E7-3844. Agency Information Collection Activities; 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. 1006-0023).

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): Forms to Determine Compliance by Certain Landholders, 43 CFR part 426, OMB Control Number: 1006-0023. As a result of the regulatory requirements to ensure compliance with Federal reclamation law and assessment of the appropriate water rate [43 CFR 426.6(b)(2) and 43 CFR 426.9(b)], a new “Religious or Charitable Organization Identification Sheet” (Form 7-2578) has been developed for approval as part of this information collection. We request your comments on the proposed Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA) forms and specific aspects of the information collection.

DATES:

Your written comments must be received on or before May 7, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

You may send written comments to the Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: 84-53000, P.O. Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007. You may request copies of the proposed 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: Forms to Determine Compliance by Certain Landholders, 43 CFR part 426. The former title of this information collection was “Limited Recipient Identification Sheet, Trust Information Sheet, Public Entity Information Sheet for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426.” Because of the addition of the proposed new form to this information collection as described below, we have changed the title of this information collection to “Forms to Determine Compliance by Certain Landholders, 43 CFR part 426.” This title change will allow us to capture the purpose of the forms in this information collection without listing lengthy form names.

Abstract: Identification of limited recipients—Some entities that receive Reclamation irrigation water may believe that they are under the RRA forms submittal threshold and, consequently, may not submit the appropriate RRA form(s). However, some of these entities may in fact have a different RRA forms submittal threshold than what they believe it to be due to the number of natural persons benefiting from each entity and the location of the land held by each entity. In addition, some entities that are exempt from the requirement to submit RRA forms due to the size of their landholdings (directly and indirectly owned and leased land) may in fact be receiving Reclamation irrigation water for which the full-cost rate must be paid because the start of Reclamation irrigation water deliveries occurred after October 1, 1981 [43 CFR 426.6(b)(2)]. The information obtained through completion of the Limited Recipient Identification Sheet (Form 7-2536) allows us to establish entities' compliance with Federal reclamation law. The Limited Recipient Identification Sheet is disbursed at our discretion. The proposed revisions to the Limited Recipient Identification Sheet will be included starting in the 2008 water year, and are designed to facilitate ease of completion.

Trust review—We are required to review and approve all trusts [43 CFR 426.7(b)(2)] in order to ensure trusts meet the regulatory criteria specified in 43 CFR 426.7. Land held in trust generally will be attributed to the beneficiaries of the trust rather than the trustee if the criteria are met. When we become aware of trusts with a relatively small landholding (40 acres or less), we may extend to those trusts the option to complete and submit for our review the Trust Information Sheet (Form 7-2537) instead of actual trust documents. If we find nothing on the completed Trust Information Sheet that would warrant the further investigation of a particular trust, that trustee will not be burdened with submitting trust documents to us for in-depth review. The Trust Information Sheet is disbursed at our discretion. The proposed revisions to the Trust Information Sheet will be included starting in the 2008 water year, and are designed to facilitate ease of completion.

Acreage limitation provisions applicable to public entities—Land farmed by a public entity can be considered exempt from the application of the acreage limitation provisions provided the public entity meets certain criteria pertaining to the revenue generated through the entity's farming activities (43 CFR 426.10 and the Act of July 7, 1970, Pub. L. 91-310). We are required to ascertain whether or not public entities that receive Reclamation irrigation water meet such revenue criteria regardless of how much land the public entities hold (directly or indirectly own or lease) [43 CFR 426.10(a)]. In order to minimize the burden on public entities, standard RRA forms are submitted by a public entity only when the public entity holds more than 40 acres subject to the acreage limitation provisions westwide, which makes it difficult to apply the revenue criteria as required to those public entities that hold less than 40 acres. When we become aware of such public entities, we may extend to those public entities the option to complete and submit for our review the Public Entity Information Sheet (Form 7-2565), which allows us to establish compliance with Federal reclamation law for those public entities that hold 40 acres or less and thus do not submit a standard RRA form because they are below the RRA forms submittal threshold. In addition, for those public entities that do not meet the exemption criteria, we must determine the proper rate to charge for Reclamation irrigation water deliveries. The Public Entity Information Sheet is disbursed at our discretion. The proposed revisions to the Public Entity Information Sheet will be effective starting in the 2008 water year and are designed to facilitate ease of completion.

Acreage limitation provisions applicable to religious or charitable organizations (new form)—Some religious or charitable organizations that receive Reclamation irrigation water may believe that they are under the RRA forms submittal threshold and, consequently, may not submit the appropriate RRA form(s). However, some of these organizations may in fact have a different RRA forms submittal threshold than what they believe it to be depending on whether these organizations meet all of the required criteria for full special application of the acreage limitations provisions to religious or charitable organizations [43 CFR 426.9(b)]. In addition, some organizations that (1) do not meet the criteria to be treated as a religious or charitable organization under the acreage limitation provisions, and (2) are exempt from the requirement to submit RRA forms due to the size of their landholdings (directly and indirectly owned and leased land), may in fact be receiving Reclamation irrigation water for which the full-cost rate must be paid because the start of Reclamation irrigation water deliveries occurred after October 1, 1981 [43 CFR 426.6(b)(2)]. A new “Religious or Charitable Organization Identification Sheet” (Form 7-2578) has been developed for approval as part of this information collection, and will allow us to establish certain religious or charitable organizations' compliance with Federal reclamation law. Reclamation anticipates a very minimal increase in burden hours resulting from the addition of this form because of the very limited type of landholders that can use this form. The Religious or Charitable Organization Identification Sheet is disbursed at our discretion and will be effective starting in the 2008 water year.

Frequency: Generally, these forms will be submitted once per identified entity, trust, public entity, or religious or charitable organization. Each year, we expect new responses in accordance with the following numbers.

Respondents: Entity landholders, trusts, public entities, and religious or charitable organizations identified by Reclamation that are subject to the acreage limitation provisions of Federal reclamation law.

Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 500.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.0.

Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 500.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 72 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)
Limited Recipient Identification Sheet	5	175	175	15
Trust Information Sheet	5	150	150	13
Public Entity Information Sheet	15	100	100	25
Religious or Charitable Identification Sheet	15	75	75	19
Totals		500	500

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.

Before including your address, telephone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Dated: January 29, 2007.

Roseann Gonzales,

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