[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34467-34469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-12014]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
[WO-310-1310-02-PB-24 1A]
Extension of Approved Information Collection; OMB Approval No.
1004-0162
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior and Forest Service,
Agriculture.
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) requests the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) to extend an existing approval to collect information from
entities who conduct geophysical operations on public lands.
DATES: You must submit your comments to BLM at he address below on or
before July 15, 2002. BLM will not necessarily consider any comments
received after the above date.
ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to: Bureau of Land Management, (WO-
[[Page 34468]]
630), Eastern States Office, 7450 Boston Blvd., Springfield, Virginia
22153.
You may send comments via Internet to: [email protected]. Please
include (ATTN: 1004-0162) and your name and address with your comments.
You may deliver comments 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: You may contact Barbara Gamble, Fluid
Minerals Group, at (202) 452-0338 (Commercial or FTS). Persons who use
a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) on 1-800-877-8330, 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, to contact Ms. Gamble.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 5 CFR 1320.12(a), requires that we provide a
60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning a collection of
information to solicit comments on:
(a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the
proper functioning of the agency, including whether the information
will have practical utility;
(b) The accuracy of our estimates of the information collection
burden, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions we
use;
(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected; and
(d) Ways to minimize the information collection burden on those who
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology.
The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (MLA) (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.),
gives the Secretary of the Interior responsibility for oil and gas
leasing on approximately 570 million acres of Federal mineral estate.
The MLA authorizes the Forest Service (FS) to permit oil and gas
companies, lessees, exploration companies, and independent exploration
operators to conduct geophysical exploration on or off leases on
National Forest System (NFS) lands. The Act of August 7, 1947 (Mineral
Leasing Act of Acquired Lands), authorizes the Secretary of the
Interior to lease lands acquired by the United States (30 U.S.C. 341-
359); and the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of
December 22, 1987, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to lease
NFS lands with FS consent. On NFS lands, the Secretary of Agriculture
is authorized to regulate all surface-disturbing activities which take
place on a lease.
43 CFR Group, 3150 establishes procedures for BLM to issue
authorizations to conduct oil and gas geophysical exploration
operations on public lands. 36 CFR part 228 subpart E, and 36 CFR part
251 subpart A and subpart B establish procedures for the FS to
authorize geophysical operations on FS lands.
The BLM and FS need the information requested on the Notice of
Intent to process applications for geophysical exploration operations
on public lands and to manage environmental compliance requirements in
accordance with the laws, regulations, and land use plans. The BLM and
FS use the information to determine if operators will conduct
geophysical operations in a manner consistent with the regulations,
local land use plans, and stipulations. The BLM and FS need the
information requested on the Notice of Completion to determine whether
rehabilitation of the lands is satisfactory or whether additional
rehabilitation is necessary. You may submit the forms in person or by
mail. We need the company name, address, and telephone number to
identify the person/entity conducting operations. BLM will assign a
Case File Number to track each specific operation. We require the legal
land description to determine the location of the involved public
lands. Additional information that we request includes the type and
size of the proposed activity, location of the proposed operation,
equipment you plan to use, operating procedures, and timing of the
operation.
Applicants must submit these forms to allow BLM and FS to determine
who is conducting geophysical operations on public lands. An
interagency BLM/FS team revised the respective forms to streamline and
improve the process for both the Federal Government and its customers.
Combining the BLM and FS individual forms into a single BLM/FS form
will ensure consistent management of the geophysical operations on
public lands and will better serve the public.
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Old forms New forms
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(1) Terms and Conditions for Notice (1) Notice of intent and Request
of Intent to Conduct Geophysical for Authorization to Conduct
Exploration, BLM Standard Form Geophysical Exploration Operations
3150-4a. (NOI/RFA), BLM Standard Form 3110-
4/FS Standard Form 2800-16.
(2) Application for Prospecting ...................................
Permit, FS Standard Form 2800-14.
(3) Geophysical Prospecting Permit,
FS Standard Form 2800-15.
(4) Notice of Completion of Oil and (2) Notice of Completion of
Gas Exploration Operations, BLM Geophysical Exploration
Standard Form 3150-5. Operations, BLM Standard Form 3110-
5/FS Standard Form 2800-16a.
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Based on past and recent experience administering onshore oil and
gas geophysical exploration operations, BLM estimates the public
reporting burden for completing the Notice of Intent is one hour, and
for completing the Notice of Completion is 20 minutes. The information
we require is clearly outlined on the forms and in the terms and
conditions. The information is already maintained by the respondents
for their own record keeping purposes and they will need only to
transfer or attach it to the forms. BLM estimates that it receives
approximately 600 Notices of Intent and 600 Notices of Completion
annually, with a total annual burden of 800 hours. Respondents vary
from small businesses to major corporations.
The FS estimates the reporting burden is approximately one hour to
complete a Notice of Intent which includes the time to gather the
information on the project and complete the form. The FS estimates that
it receives approximately 25 Notices of Intent and 25 Notices of
Completion annually, with a total annual burden of 31 hours.
Respondents include individual lessees, small and large companies, and
independent exploration operators. After combining the annual burden of
the BLM and FS, the total estimated annual burden is 831 hours.
Any member of the public may request and obtain, without charge, a
copy of the BLM Form 3110-4/FS Form 2800-16 or BLM Form 3110-5/FS Form
2800-16a 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 OMB approval. All
[[Page 34469]]
comments will become a matter of public record.
Dated: April 9, 2002.
Michael H. Schwartz,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
Dated: April 18, 2002.
Larry O. Gadt,
Director, Minerals and Geology Management, USDA, Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 02-12014 Filed 5-13-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M