Indian Affairs is reviewing regulations that require the Bureau of Indian Education to follow adequate yearly progress standards for 23 different states. The review will determine whether a uniform standard would better meet the needs of students at BIE-funded schools. With regard to undergraduate education, the BIE plans to finalize regulations that address grants to tribally controlled community colleges and other Indian education regulations. These reviews identify provisions that need to be updated to comply with applicable statutes and ensure that the proper regulatory framework is in place to support students in BIE-funded schools.

BIA is making a concentrated effort to improve the readability and precision of its regulations. Because trust beneficiaries often turn to the regulations for guidance on how a given BIA process works, BIA is ensuring that each revised regulation is written as clearly as possible and accurately reflects the current organization of the Bureau. The BIA is also simplifying language and eliminating obsolete provisions. In the past year, the BIA has finalized revisions to regulations regarding rights-of-way (25 CFR 169); Secretarial elections (25 CFR 81); the Housing Improvement Program (25 CFR 256); Indian Reservation Roads (25 CFR 170); and Indian Child Welfare Act proceedings (25 CFR 23). In the coming year, the BIA also plans to finalize revisions to regulations regarding the Tribal Transportation Program (formerly known as Indian Reservation Roads) (25 CFR 170).

BIA is considering whether to propose an administrative rule that would comprehensively update 25 CFR part 140 (Licensed Indian Traders) in an effort to modernize the implementation of the Indian Trader statutes consistent with the Federal policies of tribal self-determination and self-governance. The current regulations were promulgated in 1957 and have not been comprehensively updated since 1965. BIA will solicit comments on its Indian Trader regulations including how the regulations could be improved, who should be permitted to trade on Indian land, and what may be traded on Indian land, in a manner more consistent with tribal self-governance and self-determination.

Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management manages the 245-million-acre National System of Public Lands, located primarily in the Western States, including Alaska, and the 700 million acre subsurface mineral estate located throughout the Nation. In doing so, BLM manages such varied uses as energy and mineral development, outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, and forestry and woodlands products. BLM's complex multiple-use mission affects the lives of millions of Americans, including those who live near or visit the public lands, as well as those who benefit from the commodities, such as minerals, energy, or timber, produced from the lands' rich resources. In undertaking its management responsibilities, BLM seeks to conserve our public lands' natural and cultural resources, and sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

The BLM is updating and improving the current versions of Onshore Oil and Gas Orders (Orders) forSite Security (Order 3),Oil Measurement (Order 4), andGas Measurement (Order 5). These Orders were last updated in 1989. The primary purpose for these updates is to keep pace with changing industry practices, emerging and new technologies, respond to recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General, and the Department of the Interior's Subcommittee on Royalty Management. The proposed changes address findings and recommendations that in part formed the basis for the GAO's inclusion of Interior's oil and gas program on the GAO's High Risk List in 2011 (GAO-11-278) and for its continuing to keep the program on the list in the 2013 and 2015 updates. The Orders will be published as proposed rules in 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3173, 3174, and 3175, respectively.

BLM's current requirements regarding venting and flaring of natural gas from oil and gas operations are over 3 decades old. The agency intends to finalize a rule to address emissions reductions and minimize waste through improved standards for venting, flaring, and fugitive losses of methane from oil and gas production facilities on Federal and Indian lands.

The GAO recommended that BLM take necessary steps to revise its regulations regarding onshore royalty rates to provide flexibility to change those rates. On April 21, 2015, the BLM issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comment on potential updates to BLM rules governing oil and gas royalty rates, rental payments, lease sale minimum bids, civil penalty caps, and financial assurances. Over 82,000 comments were received during the comment period ending on June 19, 2015. Most of the comments focused on fiscal lease terms - royalty rates, rentals, and minimum bids. There were a few comments on bonding and very few on civil penalties.

With respect to royalties rates generally, based on comments received on the ANPRM, the BLM proposed an amendment to its regulations governing royalty rates as part of its "Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation" rulemaking, 81 Fed. Reg. 6616 (Feb. 8, 2016). The proposed regulatory amendment, if adopted, would give the Secretary flexibility to adjust onshore oil and gas royalty rates in response to market conditions.

Regarding financial measures to address risks, on June 28, 2016, the BLM published a rule to adjust civil monetary penalties contained in the Bureau of Land Management's regulations governing onshore oil and gas operations. This rule responded to the requirements of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. The adjustments made by this interim final rule constitute the initial catch-up adjustments contemplated by the Act, and are consistent with applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance. The initial adjustments will be followed by annual adjustments for inflation thereafter. The purpose of these adjustments is to maintain the deterrent effect of civil penalties found in existing regulations.

The BLM will finalize a rule to establish an efficient competitive process for leasing public lands for solar and wind energy development. The regulations will establish competitive bidding procedures for lands within designated solar and wind energy development leasing areas, define qualifications for potential bidders, and structure the financial arrangements necessary for the process. The rule will enhance BLM's ability to capture fair market value for the use of public lands, ensure fair access to leasing opportunities for renewable energy development, and foster the growth and development of the renewable energy sector of the economy.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) promotes energy independence, environmental protection, and economic development through responsible, science-based management of offshore conventional and renewable energy resources. It is dedicated to offering opportunities to develop the conventional and renewable energy and the underlying mineral resources of the OCS in an efficient and effective manner, balancing the need for economic growth with the protection of the environment. BOEM oversees the expansion of domestic energy production, enhancing the potential for domestic energy independence and the generation of revenue to support the economic development of the country. BOEM thoughtfully considers and balances the potential environmental impacts associated with exploring and extracting OCS resources with the critical need for domestic energy production. BOEM's near-term regulatory agenda will focus on a number of issues, including:

BOEM is finalizing two rules to address this goal. In consultation with stakeholders, a proposed rule would update, simplify, and clarify BOEM's current regulations for awarding renewable energy leases and grants. It would reorganize, simplify, and clarify BOEM's pre- and post-auction procedures and better describe the use of bidding credits. It also would deter bidder collusion and provide incentives to encourage a provisional winner to fulfill its obligations. The second is a final rule that reassigns current safety and environmental oversight and enforcement responsibilities for off-shore renewable energy projects from BOEM to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The Secretary of the Interior and the Assistant Secretary for Land and Mineral Management mandated this administrative reassignment to ensure that safety and environmental oversight of offshore renewable energy activities is independent of program management and leasing functions. BOEM is proposing to amend the scope of an existing proposed rulemaking that remains in early development. The amended scope will incorporate changes to the offshore renewable regulatory framework suggested by the public and the regulated community and may include provisions addressing regulatory gaps and inconsistencies arising from the Title 30 reorganization.

BOEM's original air quality rules date largely from 1980 and have not been updated substantially since that time. From 1990 to 2011, Interior exercised jurisdiction only for OCS sources operating in the Gulf of Mexico. In Fiscal Year 2011, Congress expanded Interior's authority by transferring to it responsibility for monitoring OCS air quality off the North Slope Borough of the State of Alaska, including the Beaufort Sea, and the Chukchi Sea. BOEM intends to finalize updated regulations to reflect changes that have occurred over the past 34 years and the new regulatory jurisdiction.

BOEM has the responsibility to ensure that lessees and operators on the OCS do not engage in activities that could generate an undue risk of financial loss to the Government. BOEM formally established a program office to review these issues, and is working with industry and others to determine how to improve the regulatory regime to better align with the realities of aging offshore infrastructure, hazard risks, and increasing costs of decommissioning. In order to minimize the potential adverse impact of any proposed regulations, and in an effort to take all issues and views into proper account, BOEM published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in 2014, and has engaged with industry on the subject. BOEM has since issued a Notice to Lessees to its stakeholders, effective September 12, 2016, to address the concerns.

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) mission is to regulate safety, emergency preparedness, environmental responsibility and appropriate development and conservation of offshore oil and natural gas resources. BSEE's priorities in fulfillment of its mission are to: (1) regulate, enforce, and respond to OCS development using the full range of authorities, policies, and tools to compel safety and environmental responsibility and appropriate development of offshore oil and natural gas resources; and (2) build and sustain the organizational, technical, and intellectual capacity within and across BSEE's key functions - capacity that keeps pace with OCS industry technology improvements, innovates in regulation and enforcement, and reduces risk through systemic assessment and regulatory and enforcement actions.

BSEE has identified the following areas of regulatory priorities:

BSEE will finalize a rule regarding crane safety on fixed offshore platforms and will propose a rule for helicopter/helideck safety.

BSEE will update regulations for offshore oil spill response plans by incorporating requirements for improved procedures. The procedures that will be required are based on lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon spill, as well as nearly two decades of agency oversight and applicable BSEE research.

BSEE expects to finalize its proposal for expanding the existing requirements for reporting of actual decommissioning costs to include the costs of decommissioning pipelines subject to BSEE's authority. The Bureau will use that information to estimate future decommissioning costs. BSEE will also propose, and expects to finalize, updates to the existing regulations for recovery of the costs of services provided by BSEE (such as reviewing permit applications) to reflect increases in those costs.

Office of Natural Resources Revenue

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) will continue to collect, account for, and disburse revenues from Federal offshore energy and mineral leases and from onshore mineral leases on Federal and Indian lands. The program operates nationwide and is primarily responsible for timely and accurate collection, distribution, and accounting for revenues associated with mineral and energy production.

ONRR's regulatory plan for October 2016 through March 2017 includes proposing new regulations to implement the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) governing the payment of advance royalty on coal resources produced from Federal leases. ONRR is also adding information collection requirements that are applicable to all solid minerals leases and also are necessary to implement the EPAct Federal coal advance royalty provisions. Additionally, ONRR expects to issue a proposed rulemaking to amend ONRR's service of official correspondence regulations, providing necessary clarifications and a simpler process for the service of official correspondence.

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) was created by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). Under SMCRA, OSMRE has two principal functions - the regulation of surface coal mining and reclamation operations, and the reclamation and restoration of abandoned coal mine lands. In enacting SMCRA, Congress directed OSMRE to "strike a balance between protection of the environment and agricultural productivity and the Nation's need for coal as an essential source of energy." In response to its statutory mandate, OSMRE has sought to develop and maintain a stable regulatory program that is safe, cost-effective, and environmentally sound. A stable regulatory program ensures that the coal mining industry has clear guidelines for operation and reclamation, and that citizens know how the program is being implemented.

OSMRE's Federal regulatory program sets minimum requirements for obtaining a permit for surface and underground coal mining operations, sets performance standards for those operations, requires reclamation of lands and waters disturbed by mining, and requires enforcement to ensure that the standards are met OSMRE is the primary regulatory authority for SMCRA enforcement until a State or Indian tribe develops its own regulatory program, which is no less effective than the Federal program. When a State or Indian tribe achieves "primacy," it assumes direct responsibility for permitting, inspection, and enforcement activities under its federally approved regulatory program. The regulatory standards in Federal program States and in primacy States are essentially the same with only minor, non-substantive differences. Today, 24 States have primacy, including 23 of the 24 coal producing States. OSMRE's regulatory priorities for the coming year will focus on:

Protect streams and related environmental resources from the adverse effects of surface coal mining operations. OSMRE plans to finalize regulations to improve the balance between environmental protection and the Nation's need for coal by better protecting streams from the adverse impacts of surface coal mining operations.

Establish Federal standards for the beneficial use of coal combustion residues on active and abandoned coal mines.

Revise OSMRE existing permit fees and impose new fees to recover OSMRE's costs for permit administration and enforcement services provided to the coal industry. The proposed fees would be applicable to permits for mining on lands where regulatory jurisdiction has not been delegated to the States and would include OSMRE's Federal program, States, and Indian lands.

Update OSMRE bonding regulations to ensure there are sufficient funds to complete all of the required reclamation in the reclamation plan if the regulatory authority has to perform the work in the event of forfeiture.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is to work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. FWS also provides opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our shared natural heritage.

FWS fulfills its responsibilities through a diverse array of programs that:

• Protect and recover endangered and threatened species;
• Monitor and manage migratory birds;
• Restore native aquatic populations and nationally significant fisheries;
• Enforce Federal wildlife laws and regulate international trade;
• Conserve and restore wildlife habitat such as wetlands;
• Help foreign governments conserve wildlife through international conservation efforts;
• Distribute Federal funds to States, territories, and tribes for fish and wildlife conservation projects; and
• Manage the more than 150 million acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which protects and conserves fish and wildlife and their habitats, and allows the public to engage in outdoor recreational activities.

During the next year, FWS regulatory priorities will include:

We will issue multiple rules under the ESA to conserve both domestic and foreign animal and plant species. Accordingly, we will add species to, remove species from, and reclassify species on the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants and designate critical habitat for certain listed species. We will issue a comprehensive compensatory mitigation policy that sets standards for compensatory mitigation and minimum criteria that should provide better ecological outcomes for listed and at-risk species through effective management of the risks associated with compensatory mitigation. The policy will encourage a proactive approach that will take advantage of economies of scale and provide greater regulatory certainty and predictability for the regulated community.

In carrying out our responsibility to manage migratory bird populations, we issue annual migratory bird hunting regulations, which establish the frameworks (outside limits) for States to establish season lengths, bag limits, and areas for migratory game bird hunting. Additionally, FWS is considering whether to issue a proposed rulemaking to address various approaches to regulating incidental take of migratory birds, including issuing individual permits, general permits, and Federal agency authorizations. The rulemaking would establish appropriate standards for any such regulatory approach to ensure that incidental take of migratory birds is appropriately mitigated, which may include requiring measures to avoid or minimize take or securing compensation.

The FWS is also refining its management objectives for bald eagles and golden eagles and revising the regulations pertaining to issuing permits for nonpurposeful take of eagles and eagle nest take. The revisions will add clarity to the eagle permit regulations, improve their implementation, and increase compliance, while providing strong protection for eagles.

Regulations to administer the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS).

In carrying out our statutory responsibility to provide wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities on NWRS lands, we issue an annual rule to update the hunting and fishing regulations on specific refuges. To protect NWRS resources, we will issue a rule to ensure that businesses conducting oil or gas operations on NWRS lands do so in a manner that prevents or minimizes damage to the lands, visitor values, and management objectives.

Under the Acts, the FWS distributes annual apportionments to States from trust funds derived from excise tax revenues and fuel taxes. We continue to direct state fish and wildlife agencies on how to use these funds to implement conservation projects. To strengthen our partnership with State conservation organizations, we are working on several rules to update and clarify our regulations. Planned regulatory revisions will help to reflect several new decisions agreed upon by state conservation organizations, we are working on several rules to update and clarify our regulations. Planned regulatory revision will help to reflect several new decisions agreed upon by State and Federal partners. We will also expand on existing regulations that prescribe processes that applicants and grantees must follow when applying for and managing grants from FWS.

In accordance with section 3(a) of Executive Order 13609 (Promoting International Regulatory Cooperation), we will update our CITES regulations to incorporate provisions resulting from the 16th Conference of the Parties to CITES. The revisions will help us more effectively promote species conservation and help U.S. importers and exporters of wildlife products understand how to conduct lawful international trade.

National Park Service

The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values within more than 400 units of the National Park System encompassing nearly 84 million acres of lands and waters for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The NPS also cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout the United States and the world.

To achieve this mission NPS adheres to the following guiding principles:

• Excellent Service: Providing the best possible service to park visitors and partners.
• Productive Partnerships: Collaborating with Federal, State, tribal, and local governments, private organizations, and businesses to work toward common goals.
• Citizen Involvement: Providing opportunities for citizens to participate in the decisions and actions of the National Park Service.
• Heritage Education: Educating park visitors and the general public about their history and common heritage.
• Outstanding Employees: Empowering a diverse workforce committed to excellence, integrity, and quality work.
• Employee Development: Providing developmental opportunities and training so employees have the "tools to do the job" safely and efficiently.
• Wise Decisions: Integrating social, economic, environmental, and ethical considerations into the decisionmaking process.
• Effective Management: Instilling a performance management philosophy that fosters creativity, focuses on results, and requires accountability at all levels.
• Research and Technology: Incorporating research findings and new technologies to improve work practices, products, and services.

The NPS regulatory priorities for the coming year include:

Rules for Fire Island National Seashore, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and Cape Lookout National Seashore would allow for management of off-road vehicle (ORV) use, to protect and preserve natural and cultural resources, and provide a variety of visitor use experiences while minimizing conflicts among user groups. Further, the rules would designate ORV routes and establish operational requirements and restrictions.

The rule will establish definitions, standards, procedures, and guidelines to be followed by Federal agencies to dispose of particular archeological material remains that are in collections recovered during Federal projects and programs under certain Federal statutes. This rule is necessary because, at present, there is no procedure to dispose of material remains that are determined to be of insufficient archeological interest.

A rule revising the existing regulations would describe the NAGPRA process in plain language, eliminate ambiguity, clarify terms, and include Native Hawaiians in the process. The rule would eliminate unnecessary requirements for museums and would not add processes or collect additional information.

NPS will revise its existing regulations to account for new technology and industry practices, eliminate regulatory exemptions, update new legal requirements, remove caps on bond amounts, and allow the NPS to recover compliance costs associated with administering the regulations.

The rule will define and differentiate service animals from pets, and will describe the circumstances under which service animals would be allowed in a park area. The rule will ensure NPS compliance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (28 U.S.C 794) and better align NPS regulations with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 1211 et seq.) and the Department of Justice Service Animal regulations of 2011 (28 CFR 36.104).

The rule will allow qualified subsistence users to collect and use non-edible fish and wildlife parts and plant materials for the creation and subsequent disposition (use, barter, or sale) of handicrafts. The rule will also (1) clarify that collecting or possessing living wildlife is generally prohibited, and (2) limit the types of bait that may be used to take bears for subsistence uses.

The rule would allow the free distribution of message-bearing items that do not meet the definition of "printed matter" in existing regulations. These items include readable electronic media, clothing and accessories, buttons, pins, and bumper stickers. The rule would implement current NPS policy.

Bureau of Reclamation The Bureau of Reclamation's mission is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. To accomplish this mission, we employ management, engineering, and science to achieve effective and environmentally sensitive solutions. Reclamation projects provide: Irrigation water service, municipal and industrial water supply, hydroelectric power generation, water quality improvement, groundwater management, fish and wildlife enhancement, outdoor recreation, flood control, navigation, river regulation and control, system optimization, and related uses. We have continued to focus on increased security at our facilities.

Our regulatory program focus in Fiscal Year 2017 is to publish a proposed minor amendment to 43 CFR part 429 to bring it into compliance with the requirements of 43 CFR part 5, Commercial Filming and Similar Projects and Still Photography on Certain Areas under Department Jurisdiction. Publishing this rule will implement the provisions of Public Law 106-206, which directs the establishment of permits and reasonable fees for commercial filming and certain still photography activities on public lands.