[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40646-40647]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15140]


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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 Control 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 the address below on or 
before September 7, 2004. BLM will not necessarily consider any 
comments received after the above date.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to: Bureau of Land Management, (WO-
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 Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture to 
permit lessees, exploration companies, and independent exploration 
operators to conduct geophysical exploration on or off leases. 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 National Forest System (NFS) lands with Forest 
Service (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

[[Page 40647]]

authorizations to conduct oil and gas geophysical exploration 
operations on public lands. 36 CFR part 228 subpart E, and 36 CFR 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. The forms are:
    1. Notice of Intent and Request for Authorization to Conduct 
Geophysical Exploration Operations (NOI/RFA), BLM SF 3110-4/FS SF 2800-
16; and
    2. Notice of Completion of Geophysical Exploration Operations, BLM 
SF 3110-5/FS SF 2800-16a.
    Based on experience administering onshore oil and gas geophysical 
exploration operations, BLM and FS estimate 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 
respondents already maintain the information for their own 
recordkeeping purposes and will need only to transfer or attach it to 
the forms. BLM and FS estimate that it receives approximately 625 
Notices of Intent (600 to BLM and 25 to FS), 625 Notices of Completion, 
and 3 nonform data items annually (Alaska only, if off lease), with a 
total annual burden of 836 hours. Respondents vary from small business 
to major corporations.
    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 comments will become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: June 25, 2004.
Michael H. Schwartz,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Conference Officer.
    Dated: June 28, 2004.
Bruce Ramsey,
Director, Minerals and Geology Management, USDA, Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 04-15140 Filed 7-2-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-34-M