[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51018-51019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21319]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO-230-1030-PB-01-24-1A]


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) announces its intention to request 
renewal of an existing approval to collect certain information from 
Federal timber purchasers to allow BLM to determine compliance with 
timber 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 October 23, 2000 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Regulatory Affairs Group (630), 
Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street NW., Room 401LS, Washington, 
DC 20240.
    Comments may be sent via Internet to: [email protected]. Please 
include ``Attn: 1004-0058'' and your name and return address in your 
Internet message.
    You may hand-deliver comments to the Bureau of Land Management, 
Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.
    BLM will make comments 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: Michael J. Haske, WO-230, (202) 452-
7758, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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 BLM Form 5460-17, Substitution 
Determination (43 CFR 5400, Sales of Forest Products), 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

[[Page 51019]]

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 
OMB 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 ensure 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, found at 43 CFR 5400, Sales of 
Forest Products, General, were issued on June 13, 1970 (35 FR 9783). 
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). The Forest Resources Conservation and 
Shortage Relief Act (FRCSRA) of 1990 (Public Law 101-382, 16 U.S.C. 620 
et seq.) directs the BLM to publish new regulations and revise existing 
regulations to continue the prohibition on exporting unprocessed timber 
harvested from Federal lands west of the 100th Meridian in the 
contiguous 48 states. The BLM has not yet promulgated such regulations; 
the FRCSRA directs that regulations in effect before such date of 
promulgation shall continue to govern the export prohibition, making 
continued use of this form necessary.
    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) require that the 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 this information to 
determine if there was a substitution of Federal timber for exported 
private timber in violation of 43 CFR 5400.0-3(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.
    BLM will summarize all responses to this notice and include them in 
the request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments 
will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: August 16, 2000.
Shirlean Beshir,
BLM Information Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-21319 Filed 8-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M