[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10649-10651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5467]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[WO-220-1020-24 1A]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection, OMB Approval Number 
1004-0051

agency: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

action: Notice and request for comments.

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summary: In accordance with the Paper Work 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 
individuals who are required to provide the actual grazing use made by 
their livestock while grazing public rangelands. The report is used 
most frequently to document the grazing use made for an end-of-season 
grazing billing when authorized within the terms and conditions of a 
permit or lease that incorporates an allotment management plan. The 
report is also used for documenting forage harvest, a key data for use 
in conjunction with the data from other monitoring studies, when 
evaluating trend in rangeland health for grazing allotments. Form 4130-
5 (ACTUAL GRAZING USE REPORT) is used under authority of Sections 3 and 
15 of the Taylor Grazing Act and associated regulations found at 43 CFR 
4130.3-2(d) and 4130.8-1(e). It requests information necessary to 
compute the amount of forage consumed by the authorized grazing animals 
and prepare the grazing billing. Requested information is: Name of 
grazing allotment, Pasture(s) grazed, dates of grazing use, and numbers 
and kind or class of livestock. Information concerning other factors 
that affect the grazing use may be voluntarily provided, such as death 
losses of grazing animals, environmental influences such as insects, 
abnormal weather events, fire, etc. It also documents the grazing use 
for the allotment files.

dates: Comments on the proposed information collection must be received 
by May 8, 1998.

addresses: Comments may be mailed to: Regulatory Affairs Group (630), 
Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street N.W., Room 401 LS Bldg., 
Washington, D.C. 20240. Comments may be sent via Internet to: 
[email protected]. Please include ``Attn: 1004-0051'' 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, N.W., Washington, D.C.
    Comments will be available for public inspection at the L Street 
address during regular business hours (8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday 
through Friday).

further information contact: George Ramey (202) 452-7747.

supplementary information: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320.8(d), 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 proposed collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including

[[Page 10650]]

whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 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. 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.
    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 the authority for the Bureau of Land 
Management to administer the livestock grazing program consistent with 
land-use plans, multiple-use objectives, sustained yield, environmental 
values, economic considerations, and other factors. Sections 3 and 15 
of the TGA and Regulations in 43 CFR 4130.3-2(d) require permitees or 
lessees (graziers) to furnish a record of the actual grazing use made 
on public rangeland grazing allotments when specified as a term or 
condition of a permit or lease. The Regulations at 43 CFR 4130.8-1(e) 
provide for the end-of-season billing based upon the record of actual 
grazing use. The Regulations were issued on February 21, 1984 (49 FR 
6452) and last amended on February 22, 1995 (60 FR 9964). Form 4130-5, 
Actual Grazing Use Report, is the approved form to be used for 
recording the actual grazing use made on public rangelands.
    The BLM Authorizes livestock grazing on the public lands within 
specified terms and conditions. Recordation and reporting of actual 
grazing use may be included in permits or leases to provide information 
that is necessary for evaluating the monitoring data collected on the 
grazing allotment and for after the season billing for grazing use when 
authorized under an allotment management plan. The information provided 
by the grazier is used by the BLM for two specific purposes:
    a. To calculate the fees due for the grazing use completed. Fees 
are due the United States upon issuance of a billing notice and must be 
paid in full prior to grazing use, except when an allotment management 
plan (AMP) provides for delayed payment and has been incorporated into 
a grazing permit or lease. In this later situation, a billing notice, 
based upon the actual grazing use completed, will be issued at the end 
of the grazing period or year (43 CFR 4130.8-1(e)). Copies of the 
actual grazing use report form are furnished with the annual grazing 
authorization for use by the graziers in record keeping during the 
season. Because the information collected is used for billing for 
grazing use or makes up a part of the allotment monitoring records, the 
permittee or lessee must keep accurate and current records for the 
period of time covered by his/her permit or lease. The information 
collected includes allotment and pasture location of the grazing, the 
date and numbers of livestock turned on or removed from the range, and 
the kind or class of livestock grazed. The actual grazing use report is 
required to be submitted within 15 days following the end of the 
grazing period. Failure to collect this information will prevent the 
BLM from providing proper administration.
    b. To obtain information needed to monitor and evaluate livestock 
grazing use on the public lands for the purposes of determining if 
adjustments in the amount of use are needed, or if other management 
actions are having the desired effects. Knowledge of actual livestock 
grazing use is essential in the monitoring and the evaluation of the 
livestock grazing management program. Information on the specific use 
is essential for an accurate and complete analysis and evaluation of 
the effects of livestock grazing during particular periods of time, as 
interrelated with other factors such as climate, growth characteristics 
of the vegetation, and utilization levels on the plants. Failure to 
collect this information would result in less than satisfactory data 
and reduced capability to make adjustments in grazing use or 
management.
    Other information required by Form 4130-5 provides: The name and 
address used to identify the permittee or lessee for matching the 
actual use record with the appropriate grazing case records. The 
Signature of the grazier and date signifies a certification that the 
information is complete and accurate report of the grazier's livestock 
use of public rangeland. The graziers may provide other information 
that they wish in addition to the required elements.
    The BLM completes administrative calculations of animal unit months 
of grazing use made within the allotment and pasture by the kind or 
class of livestock for summary use in preparing a grazing bill and/or 
for use in the evaluation of monitoring data for the allotment. The 
record is retained to document the BLM files. Without this information, 
the BLM could not fulfill its responsibility to manage uses of the 
public land as required by law.
    The required information is only available from the grazing 
operators. Specific information is only known by a grazier who 
identifies specific information pertinent to the purposes of the form 
in completing the record of grazing use. The form was designed to 
request only basic information required to administer the livestock 
grazing on public land. The information is contained in the grazier's 
personal plans or records kept for the ranching business purposes and 
does not impose a significant burden.
    Since grazing on the unreserved public lands is administered only 
by the BLM, there is no duplication of information collections.
    Because the actual grazing use that occurs is not constant from 
year to year, the required information collection must be made for each 
grazing season for which grazing use is sought. This report is 
completed annually during the period when actual grazing use is 
required for either end-of-season billing under an AMP, or for use in 
evaluating the monitoring data for rangeland management. This 
information collection is consistent with guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6 
without which the BLM would not be able to administer the Public Land 
Laws.
    There are no assurances of confidentiality but the Privacy Act 
Notice is provided to inform the applicants of the uses to be made. 
There are no plans for publishing information for statistical use.
    On March 25, 1994 the BLM published in the Federal Register a 
notice of proposed rulemaking to amend the regulations for livestock 
grazing. A comment period of 120 days was allowed. Included in the 
notice was a request for comments on the information collections 
involved including, this collection (1004-0051). Several comments were 
received on this section addressing information resources and questions 
of timeliness relating to compliance. Federal Register 2/22/95, page 
9925. Copies of the comments are on file at the Bureau of Land 
Management, Eastern States Office, 7450 Boston Boulevard, Springfield, 
Virginia 22153, and may be reviewed by contacting Jim Gegen at that 
Office.
    The BLM experience and recent tabulations of activity indicate 
approximately 15,000 records are

[[Page 10651]]

processed each year. The annual cost to the Government is estimated to 
be $82,500 for information analysis, calculations and filing the 
records in appropriated case files, incidental expenses for postage 
based on 15 minutes time with each form at $21 per hour. Annual costs 
to the 15,000 respondents is estimated at $136,200, including postage 
based on 6,250 burden hours at $21 per hour to prepare the form and to 
receive and file their actual grazing use report.
    Several years experience has shown that it takes an average of 
about 25 minutes for an estimated 15,000 graziers to complete the form. 
Because of the variations in size and complexity of range livestock 
operations, some of the 15,000 responses may take a few minutes in one 
recording session to complete the form, while others may take up to 60 
minutes combined through several sessions during the grazing year, with 
each requiring a few minutes to enter the required data.
    Any interested member of the public may request and obtain, without 
charge, a copy of BLM Form 4130-5 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: February 26, 1998.
Carole J. Smith,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-5467 Filed 3-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M