[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46473-46474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23263]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Combining a Currently Approved Information Collection With New
Information Collections
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service announces its intent to extend one information
collection and combine it with two new information collections.
Authorization for information collection, FS-2400-8-Forest Products
Free Use Permit (OMB Number 0596-0095) expires October 31, 1997. It is
this information collection under which the Forest Service intends to
combine two new information collections: FS-2400-1-Forest Products
Removal Permit and Cash Receipt and FS-2400-4-Forest Products Sale
Permit and Cash Receipt.
The collected information is necessary to ensure that applicants
meet the requirements of the forest products removal program; that
permittees obtaining free use of forest products qualify for the free-
use program; that applicants purchasing permits non-competitively to
harvest forest products do not exceed the authorized limit in a fiscal
year; and that permittees can be identified in the field by Forest
Service compliance personnel.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before November 3,
1997.
ADDRESSES: All comments should be addressed to: Director, Forest
Management (MAIL STOP 1105), Forest Service, USDA, PO Box 96090,
Washington, DC 20090-6090.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jim Naylor, Forest Management Staff, at (202) 205-0858.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under 16 U.S.C. 551, individuals and other Federal agencies
planning to remove forest products from the National Forests must
obtain a permit. To obtain a permit, applicants must meet the criteria
at 36 CFR 223.1, 223.2, and 223.5 through 223.13 under which free use
or sale of timber or forest products is authorized. Upon receiving a
permit, the permittee must comply with the terms of the permit at 36
CFR 261.6 that designate the forest products that can be harvested and
under what conditions, such as limiting harvest to a designated area or
permitting harvest of only specifically designated material.
For over 20 years, Forest Service Regional offices have been
issuing Forest Product Removal Permits, with each Region developing its
own Forest Product Removal Permit form and policies. To ensure more
consistent management of the forest products programs, the Forest
Service has developed two new national permit forms to replace regional
forms: FS-2400-1-Forest Products Removal Permit and Cash Receipt to
sell timber products, such as fuelwood, or forest products, such as
Christmas trees and pine cones, and FS-2400-4-Forest Products Sale
Permit and Cash Receipt to sell timber products, such as sawtimber or
fuelwood.
When applying for forest products removal permits, applicants,
depending on what timber or forest products they intend to remove, must
answer questions on one or more of the following forms:
Form FS-2400-1-Forest Products Removal Permit and Cash Receipt
is new and will implement regulations at 36 CFR 223.1 and 223.2
governing the sale of forest products, such as Christmas trees or
pinecones;
Form FS-2400-4-Forest Products Sale Permit and Cash Receipt is
new and will be used to sell timber products, such as sawtimber, or
forest products, such as fuelwood; and
Form FS-2400-4-Forest Products Free Use Permit is an existing
form that will be extended. It is used to allow free use of timber
or forest products (36 CFR 223.5 through 223.13).
Each form implements different regulations and has different
provisions for compliance, but all three forms collect similar
information from the applicant for related purposes. Therefore, the
Forest Service intends to combine the three information collections
under one authorization number, OMB No. 0596-0095, which currently
covers only FS-2400-8-Forest Products Free Use Permit. OMB
authorization of FS-2400-8 expires October 31, 1997. The Forest Service
is requesting an extension of this information collection.
The Forest Service will use the information collected on these
three forms to ensure that permittees obtaining free use of timber or
forest products qualify for the free-use program and do not receive
product value in excess of the $20 amount that District Rangers or $100
amount that Forest Supervisors are authorized to approved in a fiscal
year (36 CFR 223.8); to ensure that applicants purchasing permits non-
competitively to harvest timber or forest products do not exceed the
authorized $10,000 limit in a fiscal year (16 U.S.C. 472(a)); and to
ensure that permittees can be identified in the field by Forest Service
compliance personnel.
An applicant is not restricted to one permit. An applicant may
apply for as many product removal permits as they deem necessary to
meet their needs. For example, an applicant may obtain free use of a
timber product, such as firewood, using FS-2400-8-Forest Products Free
Use Permit and still purchase a Christmas tree using FS-2400-1-Forest
Product Removal Permit and Cash Receipt.
Data gathered in these information collections are not available
from other sources.
Description of Information Collection
The following describes the information collection to be extended
and combined with two new information collections: FS-2400-1-Forest
Products Removal Permit and Cash Receipt and FS-2400-1-Forest Products
Removal Permit and Cash Receipt and FS-2400-4-Forest Products Sale
Permit and Cash Receipt. Descriptions of these information collections
follow the description of FS-2400-8.
Title: FS-2400-8--Forest Products Free Use Permit.
OMB Number: 0596-0095.
Expiration Date of Approval: October 31, 1997.
Type of Request: Extend this information collection and combine
with FS-2400-1 and FS-2400-4.
Abstract: The agency uses the collected data to ensure that
applicants meet the criteria for free use of timber
[[Page 46474]]
or forest products authorized by regulations at 36 CFR 223.5 through
223.13 and that permittees comply with the regulations and terms of the
permit.
Individuals usually request permits in person at the Forest Service
office issuing the permit. Forest Service personnel ask applicants to
respond to questions that include their name, address, and
identification number. The identification number can be a tax
identification number, social security number, drivers license number,
or other unique number identifying the applicant. Forest Service
personnel enter the information onto the computerized permit database
for easy retrieval for subsequent requests for permits by the same
individual. The information also is entered onto a hard copy of a
permit. The applicant signs and dates the permit. Forest Service
personnel issuing the permit discuss the terms and conditions of the
permit with the applicant. Permittees may be required to maintain a
product removal record on the permit form.
Data gathered in this information collection are not available from
other sources.
Estimate of Burden: 8 minutes.
Type of Respondents: Individuals.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 24,000.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,195 hours.
Description of Information Collection
The following describes a new information collection that will be
combined with FS-2400-8--Forest Products Free Use Permit (OMB Number
0596-0095):
Title: FS-2400-4--Forest Products Sale Permit and Cash Receipt.
OMB Number: New.
Expiration Date of Approval: New.
Type of Request: The following describes a new collection
requirement and has not received approval by the Office of Management
and Budget.
Abstract: The agency will use the collected data to ensure that
applicants, seeking to remove timber or forest products from National
Forest System lands, meet the criteria under which sale of timber or
forest products is authorized by the regulations at 36 CFR 223.88 and
to ensure that permittees comply with regulations and terms of the
permit at 36 CFR 261.6.
Individuals and persons representing small businesses usually
request permits in person in the Forest Service office issuing the
permit. Forest Service personnel will ask applicants to respond to
questions that include their name, address, and tax identification
number. Forest Service personnel will enter the information onto the
computerized permit database, where the information will be maintained
for easy retrieval for subsequent requests for permits by the same
individual. The information also will be entered onto a hard copy of a
permit. The applicant will sign and date the permit. Forest Service
personnel issuing the permit will discuss the terms and conditions of
the permit with the applicant.
Data gathered in this information collection are not available from
other sources.
Estimate of Burden: 8 minutes.
Type of Respondents: Individuals and small businesses.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 2500.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.5.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 190 hours.
Description of Information Collection
The following describes a new information collection that will be
combined with FS-2400-8--Forest Products Free Use Permit (OMB Number
0596-0095):
Title: FS-2400-1--Forest Products Removal Permit and Cash Receipt.
OMB Number: New.
Expiration Date of Approval: New.
Type of Request: The following describes a new collection and has
not received approval from the Office of Management and Budget.
Abstract: The agency will use the collected data to ensure that
applicants meet the criteria under which the sale of timber or forest
products is authorized by the regulations at 36 CFR 223.88 and to
ensure that permittees comply with regulations and terms of the permit
at 36 CFR 261.6.
Individuals and persons representing small businesses usually
request permits in person in the Forest Service office issuing the
permit. The information collected includes the applicant's name,
address, and identification number. The identification number can be a
tax identification number, social security number, drivers license
number, or other unique number identifying the applicant. Forest
Service personnel will enter the information onto the computerized
permit database, where the information will be maintained for easy
retrieval for subsequent permits issued to the same individual. The
information also will be entered onto a hard copy of a permit. The
applicant will sign and date the permit. Forest Service personnel
issuing the permit will discuss the terms and conditions of the permit
with the applicant. Permittees may be required to maintain a product
removal record on the permit form.
Data gathered in this information collection is not available from
other sources.
Estimate of Burden: 8 minutes.
Type of Respondents: Individuals.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 846,000.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.5.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 39,940 hours.
Comments Are Invited
The agency invites comments on the following: (a) Whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the
information shall 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 on respondents, including the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Use of Comments
All comments received in response to this notice will be summarized
and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments, including
name and address when provided, will become a matter of public record.
Dated: August 15, 1997.
Ronald E. Stewart,
Acting Associate Chief.
[FR Doc. 97-23263 Filed 9-2-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
