[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5797-5798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3055]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[WO-320-4130-02-24 1A]
RIN 1004-AC39


Notice of Proposed Information Collection

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is announcing its intention to request 
approval for the collection of information annually from holders of 
unpatented mining claims concerning use and occupancy of their claims.

DATES: Comments on the proposed information collection must be received 
by April 15, 1996 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Regulatory Management Team (420), 
Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street NW., Room 401LS, Washington, 
D.C. 20240.
    Comments may be sent via Internet to: WO[email protected]. Please 
include ``ATTN: U&O-Info'' and your name and return address in your 
Internet message. Comments may be hand-delivered to the Bureau of Land 
Management Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L Street NW., 
Washington, DC. Comments will be available for public review at the L 
Street address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.), 
Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard E. Deery, (202) 452-0353.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320.8(d) BLM is 
required to provide 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning a 
proposed collection of information to solicit comments on (a) whether 
the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology. Accordingly, none of the information proposed to be 
collected as described below will be required until comments have been 
received and analyzed and approval has been obtained from OMB under 44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq. and a clearance number assigned.
    In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on September 
11, 1992 (57 FR 41846), BLM proposed to established procedures for 
managing existing and future use and occupancy of mining claims on BLM-
administered lands consistent with the mining law (30 U.S.C. 612) and 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1733). 
Generally, under the terms of the proposed rule, any newly proposed 
activity on public lands involving occupancy or fencing to exclude the 
public would have to be acknowledged by BLM as reasonably related to 
mining prior to the initiation of occupancy or fencing. Under the 
proposed rule, anyone planning to use mining claims or the public lands 
under the mining law for occupancy would have to submit the following 
information to BLM, in addition to the information currently required 
by 43 CFR subparts 3802 and 3809:
    1. A map is sufficient detail to identify the site and placement of 
(a) temporary or permanent structures, (b) fences and signs intended to 
exclude the public, and (c) public passage or access routes through or 
around the area; and
    2. A written description of (a) how the proposed occupancy relates 
to activities reasonably incident to prospecting, mining, or processing 
operations, (b) how the proposed occupancy meets the standards of 
Sec. 3715.2 of the proposed rule, and (c) the estimated period of use 
and schedule for removal and reclamation. The proposed rule would also 
allow a grace period during which existing occupancies would have to 
come into compliance with the provisions of the regulations. To take 
advantage of the grace period, existing occupancies would have to be 
recorded with BLM through submittal of the same information described 
above. The information is mandatory to obtain a benefit, use of the 
public lands open to the mining laws for occupancy reasonably incident 
to prospecting, mining, or processing operations.

[[Page 5798]]

    Based on its review of comments on the proposed rule, BLM does not 
anticipate significant changes in the final rule. BLM is considering, 
however, changing the information requirements for existing occupancies 
by significantly reducing the up-front information required to obtain 
the one-year grace period. The reduction in the up-front reporting 
burden would be realized through the use of a simple form that takes 
about 10 minutes to fill out. The burden of providing the information 
would remain, but would be required for existing occupancies only after 
the benefit of the grace period is obtained. The information proposed 
to be collected from existing occupancies for recording purposes would 
subsequently be gathered by BLM field staff.
    The public reporting burden for this entire collection, including 
the simplified form and collection of information during the inspection 
process, is estimated to average two hours per response. The 
respondents are mining claimants and operators of prospecting, 
exploration, mining, and processing operations. The number of responses 
per respondent is one per operation. The number of new responses is 
estimated to be 130 per year. The estimated total annual burden on new 
respondents is collectively 260 hours. The estimated number of 
respondents possessing existing occupancies is 1,950. The total annual 
burden on respondents with existing occupancies would be a function of 
the number of inspections carried out in any given year. The total 
burden for these respondents would collectively total 3,900 hours 
spread over a two- to three-year period, depending on the availability 
of funding to conduct inspections.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: February 7, 1996.
Annetta Cheek,
Leader, Regulatory Management Team.
[FR Doc. 96-3055 Filed 2-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M