[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13209-13210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7208]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WO-330-1030-02-24 1A]


Extension of Approved Information Collection, OMB Number 1004-
0058

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 
renewal of existing approval to collect certain information from 
Federal timber purchasers to allow the BLM to determine compliance with 
export restrictions. Federal timber purchasers must keep records of 
Federal timber volume purchased and private timber volume exported for 
a period of three years from the date the activity occurred. BLM uses 
this information to administer export restrictions on BLM timber sales 
and to determine whether substitution of Federal timber for exported 
private timber has occurred.

DATES: Comments on the proposed information collection must be received 
by May 28, 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

[[Page 13210]]
``ATTN: 1004-0058'' 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: Dwight Fielder, (202) 452-7758.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320.12(a), BLM is 
required to provide 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning a 
collection of information contained in a published current rule 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. BLM will receive and analyze any 
comments sent in response to this notice and include them with its 
request for approval from the Office of Management and Budget under 44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
    BLM manages and sells timber located on the revested Oregon and 
California Railroad and the reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant Lands 
pursuant to authority of the Act of August 28, 1937 (50 Stat. 875, 43 
U.S.C. 1181e). BLM manages and sells timber located on other lands 
under the jurisdiction of the BLM pursuant to the Act of July 31, 1947, 
as amended (61 Stat. 681, 30 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). The Department of the 
Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Acts of 1975 and 1976 
contained a requirement for the inclusion of provisions in timber sale 
contracts that will assure that un-processed timber sold from public 
lands under the jurisdiction of the BLM will not be exported or used by 
the purchasers as a substitute for timber they export or sell for 
export. The implementing regulations are found at 43 CFR 5400, Sales of 
Forest Products; General. The regulations were issued on June 13, 1970 
(35 FR 9785). The regulations were amended on March 26, 1976 (41 FR 
12658) to reflect the prohibition against export and substitution, and 
last amended on March 11, 1991 (56 FR 10175). Timber purchasers or 
their affiliates must provide the information listed at 43 CFR 
5424.1(a). BLM collects the purchaser's name, timber contract number, 
processing facility location, total volume of Federal timber purchased 
on an annual basis, total volume of private timber exported on an 
annual basis, and method of measuring the volume using BLM Form 5460-
17, Substitution Determination. The regulations at 43 CFR 5424.1(b) 
requires that purchasers or affiliates retain a record of Federal 
timber acquisitions and private timber exports for three years from the 
date the activity occurred.
    BLM uses the information to determine if there was a substitution 
of Federal timber for exported private timber in violation of 43 CFR 
5400.(3)(c). If BLM did not collect this information, it could not 
protect against export and substitution.
    Based on BLM's experience administering timber contracts, the 
public reporting burden for the information collected is estimated to 
average one hour per response. The respondents are Federal timber 
purchasers who have exported private timber within one year preceding 
the purchase date of Federal timber and/or affiliates of a timber 
purchaser who exported private timber within one year before the 
acquisition of Federal timber from the purchaser. The frequency of 
response for substitution determination is annually. The number of 
responses per year is estimated to be about 100. The estimated total 
annual burden on new respondents is about 100 hours.
    Any interested member of the public may request and obtain, without 
charge, a copy of Form 5460-17 by contacting the person identified 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    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: March 20, 1996.
Dr. Annetta L. Cheek,
Chief, Regulatory Management Team.
[FR Doc. 96-7208 Filed 3-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P