2019-13018. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Leases and Permits

AGENCY:

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) are proposing to renew an information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before July 19, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

Send written comments on this information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget's Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior by email at [e-mail]; or via facsimile to [phone]. Please provide a copy of your comments to Ms. Sharlene Round Face, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Real Estate Services, 1001 Indian School Road NW, Mailbox #44, Albuquerque, NM 87104; or by email to [e-mail]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1076-0155 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, Ms. Sharlene Round Face by email at [e-mail], or by telephone at [phone]. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.

A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published April 19, 2019 (84 FR 16529). No comments were received.

We are soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper functions of the BIA; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the BIA enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the BIA minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology.

Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. Before including your address, phone number, email 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.

Abstract: Generally trust and restricted land may be leased by Indian land owners, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, except when specified by statute. Submission of this information allows BIA to review applications for obtaining, modifying and assigning leases and permits of land that the United States holds in trust or restricted status for individual Indians and Indian Tribes. The information is used to determine approval of a lease, amendment, assignment, sublease, mortgage or related document. A response is required to obtain or retain a benefit.

Title of Collection: Leases and Permits.

OMB Control Number: 1076-0155.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individual Indians and Indian Tribes seeking to lease their trust or restricted land and businesses that lease trust and restricted land.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 99,340.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 99,340.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 81,899.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain a Benefit.

Frequency of Collection: In general, once per approval per lease. Some collections occur upon request for modification or assignment or upon a trespass violation, which occur, on average, fewer than once per lease. Additionally, rent payments occur, on average, once per month.

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $1,813,000.

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.

The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Elizabeth K. Appel,

Director, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs.