[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58161-58162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25520]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-3-16255 ]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Request for Comments; 
Renewed Approval of Information Collection; State Right-of-Way 
Operations Manuals, OMB Control Number: 2125-0586

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to 
request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to renew 
an information collection. The collection involves State Departments of 
Transportation (STD) providing their Right-of-Way Operations Manuals to 
FHWA. The information to be collected will be used to certify that the 
manuals are representative of the states' right-of-way procedures and 
the information is necessary to comply with the FHWA Final Rule for the 
Right-of-Way program on December 21, 1999. We are required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 to publish this notice in the Federal 
Register.

DATES: Please submit comments by December 8, 2003.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number 
FHWA-3-16255 by any of the following methods:
    [sbull] Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
    [sbull] Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    [sbull] Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590.
    [sbull] Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the Nassif 
Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 am and 5 
pm, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL-
401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information 
collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed

[[Page 58162]]

collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of 
the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, 
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that 
the burdens could be minimized, including the use of electronic 
technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Coil, (202) 366-2038, Office of 
Real Estate Services, Federal Highway Administration, Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office 
hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: State Right-of-Way Operations Manuals.
    OMB Control No.: 2125-0586.
    Background: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a 
final rule for the Right-of-Way Program on December 21, 1999 (Federal 
Register Volume 64, Number 244, pages 71284-71297). This issuance was a 
comprehensive rewrite of rules governing the use of Federal-aid funds 
for right-of-way acquisition, property management, and project 
development. The regulation reduces Federal regulatory requirements and 
places primary responsibility for a number of approval actions at the 
state level. The rule states that states must certify at 5-year 
intervals that their State Right-of-Way Operations Manuals are 
representative of their procedures, or submit an updated manual. STDs 
are required to update their manuals to reflect changes in Federal 
requirements for programs administered under Title 23 U.S.C. These 
manuals reflect how the STD plans to perform real estate acquisition, 
property management, and maintain the integrity of the right-of-way for 
highway and related transportation systems. The State manuals may be 
submitted to FHWA electronically or they can be made available by 
postings on state Web sites.
    Respondents: State Departments of Transportation (52 including the 
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico).
    Frequency: Once initially, then States update their operations 
manuals for review.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 75 hours per respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 75 hours for each of the 52 
State Departments of Transportation. The total is rounded to 4,000 
burden hours annually.

    Issued on: October 2, 2003.
James R. Kabel,
Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. 03-25520 Filed 10-7-03; 8:45 am]
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