[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50326-50327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24580]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WO-480-1610-02-24 1A]
Approval of Information Collection
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces its intention to request
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect
certain information from individuals and groups protesting proposed
decisions in regional land-use plans, called ``resource management
plans'' or ``management framework plan amendments.'' The BLM will use
this information to process and respond to requests for administrative
review (protests) of these decisions by affected individuals and
groups.
DATES: The BLM must receive comments on the proposed information
collection by November 25, 1996 to assure its consideration of them.
ADDRESSES: Mail comments to: Director (480), Bureau of Land Management,
1849 C Street NW., Room 1075LS, Washington, DC 20240.
Send comments via Internet to: WoComment@wo0033wp.wo.blm.gov.
Please include ``ATTN: 1004-PLAN'' and your name and return address in
your Internet message.
You may hand-deliver comments to the Bureau of Land Management
Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.
The BLM will make comments available for public review at the L
Street address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.),
Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carole Smith, Resource Planning Team, (202) 452-0367.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320.12(a), the BLM
is required to provide 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning
a collection of information contained in a published current rule to
solicit comments on (a) Whether the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical 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 to those who are to
respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. The BLM will receive and analyze
any comments sent in response to this notice and include them with its
request for approval from the OMB under 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
The BLM prepares, amends and revises land-use plans through the
authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Section 202 of
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act requires the BLM to prepare
land-use plans, which contain decisions authorizing managers to take
actions to allocate, eliminate or restrict resource and land uses on
public lands. The implementing regulations are found at 43 CFR Subpart
1610. The regulations were issued on May 5, 1983, 48 FR 20368.
Protests are part of the Department of the Interior's
responsibility to adjudicate disputes over public lands, a
responsibility it has had since its beginning in March 1849.
Individuals and groups protesting proposed decisions contained in land-
use plans are required to provide the information identified at 43 CFR
Subpart 1610. The BLM requires no special form or format for the
information supplied by protestants. The information required from each
protestants is (1) name, mailing address, telephone number and
interest, (2) a statement of the issue(s) being protested, (3) a
statement of the part(s) of the plan or amendment being protested, (4)
a copy of all documents addressing the issue supplied during the
planning process or information about the date that the issue(s) were
discussed and (5) a concise statement explaining why the decision is
erroneous.
The BLM uses the information provided by the applicant to review
the process used in reaching the proposed decision and determine
whether or not procedures were followed and whether or not the decision
maker relied on erroneous information in mailing the decision. If the
BLM did no collect this information, it could not determine whether or
not BLM officials followed correct procedures in preparing land-use
plans and in making resource use and allocation decisions.
Based on the BLM's experience administering the activities
described above, the public reporting burden for the information
collected is estimated to average 2 hours per response. The respondents
are individuals and groups that believe that proposed decisions affect
or could adversely affect their interests. The frequency of response is
occasionally, whenever the BLM issues a resource management plan or
plan amendment affecting or potentially affecting their interests. The
number of responses per year is estimated to be about 50. The estimated
total annul burden on new respondents is about 100 hours. The BLM is
specifically requesting your comments on its estimate of the amount of
time that it takes to prepare a protest and the steps involved in
preparing a protest. The BLM's estimate is 2 hour per protest.
The BLM will summarize all responses to this notice and include
them in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All
comments will also become a matter of public record.
[[Page 50327]]
Dated: September 18, 1996.
Dr. Annetta L. Cheek,
Chief, Regulatory Management Team.
[FR Doc. 96-24580 Filed 9-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M
