falls Church, VA 22041-
3803, Phone: 703 358-1949, Fax: 703 358-1947, Email: 
[email protected].
    RIN: 1018-BF16

[FR Doc. 2020-16747 Filed 8-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334-63-P