05-1789. Agency Information Collection; Proposed Revisions to a Currently Approved Information Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of renewal of a currently approved collection (OMB No. 1006-0005).

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us) intends to submit a request for renewal (with revisions) of an existing approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Individual Landholder's and Farm Operator's Certification and Reporting Forms for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426 and 43 CFR part 428, OMB Control Number: 1006-0005. This information collection is required under the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA), Acreage Limitation Rules and Regulations, 43 CFR part 426, and Information Requirements for Certain Farm Operations In Excess of 960 Acres and the Eligibility of Certain Formerly Excess Land, 43 CFR part 428. We request your comments on the revised RRA forms and specific aspects of the information collection.

DATES:

Your written comments must be received on or before April 4, 2005.

ADDRESSES:

You may send written comments to the Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: D-5300, PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007. You may request copies of the proposed revised forms by writing to the above address or by contacting Stephanie McPhee at: [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephanie McPhee at: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Individual Landholder's and Farm Operator's Certification and Reporting Forms for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426 and 43 CFR part 428.

Abstract: This information collection requires certain landholders (direct or indirect landowners or lessees) and farm operators to complete forms demonstrating their compliance with the acreage limitation provisions of Federal reclamation law. These forms are submitted to districts who use the information to establish each landholder's status with respect to landownership limitations, full-cost pricing thresholds, lease requirements, and other provisions of Federal reclamation law. In addition, forms are submitted by certain farm operators to provide information concerning the services they provide and the nature of their farm operating arrangements. All landholders whose entire westwide landholdings total 40 acres or less are exempt from the requirement to submit RRA forms. Landholders who are “Aqualified recipients” have RRA forms submittal thresholds of 80 acres or 240 acres depending on the district's RRA forms submittal threshold category where the land is held. Only farm operators who provide multiple services to more than 960 acres held in trusts or by legal entities are required to submit forms.

Changes to the RRA Forms and the Instructions to Those Forms

We made a few editorial changes to the currently approved RRA forms and the instructions to those forms that are designed to assist the respondents by increasing their understanding of the forms, clarifying the instructions for use when completing the forms, and clarifying the information that is required to be submitted to the districts with the forms. The proposed revisions to the RRA forms will be included starting in the 2006 water year.

In response to Reclamation's efforts to fully implement the acreage limitation provisions applicable to public entities (43 CFR 426.10 and the Act of July 7, 1970, Pub. L. 91-310), we have revised the existing “Declaration of Public Entities Landholdings” (Form 7-21PE) to allow Reclamation to ascertain required information about public entities' landholdings and the revenue generated from public entities' farming activities. There is expected to be a minimal increase in burden hours resulting from the changes to this form because (1) the number of public entities expected to complete the revised areas of Form 7-21PE is minimal, (2) the majority of public entities will continue to submit the same information on the revised Form 7-21PE that they have already been submitting on the current Form 7-21PE, and (3) the majority of pubic entities will be allowed to skip entire sections of the revised Form 7-21PE based on the characteristics of their farming activities. The proposed revisions to Form 7-21PE will be included starting in the 2006 water year.

Frequency: Annually.

Respondents: Landholders and farm operators of certain lands in our projects, whose landholdings exceed specified RRA forms submittal thresholds.

Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 17,875.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.02.

Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 18,233.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 13,590 hours.

Estimate of Burden for Each Form:

Form No.	Burden estimate per form (in minutes)	Number of respondents	Annual number of responses	Annual burden on respondents (in hours)
Form 7-2180	60	4,963	5,062	5,062
Form 7-2180EZ	45	503	513	385
Form 7-2181	78	1,467	1,496	1,945
Form 7-2184	45	36	37	28
Form 7-2190	60	1,845	1,882	1,882
Form 7-2190EZ	45	109	111	83
Form 7-2191	78	880	898	1,167
Form 7-2194	45	4	4	3
Form 7-21PE	75	178	182	228
Form 7-21PE-IND	12	5	5	1
Form 7-21TRUST	60	1,045	1,066	1,066
Form 7-21VERIFY	12	6,237	6,362	1,272
Form 7-21FC	30	243	248	124
Form 7-21XS	30	164	167	84
Form 7-21FARMOP	78	196	200	260

Comments

Comments are invited on:

(a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of our functions, including whether the information will have practical use;

(b) The accuracy of our burden estimate for the proposed collection of information;

(c) Ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

We will summarize all comments received regarding this notice. We will publish that summary in the Federal Register when the information collection request is submitted to OMB for review and approval.

Department of the Interior practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address from public disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold a respondent's identity from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.

Dated: January 14, 2005.

Roseann Gonzales,

Director, Office of Program and Policy Services, Denver Office.