[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14576-14577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7933]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WO-340-1220-02-24 1A]


Extension of Currently Approved Information Collection, OMB 
Approval Numbers 1004-0165 and 1004-0166

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management for the Department of 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), acting for the Department of the 
Interior, is announcing its intention to request approval to collect 
certain information from those persons submitting nominations for 
significant caves under the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 
1988 and those persons requesting confidential cave information on 
Federal lands administered by the Secretary of the Interior. This 
information is needed for the Interior agencies to: (1) determine which 
caves will be listed as significant and (2) decide whether to grant 
access to confidential cave information. This information collection is 
currently authorized under clearance numbers 1004-0165 (cave 
nominations) and 1004-0166 (confidential information).

DATES: Comments on the proposed information collection must be received 
by June 3, 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: 1004-0165'' 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: Jinx Fox, BLM, (202) 452-0354.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320.12(a), BLM, on 
behalf of the Department, is required to provide 60-day notice in the 
Federal Register concerning a collection of information contained in 
published current rules to solicit comments on (a) whether the 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information has 
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's

[[Page 14577]]
estimate of the burden of the 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.
    Nominations of significant caves. The Federal Cave Resources 
Protection Act of 1988 (102 Stat. 4546, 16 U.S.C. 4301) requires 
identification, protection and maintenance, to the extent practical, of 
significant caves on lands managed by the Department of the Interior. 
The implementing regulations are found at 43 CFR 37--Cave Management. 
The regulations were issued on October 1, 1993 (58 FR 51554). Federal 
agencies must consult with ``cavers'' and other interested parties to 
develop a listing of significant caves. The regulations establish 
criteria for the identification of significant caves. The regulations 
also integrate cave management into existing planning and management 
processes and protect cave resource information to prevent vandalism 
and disturbance of significant caves.
    The public and other government agencies provide (a) name and 
address, (b) name and phone number of a key contact, (c) cave name, (d) 
cave location, (e) topographic and/or cave map(s), (f) name of the 
administering Federal agency and agency field office name and address 
where the cave is located, (g) description of the cave, and (h) 
description of the applicable criteria for significant caves (biota, 
cultural, geologic/mineralogic/paleontologic, hydrologic, recreational, 
and/or educational or scientific). The Department uses the information 
provided to determine which caves will be listed as significant. If the 
Department did not collect the information, it could not identify, 
manage, and protect significant caves in accordance with the law.
    This collection of information is short, simple, and limited to the 
information necessary for efficient operation of the program. The 
information collected is a voluntary, non-recurring submission 
necessary to receive a benefit. There is no other source for the 
information, and failure by the respondent to furnish the required 
information will result in a ``significant'' cave not receiving 
appropriate protection. The respondents already maintain this 
information for their own record-keeping purposes and need only compile 
it.
    Based on the Department's experience administering cave resources 
as described above, the public reporting burden for the information 
collected for significant cave nominations is estimated to average 
three hours per response. The estimate includes time for research, time 
to transcribe and audit the data, and time to prepare the nomination. 
The number of responses per year is estimated to be about 200. The 
frequency of response is once per nomination. The estimated total 
annual burden on new respondents is 600 hours.
    Access to confidential cave information. Other Federal or State 
governmental agencies, bona fide educational or research institutes, or 
individuals or organizations assisting the land management agency with 
cave management activities may request access to confidential cave 
information. The written request includes (a) name, address and 
telephone number of the person responsible for the security of the 
information, (b) a legal description of the cave location, (c) a 
statement of the purpose of the request, and (d) written assurance that 
the requesting party will maintain the confidentiality of the 
information and protect the cave and its resources. The Department uses 
the information provided to determine whether disclosure will create a 
substantial risk to cave resources. If the Department did not collect 
the information, it could not identify, manage, and protect significant 
caves in accordance with the law.
    The collection of information is short, simple and convenient to 
the applicant. The information collected is a voluntary, non-recurring 
submission necessary to receive a benefit. The respondents already 
maintain this information for their own record-keeping purposes and 
need only compile it.
    Based on the Department's experience administering cave resources 
as described above, the information collection burden for confidential 
cave information requests is about one hour per request. The number of 
requests per year is about ten. The frequency of response is once per 
request. The estimated total annual burden on new respondents is ten 
hours.
    Previously, OMB approved the nominations of significant caves and 
the access to confidential cave information as separate information 
collections, OMB approval numbers 1004-0165 and 1004-0166, 
respectively. For the convenience of the public, BLM plans to request 
that these two information collections be consolidated under one 
approval number.
    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 27, 1996.

Annetta L. Cheek,

Chief, Regulatory Management Team.

[FR Doc. 96-7933 Filed 4-1-96; 8:45 am]

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