[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]


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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.

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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]
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