[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 43 (Monday, March 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 11224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2069]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

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


Extension of Approved Information Collection, OMB Control 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) requests 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, 3809-4, 3809-4a, and 3809-5 to collect 
financial guarantee bond information for surface management activities. 
The nonform information under 43 CFR subpart 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 May 5, 2006. 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 T. Scott 
Murrellwright, Solid Minerals Group, on (202) 785-6568 (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 Mr. Murrellwright.

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 subpart 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.

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                                                              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, simple.................................          320
    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.
    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, 3809-4, 3809-4a, and 3809-5. These estimates include the time 
spent on research, gathering, and assembling information, reviewing 
instructions, and completing the respective forms. The BLM estimated 
1,552 surface management activity responses are filed annually, with a 
total annual burden of 144,598 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, 3809-4, 3809-4a, and 3809-5 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: February 28, 2006
Ted R. Hudson,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-2069 Filed 3-3-06; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M