[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81353-81355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32669]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[133D5670LC DLCAP0000.000000 DS10100000 DX.10129; OMB Control Number 
1093-0007]


Proposed Renewal of Information Collection; Tribal Expression of 
Interest to the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal 
Nations, Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program), Office of 
the Secretary, Department of the Interior announces the proposed 
extension of a public information collection and seeks public comments 
on the provisions thereof.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by February 
29, 2016

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ADDRESSES: Send your written comments to Michael Estes, Land Buy-Back 
Program for Tribal Nations, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C 
Street NW., MS 5552-MIB, Washington, DC 20240, fax 202-208-3009, or by 
electronic mail to [email protected]. Please mention that your 
comments concern the Tribal of Expression of Interest to the Land Buy-
Back Program for Tribal Nations, OMB Control Number 1093-0007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, any explanatory information and related forms, see 
the contact information provided in the ADDRESSES section above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This notice is for renewal of information collection.
    The Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') regulations at 5 CFR 
part 1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq., require that interested members of the public and 
affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information 
collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)).
    The Secretary of the Interior established the Land Buy-Back Program 
for Tribal Nations (``the Program'') to implement the land 
consolidation provisions of the Cobell Settlement Agreement (``the 
Settlement''). The Settlement provided for a $1.9 billion Trust Land 
Consolidation Fund to consolidate fractional land interests across 
Indian Country.
    The Department of the Interior works cooperatively with tribal 
leaders and individual landowners to reduce the number of fractional 
interests through voluntary land sales. The Program allows interested 
individual owners to receive payments for voluntarily selling their 
land. All lands sold will immediately be held in trust for the tribe 
with jurisdiction. Tribal leadership, participation, and facilitation 
are crucial to the success of the Program.
    The Program is carrying out its work in accordance with the Claims 
Resolution Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-291, Sec.  101). The Act requires 
that ``[t]he Secretary shall consult with Indian tribes to identify 
fractional interests within the respective jurisdictions of the Indian 
tribes for purchase in a manner that is consistent with the priorities 
of the Secretary.'' Moreover, the obligation to engage in meaningful 
consultations with Federally-recognized tribes is rooted in the United 
States Constitution and Federal treaties, statutes, executive orders 
and policies. Federal agencies are required to consult on actions that 
will have substantial, direct effect or implications for tribal 
nations, including regulations, rulemakings, policy, guidance, 
legislative proposals, grant formula changes, and operational 
activities.
    There are about 245,000 owners of nearly three million fractional 
interests across Indian Country who are eligible to participate in the 
Program. Informed by early planning activities, the Program identified 
42 locations where land consolidation activities--such as planning, 
outreach, mapping, mineral evaluations, appraisals or acquisitions--
have either already occurred or are expected to take place through the 
middle of 2017. These locations represented 83 percent of all 
outstanding fractional interests across Indian Country.
    The Program has launched a two-part Planning Initiative to help 
determine its next implementation schedule for 2017 and beyond. 
Eligible tribal governments not already scheduled for implementation 
are invited to formally indicate their interest in participating in the 
Program. More information, including the deadline for tribal 
expressions of interest, is available to tribal leaders at: https://www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/tribes.
    In light of the Program's duty to consult with tribes, we are 
conducting this information collection request to obtain information 
from the remaining eligible tribal governments regarding their interest 
in implementing the Program at their locations and their readiness to 
do so. The Program will evaluate the expressions of interest provided 
by tribal governments, among other factors, as it develops its next 
implementation schedule.

II. Data

    (1) Title: Tribal Expression of Interest to the Land Buy-Back 
Program for Tribal Nations
    OMB Control Number: 1093-0007.
    Current Expiration Date: April 30, 2016.
    Type of Review: Information Collection Renewal.
    Affected Entities: Tribal Governments
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 50
    Frequency of responses: Once per interested tribe.
    (2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden:
    Total annual reporting per response: 74 hours.
    Total number of estimated responses: 50.
    Total annual reporting: 3,700 hours.
    (3) Description of the need and use of the information: The 
information that we seek to collect will be used by the Land Buy-Back 
Program as one consideration among others to evaluate and determine our 
next implementation schedule for the consolidation of fractionated 
lands. The Program will consider implementation at locations associated 
with tribes that express interest in the Program.

III. Request for Comments

    The Department invites comments on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary 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 of the 
collection of information and the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    ``Burden'' means the total time, effort, and financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide 
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed 
to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and use 
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able 
to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, and 
to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit 
or otherwise disclose the information.
    It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for 
review. Before including Personally Identifiable Information (``PII''), 
such as your address, phone number, email address, or other personal 
information in your comment(s), you should be aware that your entire 
comment (including PII) may be made available to the public at any 
time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold PII from public 
view, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. If you wish to 
view any comments received, you may do so by scheduling an appointment 
using the

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contact information provided in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. A 
valid picture identification is required for entry into the Department 
of the Interior.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection renewal; they also will become a matter of public record.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.

    Dated: December 22, 2015.
John H. McClanahan,
Program Manager, Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations.
[FR Doc. 2015-32669 Filed 12-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4334-63-P