[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43977-43978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20842]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Request for Comments; Land Exchanges
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service announces its intention to reinstate, without change, a
previously approved information collection. This information collection
will provide the Forest Service with the information to complete an
Agreement to Initiate and an Exchange Agreement when cooperating in
land exchanges with non-Federal parties. Forest Service personnel
collect the information from non-Federal land exchange parties.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before October 12,
1999.
ADDRESSES: All comments should be addressed to Jack L. Craven,
Director, Lands Staff, Mail Stop 1124, Forest Service, USDA, P.O. Box
96090, Washington, D.C. 20090-6090.
Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to (202) 205-1604 or
by email to: wo@fs.fed.us.
The public may inspect comments received in the Office of the
Director, Lands Staff, 201 14th Street, SW, Washington, DC. Visitors
are encouraged to call ahead to (202) 205-1248 to facilitate entrance
into the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James M. Williams, Lands Specialist,
at (202) 205-1248 or Kathleen L. Dolge, Realty Specialist, at (202)
205-1248.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Land exchanges are discretionary, voluntary, real estate
transactions between the Secretary of Agriculture, acting by and
through the Forest Service, and non-Federal land exchange parties. Land
exchanges can be initiated by a non-Federal party, an agent of a
landowner, a broker, a third party, or a non-Federal public agency.
Each land exchange requires preparation of an Agreement to Initiate
as required by Sec. 254.4 of title 36 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), which specifies the preliminary, non-binding
intentions of the non-Federal land exchange party and of the Forest
Service in pursuing a land exchange.
As the land exchange proposal develops, the Forest Service and the
non-Federal land exchange party may enter into a binding Exchange
Agreement pursuant to 36 CFR, Sec. 254.14. The Exchange Agreement is a
legally binding document delineating the conditions that must be met to
complete the land exchange.
Data from this information collection can be unique to each land
exchange and are not available from other sources.
Description of Information Collection
The following describes the information collection to be
reinstated:
Title: Agreement to Initiate.
OMB Number: 0596-0105.
Expiration Date of Approval: May 31, 1998.
Type of Request: Reinstatement, without change, of a previously
approved information collection.
Abstract: The data collected are used by the agency to facilitate a
mutually beneficial land exchange between the Forest Service and a non-
Federal partner.
The Agreement to Initiate is a non-binding document. Respondents
answer questions in the Agreement to Initiate that include the
description of properties being considered in the land exchange; an
implementation schedule of action items, such as the relocation of any
tenants occupying the land; and the identification of the party
responsible for each action item, as well as target dates for
completion of each action item.
Respondents are non-Federal land exchange parties. Forest Service
personnel collect the information by phone, in face-to-face meetings
with land exchange parties, or by requesting in a letter to the
exchange party that the requested information be submitted by mail.
Data gathered in the information collection are not available from
other sources.
Estimate of Burden: 1 hour.
Type of Respondents: Non-Federal land exchange parties.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 100 hours.
Description of Information Collection
The following describes the information collection to be
reinstated:
Title: Exchange Agreement.
OMB Number: 0596-0105.
Expiration Date of Approval: May 31, 1998.
Type of Request: Reinstatement, without change, of a previously
approved information collection.
Abstract: The data collected are used by the agency to facilitate a
mutually beneficial land exchange between the Forest Service and a non-
Federal land exchange partner.
The Exchange Agreement is a legally binding document. Respondents
will be asked questions, such as the identification of the non-Federal
land exchange parties; the description of the lands and interests to be
exchanged, such as roads; the identification of all reserved and
outstanding interests, such as roads, minerals, and easements; and all
other terms and conditions necessary to complete an exchange.
Respondents are non-Federal land exchange parties. Forest Service
personnel collect the information by phone, in face-to-face meetings
with land exchange parties, or by requesting in a letter to the land
exchange party that the requested information be submitted by mail.
Data gathered in this information collection are not available from
other sources.
Estimate of Burden: 1 hour.
Type of Respondents: Non-Federal land exchange partners.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 100 hours.
Comment Is Invited
The agency invites comments on the following: (a) Whether the
proposed
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collection of information is necessary for the stated purposes and the
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether
the information will have practical or scientific utility; (b) the
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, including 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
the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Use of Comment
All comments received in response to this notice, including name
and address when provided, will become a matter of public record.
Comments will be summarized and included in the request for Office of
Management and Budget approval.
Dated: August 4, 1999.
Arthur Bryant,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 99-20842 Filed 8-11-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
