[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54849-54850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22244]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO-350-1430-EU-24 1A]


Extension of Approved Information Collection, OMB Approval Number 
1004-0153

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) is requesting the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) to extend an existing approval to collect information 
from persons who seek to acquire the Federally-owned (reserved) mineral 
interests underlying their surface estate. BLM collects this 
information to verify

[[Page 54850]]

that the applicant is the surface owner that overlies the Federally-
owned mineral rights and that statutory requirements for their 
conveyance are met. The regulations under 43 CFR Part 2720 authorize 
BLM to collect information (no specific form is required) to convey 
Federally-owned mineral interests to surface owners if certain 
conditions are met.

DATES: You must submit your comments to the address below no later than 
November 24, 2008. Comments received or postmarked after this date may 
not be considered.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, Director (630), Bureau of 
Land Management, Mail Stop 401 LS, 1849 C St., NW., (Attention: 1004-
0153), Washington, DC 20240.
    Personal or messenger delivery: 1620 L Street, NW., Room 401, 
Washington, DC 20036.
    E-mail: [email protected] (Attn.: 1004-0153).
    All 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 except Federal holidays. Before including your address, 
telephone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying 
information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you can ask in your comment to withhold 
from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may contact Alzata L. Ransom, 
Division of Lands, Realty and Cadastral Survey, on (202) 452-7772 
(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 Ms. Ransom.

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.
    Section 209 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
and implementing regulations at 43 CFR part 2720 establish procedures 
for BLM to convey Federally-owned (reserved) mineral interests to non-
Federal surface ownership, if the value of the surface use or planned 
use exceeds the value of the mineral rights, or that there are no 
minerals there, and that the mineral rights prevent beneficial surface 
use. The regulations authorize BLM to collect this information (no 
specific form is required) to determine if BLM may convey the 
Federally-owned mineral interests to surface owners who apply and meet 
the statutory requirements. We list in 43 CFR 2720.1-2 the specific 
information requirements you must submit when applying for a conveyance 
of Federally-owned mineral interests. Without this information, BLM 
would not be able to analyze and approve applications to convey 
Federally-owned mineral interests that interfere with beneficial 
surface uses.
    Based upon BLM experience administering the regulations, we 
estimate the public reporting information collection burden to be 10 
hours per application. The respondents are surface owners in which the 
mineral interests are reserved or owned by the United States. The 
estimated number of responses per year is 30 and the total annual 
burden is 300 hours.
    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: September 18, 2008.
Ted R. Hudson,
Acting Information Collection Clearance Officer, Bureau of Land 
Management.
[FR Doc. E8-22244 Filed 9-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P