[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 29, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61689-61690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-27250]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Request for Comments on Grazing Regulations Information 
Collection Renewal

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Submission of Information Collection to the Office of 
Management and Budget.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is submitting to OMB the 
information collection, titled Grazing Permits, OMB Control Number 
1076-0157 for renewal; or, for review and approval. The purpose of this 
data collection is to update and renew the information collected for 25 
CFR 166 General Grazing Regulations as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act.

DATES: Submit comments on or before November 28, 2003.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the information collection to the 
Desk Officer for Department of the Interior, by facsimile at (202) 395-
6566 or you may send an e-mail to: OIRA--DOCKET@ omb.eop.gov.
    Please send copy of comments to Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of 
Trust Services, Division of Natural Resources, MS-3061-MIB, 1849 C 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20240, or by facsimile at (202) 219-0006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may request further information or 
obtain copies of the information collection request submission from 
James R. Orwin, (202) 208-6464, at the BIA Central Office in 
Washington, DC.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This collection of information is authorized 
under Public Law 103-177, the ``American Indian Agricultural Resource 
Management Act,'' as amended. Tribes, tribal organizations, individual 
Indians, and those entering into permits with tribes or individual 
Indians submit information required by the regulation. This information 
is used by the BIA to determine:
    (a) Whether or not a permit for grazing may be approved or granted,

[[Page 61690]]

    (b) The value of each permit,
    (c) The appropriate compensation to landowners, and
    (d) Provisions for violations of permit and trespass.
    A request for comments on this information collection request 
appeared in the Federal Register May 27, 2003 (68 FR 28836). No 
comments were received. Further research has guided a change in the 
total annual burden hours and the total annual cost to respondents as 
shown on the 60 days notice. These changes are a result of additional 
information received from the field offices. The number of annual 
responses was changed from 4,200 to 6,670, the total annual burden to 
respondents was changed from 500 hours to 861 hours, and the total 
annual cost to respondents was changed from $2,500.00 to $4,305.00. An 
administrative fee of up to 3% of the annual grazing rental is 
collected to reimburse the BIA for administration of the grazing permit 
program. In recent years, administrative fees have generated 
approximately $175,000.00 per year.
    Request for Comments: The Bureau of Indian Affairs requests you to 
send your comments on this collection to the locations listed in the 
ADDRESSES section. Your comments should address:
    (a) The necessity of this information collection 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 (hours and 
cost) of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) The ways we could enhance the quality, utility and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and
    (d) The ways we could minimize the burden of the collection of the 
information on the respondents, such as through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Please note that an agency may not sponsor or request, and an 
individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it 
has a valid OMB Control Number.
    It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for 
review at the location listed in the ADDRESSES section, room 3061, 
during the hours of 8 a.m.-4 p.m., EST Monday through Friday except for 
legal holidays. If you wish to have your name and/or address withheld, 
you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. We 
will honor your request according to the requirements of the law. All 
comments from organizations or representatives will be available for 
review. We may withhold comments from review for other reasons.
    OMB has up to 60 days to make a decision on the submission for 
renewal, but may make the decision after 30 days. Therefore, to receive 
the best consideration of your comments, you should submit them closer 
to 30 days than 60 days.
    OMB Approval Number: 1076-0157.
    Title: Grazing Permits 25 CFR 166.
    Brief Description of collection: Information is collected through a 
grazing permit application. Respondent supplies all information needed 
to prepare a grazing permit, including: name, address, range unit 
requested, number of livestock, season of use, livestock owner's brand, 
kind of livestock, mortgage holder information, ownership of livestock, 
and requested term of permit. Response is mandatory for respondents to 
supply the above information in order to obtain a grazing permit.
    Type of review: Renewal.
    Respondents: Possible respondents include: individual tribal 
members, individual non-Indians, individual tribal member-owned 
business, non-Indian owned businesses, tribal governments and 
landowners. Response is mandatory for respondents who wish to obtain a 
grazing permit.
    Number of Respondents: 1,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 20 minutes (1/3 hour).
    Frequency of Response: Annually and as needed.
    Total Annual Responses: 6,670.
    Total Annual Hourly Burden to Respondents: 861 hours.

    Dated: October 23, 2003.
Aurene M. Martin,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-27250 Filed 10-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P