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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 191 (Thursday, October 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51680-51681]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26161]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Operation and Maintenance Rate Adjustment: Fort Belknap 
Irrigation Project, Montana

ACTION: Notice of proposed irrigation operation and maintenance (O&M) 
rate adjustment.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs proposes to change the assessment 
rates for operating and maintaining the Fort Belknap Irrigation Project 
for 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and subsequent years. The following 
table illustrates the impact of the rate adjustment.

                      Fort Belknap Irrigation Project; Irrigation Rate Per Assessable Acre                      
                                              [N/A--Not Applicable]                                             
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                                      Present      Proposed     Proposed     Proposed     Proposed     Proposed 
               Year                     1997         1998         1999         2000         2001         2002   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Indian........................       $12.50          N/A          N/A          N/A          N/A          N/A
Indian............................         6.25          N/A          N/A          N/A          N/A          N/A
Rate (all)........................          N/A       $12.50       $13.00       $13.50       $14.00       $14.50
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Area Director, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Billings Area Office, 316 North 26th Street, Billings, Montana 
59101-1362, telephone (406) 247-7998.

DATES: Interested parties may submit comments on the proposed rate 
adjustment. Comments must be submitted on or before November 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning the proposed rate change must be in 
writing and addressed to: Director, Office of Trust Responsibilities, 
Attn: Irrigation and Power, MS#4513-MIB, Code 210, 1849 ``C'' Street, 
NW, Washington, D.C. 20240, Telephone (202) 208-5480.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The authority to issue this document is 
vested in the Secretary of the Interior by 5 U.S.C. 301 and the Act of 
August 14, 1914 (38 Stat. 583, 25 U.S.C. 385). The Secretary has 
delegated this authority to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs

[[Page 51681]]

pursuant to part 209 Departmental Manual, Chapter 8.1A and Memorandum 
dated January 25, 1994, from Chief of Staff, Department of the 
Interior, to Assistant Secretaries, and Heads of Bureaus and Offices.
    This notice is given in accordance with Sec. 171.1(e) of part 171, 
Subchapter H, Chapter 1, of Title 25 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, which provides for the fixing and announcing the rates for 
annual operation and maintenance assessments and related information of 
the Fort Belknap Irrigation Project for Calendar Year 1998 and 
subsequent years.
    The assessment rates are based on a prepared estimate of the cost 
of normal operation and maintenance of the irrigation project. Normal 
operation and maintenance means the expenses we incur to provide direct 
support or benefit to the project's activities for administration, 
operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation. We must include at least:
    (a) Personnel salary and benefits for the project engineer/manager 
and our employees under his management/control;
    (b) Materials and supplies;
    (c) Major and minor vehicle and equipment repairs;
    (d) Equipment, including transportation, fuel, oil, grease, lease 
and replacement;
    (d) Capitalization expenses;
    (e) Acquisition expenses; and
    (f) Other expenses we determine necessary to properly perform the 
activities and functions characteristic of an irrigation project.

Payments

    The irrigation operation and maintenance assessments become due 
based on locally established payment requirements. No water will be 
delivered to any of these lands until all irrigation charges have been 
paid.

Interest and Penalty Fees

    Interest, penalty, and administrative fees will be assessed, where 
required by law, on all delinquent operation and maintenance assessment 
charges as prescribed in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 4, Part 
102, Federal Claims Collection Standards; and 42 BIAM Supplement 3, 
part 3.8 Debt Collection Procedures. Beginning 30 days after the due 
date interest will be assessed at the rate of the current value of 
funds to the U.S. Treasury. An administrative fee of $12.50 will be 
assessed each time an effort is made to collect a delinquent debt; a 
penalty charge of 6 percent per year will be charged on delinquent 
debts more than 90-days old and will accrue from the date the debt 
became delinquent. No water will be delivered to any farm unit until 
all irrigation charges have been paid. After 180-days a delinquent debt 
will be forwarded to the United States Treasury for further action in 
accordance with Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-
134).

    Dated: September 24, 1997.
Ada E. Deer,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-26161 Filed 10-1-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-U
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