[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49369-49370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19188]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO-320-1990-PB-24 1A]


Extension of Approved Information Collection, OMB Approval Number 
1004-0194

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) request the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) to extend an existing approval to collect information to 
ensure operators and mining claimants meet their responsibilities while 
conducting exploration, mining, and reclamation work on public lands. 
BLM uses Forms 3809-1, 3809-2, and 3809-4 to collect financial 
guarantee bond information for surface management activities. The 
nonform information under 43 CFR 3809 authorizes operators and mining 
claimants to perform surface management activities under the General 
Mining Law.

DATES: You must submit your comments to BLM at the address below on or 
before September 30, 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: 1004-0194'' 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 Rick Deery, Solid 
Minerals Group, on (202) 452-0353 (Commercial or FTS). Persons who use 
a

[[Page 49370]]

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 Mr. Deery.

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.
    Under the General Mining Law, a citizen may enter onto public 
domain lands that are subject to the law to prospect and explore for 
valuable mineral deposits. They may do so without seeking the 
government's permission beforehand. The rights to a deposit of a 
valuable mineral are granted through the act of discovering the mineral 
deposit. After making a discovery, a prospector may choose to locate 
and record a mining claim to protect investments in exploration and to 
have a secure tenure to discovered valuable mineral deposits. Locating 
a mining claim is not a prerequisite for conducting operations on the 
public lands, nor is it even a requirement for carrying out mining 
operations. BLM uses the regulations at 43 CFR 3809 to govern hardrock 
mineral exploration and development on the public lands and Federal 
interests in the lands. The hardrock minerals are subject to the 
provisions of the 1872 General Mining Law (30 U.S.C. 22, et seq., as 
amended).
    BLM collects nonform information on surface management activities 
from mining claimants and operators.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Estimated
     Information collection for surface mgmt activities         hours
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Notice Level Activities:
    1. Small exploration operations........................           16
    2. Medium scale exploration operations.................           48
Plan Level Activities:
    3. Small placer operation..............................           80
    4. Placer mine operations..............................          160
    5. Industrial mineral operations.......................          160
    6. Small underground mine..............................          160
    7. Open pit mine operations............................          480
    8. NEPA compliance:
        Exploration........................................          320
        EA-level mines, simple320..........................
        EA-level mines, standard...........................          890
        EIS-level mines....................................        2,480
    9. Section 106 of NHPA.................................           30
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    You must submit the requested information and forms to the proper 
BLM office. BLM uses Form 3809-1--Surface Management Surety Bond Form, 
3809-2--Surface Management Personal Bond Form, and 3809-4--Generalized 
Bond Rider Form for submitting financial guarantee on surface 
management activities.
    Based on BLM's experience administering this program, we estimate 
the public reporting burden is 8 minutes each to complete Forms 3809-1, 
3809-2 and 3809-4. These estimates include the time spent on research, 
gathering, and assembling information, reviewing instructions, and 
completing the respective forms. In FY 2000, BLM estimated 1,897 
surface management activity responses are filed annually, with a total 
annual burden of 306,536 hours. Respondents vary from individuals and 
small businesses to large corporations.
    Any member of the public may request and obtain, without charge, a 
copy of BLM Forms 3809-1, 3809-2, and 3809-4 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 a 
public record.

    Dated: July 23, 2002.
Michael H. Schwartz,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-19188 Filed 7-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M