[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 3, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5625-5626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2292]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Renewal of Agency Information Collection for Federal 
Acknowledgment of Tribes

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior, Office of Federal 
Acknowledgment (OFA) is seeking comments on renewal of Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval, pursuant to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act, for the collection of information for Documented 
Petitions for the Federal Acknowledgment as an Indian Tribe, 25 CFR 83. 
The information collection is currently authorized by OMB Control 
Number 1076-0104, which expires April 30, 2010. The information 
collection allows OFA to determine whether an Indian group meets the 
regulatory criteria for acknowledgment as an Indian tribe.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
April 5, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the information collection to R. 
Lee Fleming, Director, Office of Federal Acknowledgment, Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs, 1951 Constitution Avenue, NW., MS-34B SIB, 
Washington, DC 20240; facsimile: (202) 219-3008; e-mail: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: R. Lee Fleming (202) 513-7650.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    OFA is seeking renewal of the approval for the information 
collection conducted under 25 CFR 83, to establish whether a 
petitioning group has the characteristics necessary to be acknowledged 
as having a government-to-government relationship with the United 
States. Federal recognition makes the group eligible for benefits from 
the Federal Government. Approval for this collection expires April 30, 
2010. Three forms are used as part of this information collection; but 
no changes to the forms are proposed as part of this renewal. No third 
party notification or public disclosure burden is associated with this 
collection. There is no change to the approved burden hours for this 
information collection.

II. Request for Comments

    OFA requests that you send your comments on this collection to the 
location listed in the ADDRESSES section. Your comments should address: 
(a) The necessity of the information collection for the proper 
performance of the agencies, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden 
(hours and cost) of the collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways we could 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) 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 conduct, and an 
individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it 
has a valid OMB Control Number. This information collection expires 
April 30, 2010.
    It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for 
review at the location listed in the ADDRESSES section during the hours 
of 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday except for legal 
holidays. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address 
or other personally identifiable information, be advised that your 
entire comment--including your personally identifiable information--may 
be made public at any time. While you may request that we withhold your 
personally identifiable information, we cannot guarantee that we will 
be able to do so.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1076-0104.

[[Page 5626]]

    Title: Documented Petitions for Federal Acknowledgment as an Indian 
Tribe, 25 CFR 83.
    Brief Description of Collection: Submission of this information 
allows OFA to review applications for the Federal acknowledgment of a 
group as an Indian tribe. The acknowledgment regulations at 25 CFR Part 
83 contain seven criteria that unrecognized groups seeking Federal 
acknowledgment as Indian tribes must demonstrate that they meet. 
Information collected from petitioning groups under these regulations 
provide anthropological, genealogical and historical data used by the 
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs to establish whether a petitioning 
group has the characteristics necessary to be acknowledged as having a 
government-to-government relationship with the United States. 
Respondents are not required to retain copies of information submitted 
to OFA but will probably maintain copies for their own use; therefore, 
there is no recordkeeping requirement included in this information 
collection.
    Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Respondents: Groups petitioning for Federal acknowledgment as 
Indian tribes.
    Number of Respondents: 10 per year, on average.
    Total Number of Responses: 10 per year, on average.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2,075 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 20,750 hours.

    Dated: January 28, 2010.
Alvin Foster,
Chief Information Officer--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2010-2292 Filed 2-2-10; 8:45 am]
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