Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 3, 1997 / Notices 46473

is necessary for the proper performance

of FSIS’s functions, including whether

the information will have practical

utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS’ 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 those who are to respond, including

through use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques, or

other forms of information technology.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for OMB approval. All comments will

also become a matter of public record.

Dated: August 26, 1997.

Thomas J. Billy,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–23249 Filed 9–2–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P

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 noncompetitively 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
46474 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 3, 1997 / Notices

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

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Kentucky Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

Kentucky Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 12:00 p.m.

and adjourn at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday,

September 17, 1997, at the Louisville

and Jefferson County Metropolitan

Sewer District, 700 West Liberty Street

(at 7th Street), Louisville, Kentucky