[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 133 (Thursday, July 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 45984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-17409]



[[Page 45984]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO-350-1430-PF-24 IA]


Extension of Approved Information Collection, OMB Approval Number 
1004-0004

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) requests the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) to extend an existing approval to collect information from 
those persons who submit Form 2520-1 to apply for a desert-land entry 
to reclaim, irrigate, and cultivate arid and semiarid public lands in 
the Western United States. The BLM uses this information to determine 
if the applicant is eligible to make a desert-land entry under the 
appropriate land entry laws.

DATES: You must submit your comments to BLM at the address below on or 
before September 9, 2002. BLM will not necessarily consider any 
comments received after the above date.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to: Regulatory Affairs Group (WO-630), 
Eastern States Office, 7450 Boston Blvd., Springfield, Virginia 22153.
    You may send comments via Internet to: [email protected]. Please 
include ``ATTN: 1004-0004'' 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 Alzata L. Ransom, 
Lands and Realty Group, on (202) 452-7772 (Commercial or FTS). Persons 
who use a telecommunication 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. Ransom.

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 assumption 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.
    Congress passed the Desert Land Act of March 3, 1877 (19 Stat. 377; 
43 U.S.C. 321-323), as amended by the Act of March 3, 1891 (26 Stat. 
1096; 43 U.S.C. 231, 323, 325, 327-329) to encourage and promote the 
economic development of the arid and semiarid public lands. Through the 
Act, you may apply for a desert-land entry to reclaim, irrigate, and 
cultivate arid and semiarid public lands in the Western United States. 
The regulations in 43 CRF 2520 provide guidelines and procedures to 
obtain public lands under the Act.
    You qualify to file a desert-land entry if you are a citizen of the 
United States; 21 years old; and a resident in the States of Arizona, 
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South 
Dakota, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming (no residency is required in the 
State of Nevada).
    You may apply for one or more tracts of public lands totaling no 
more than 320 acres. The lands must be surveyed or unsurveyed, 
unappropriated, non-mineral, and non-timber. The lands must be suitable 
for agricultural purposes and more valuable for that purpose than any 
other. The tracts of land must be sufficiently close to each other to 
manage satisfactorily as an economic unit.
    You must locate lands you feel can be economically developed and 
determine the legal land description. You must contact the BLM State 
Office where the lands are located and verify the lands are available 
for desert-land entry application.
    When BLM receives the application, we will examine your application 
for completeness and accuracy and classify the lands included in the 
application. BLM will approve your application if the lands are 
classified suitable for desert-land entry or reject your application if 
the lands are classified unsuitable for desert-land entry.
    Based on past experience processing these applications, BLM 
estimates the public reporting burden for completing the Form 2520-1 is 
90 minutes. BLM estimates that we receive approximately 20 applications 
annually, with a total annual burden of 30 hours.
    Any member of the public may request and obtain, without charge, a 
copy of the BLM Form 2520-1 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 comments will become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: May 22, 2002.
Michael H. Schwartz,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-17409 Filed 7-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M