[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 68 (Monday, April 8, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15509-15510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8615]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WO-330-1020-00-24 1A]


Extension of Currently Approved Information Collection, OMB 
Approval Number 1004-0047

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 
extension of approval to collect information from individuals who 
conduct, or wish to conduct, grazing on lands managed by BLM. 
Information collected relates to individuals' qualifications and base 
properties, as well as to changes in land ownership. BLM uses the 
information to allocate grazing use, determine qualifications of 
applicants, issue permits, authorize transfers, and document files.

DATES: Comments on the proposed information collection must be received 
by June 7, 1996 to be considered.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Regulatory Management Team (420), 
Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street NW., Room 401 LS, Washington, 
DC 20240
    Comments may be sent via Internet to: !WO[email protected]. Please 
include ``Attn: 1004-0047'' 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 (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Monday 
through Friday).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Ramey, Jr., (202) 452-7747.

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 current published 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 estimate of the burden of the collection, 
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.
    The Taylor Grazing Act (TGA) of 1934 (43 U.S.C. 315, 315 et seq.), 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
1701 et seq.), and the Public Rangelands Improvement Act (PRIA) of 1978 
(43 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) provide authority for BLM to administer the 
livestock grazing program consistent with land-use plans, multiple-use 
objectives, sustained yield, environmental values, economic 
considerations, and other factors. Authorizing livestock use on the 
public lands is an important and integral part of program 
administration. Administrative procedures include maintaining accurate 
and complete information on the qualifications of permittees and 
lessees and ownership and location of all land used in conjunction with 
the public lands. BLM's regulations at 43 CFR 4110.1 and .2 require 
notification to BLM of changes in ownership, qualifications of 
applicants, and base properties. These regulations were adopted in 1978 
(45 FR 29067, July 5, 1978) and last modified in 1995 60 FR 9894, 
February 22, 1995).
    BLM uses two forms to collect information necessary to manage the 
grazing program, the Grazing Application--Preference Summary (Form 
4130-1a) and the Grazing Application--Supplemental Information (Form 
4130-1b). In addition to name and address, Form 4130-1a requests 
applicants for grazing permits and leases to specifically locate tracts 
of land, acres of each owned or lease property, and the amount of 
grazing, expressed in animal unit months (AUM), associated with each 
tract. The form also enables a previous owner to identify the new owner 
or leaseholder, the amount of land and AUMs being transferred, and 
concurrence by the lienholder in the transaction.
    Form 4130-1b enables new applicants to certify as to their 
qualification for a grazing permit or lease, indicate ownership or 
control of all livestock to be grazed, identify owner of leased 
properties, identify preferences existing in other jurisdictions, and 
name an individual who is authorized to represent the applicant.
    The information obtained from the permittees and lessees is used by 
BLM to allocate grazing use, adjudicate conflicting requests for 
grazing use, determine legal qualifications of applicants, resolve 
conflicts, issue permits, authorize transfers, and document files. This 
information is also used to verify that a legal transaction is taking 
place and whether all or part of the allotment is involved. Without 
this information, the BLM would not be able to assure proper 
administration of the use of the public lands as required by law and 
would result in unauthorized use, improper billings, unqualified users, 
and nonpayment of fees due the Federal Government.
    The information collected is required by law and is only available 
from the applicants. The forms were designed to request only basic 
information required to administer the permitting process.

[[Page 15510]]
Ownership papers provide specific information concerning what parts of 
a property will be covered by a grazing permit or lease. This 
information is known by, or readily available to, the applicant, but is 
not available to BLM. Since grazing on the unreserved public lands is 
administered only by the BLM, this information collection does not 
duplicate any other.
    The application is only completed once during the period of 
ownership. Since each applicant or transferee must establish 
eligibility for a permit or lease, the information is collected each 
time a change takes place. Based on its experience managing grazing on 
public lands, BLM estimates that an average of 3,400 forms are 
completed each year. Because of the wide variation in size of livestock 
operations, some of the responses may take as little as ten minutes to 
complete while others may take up to 30 minutes. BLM estimates the 
average time to complete one of the forms is 15 minutes. The average 
annual burden is 850 hours.
    Any interested member of the public may request and obtain, without 
charge, copies of Form 4130-1a and 4130-1b 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: April 3, 1996.
Patrick W. Boyd,
Acting Chief, Regulatory Management Team.
[FR Doc. 96-8615 Filed 4-5-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P