2018-16855. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Onshore Geophysical Exploration

AGENCY:

Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before September 6, 2018.

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 the BLM at U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street NW, Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20240, Attention: Jean Sonneman; or by email to [e-mail]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1004-0162 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact Jennifer Spencer by email at [e-mail], or by telephone at 202-912-7146. 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, the BLM provides 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 on March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9025). No comments were received.

The BLM is again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described below. The BLM is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper functions of the BLM; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the BLM enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the BLM 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: This information collection pertains to onshore geophysical exploration on Federal lands. Federal land-management agencies are responsible for regulating geophysical exploration on the Federal surface estate. The BLM regulates exploration for oil and gas on lands it manages, and on occasion regulates such exploration on lands managed by other Federal land-management agencies. The U.S. Forest Service (FS) regulates exploration for various types of minerals, including oil and gas, on lands it manages. The BLM and the FS propose to revise the accuracy and usefulness of the forms they use for this collection of information.

Title of Collection: Onshore Geophysical Exploration.

OMB Control Number: 1004-0162.

Form Numbers: BLM Form 3150-4/FS Form 2800-16 and BLM Form 3150-5/FS Form 2800-16a.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: The respondents for this collection of information are business that seek to conduct geophysical exploration on Federal lands.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 23.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 23.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on activity.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 17.67.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $25.

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.).

Jean Sonneman,

Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Clearance Officer.