Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 1997 / Notices 63377

requested permit subject to certain

conditions set forth therein.

On September 11, 1997, a notice was

published in the Federal Register, Vol.

62, No. 176, Page 47825, that an

application had been filed with the Fish

and Wildlife Service by the Office of

Marine Mammals Management, USFWS,

Anchorage, AK for a permit (PRT–

834120) to import specimen samples or

carcasses of sea otters (Enhydra lutris)

from the Russia Federation for the

purpose of scientific research.

Notice is hereby given that on October

30, 1997, as authorized by the

provisions of the Marine Mammal

Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) the Fish and

Wildlife Service authorized the

requested permit subject to certain

conditions set forth therein.

Documents and other information

submitted for these applications are

available for review by any party who

submits a written request to the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of

Management Authority, 4401 North

Fairfax Drive, Rm 700, Arlington,

Virginia 22203. Phone (703) 358–2104

or Fax (703) 358–2281.

Date: November 20, 1997.

Mary Ellen Amtower,

Acting Chief Branch of Permits, Office of

Management Authority.

[FR Doc. 97–31201 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

Request for Public Comments on

Proposed Information Collection To Be

Submitted to the Office of Management

and Budget for Review Under the

Paperwork Reduction Act

The proposed information collection

described below will be submitted to

the Office of Management and Budget

for approval under the provisions of the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 35). Copies of the proposed

collection of information may be

obtained by contacting the Bureau’s

clearance officer at the phone number

listed below. Comments and suggestions

on the proposal should be made within

60 days directly to the Bureau clearance

officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 807

National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley

Drive, Reston, Virginia, 20192,

telephone (703) 648–7313.

Specific public comments are

requested as to:

1. Whether the collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions on the

bureaus, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

2. The accuracy of the bureau’s

estimate of the burden of the collection

of information, including the validity of

the methodology and assumptions used:

3. The quality, utility, and clarity of

the information to be collected; and

4. How to minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including the use of

appropriate automated, electronic,

mechanical, or other forms of

information technology.

Title: Quality of life in southwestern

Colorado and northwestern New

Mexico.

OMB Approval Number: New

Collection.

Abstract: This study is one part of an

integrated study of public knowledge of,

preferences for, and responses to

tourism and recreation development on

the Colorado Plateau. The correlated

information is designed to assist

Federal, state, and local land and

resource managers in their management

decisions by providing information

about the knowledge, needs, and desires

of the affected publics surrounding

public lands. Natural resource land

managers and county government

officials in seven counties, working as

partners in this research, can adjust

management practices in response to

citizens’ knowledge and perceived

values. The intended effect is to better

inform managers and assist land

managers in developing citizen

involvement programs. This study is

being conducted in partnership with the

U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land

Management, National Park Service, and

as part of the Colorado Plateau

Ecosystem Partnership Program

(CPEPP). This study is part of a peerreviewed research study plan of the

Midcontinent Ecological Science Center

in Fort Collins, Colorado and is part of

the study plan of the CPEPP.

To build a picture of quality of life on

the Colorado Plateau, we will measure

the perceptions and preferences for the

environment held by diverse residents

at several locations in the region. Our

objectives are to describe what resident

populations perceive as the most salient

elements of the region’s natural

landscapes, ecosystems, and human

communities; what would have to be

maintained, protected, or restored to

attain conditions of community and

ecosystem quality that residents desire.

The first iteration of this research

approach has been conducted by Utah

State University for the Utah State

Travel Council in partnership with the

Canyon Country Partnership and U.S.

Geological Survey. The goal of that

study was to help achieve the Travel

Council’s specific directive to relate

tourism planning to local residents’

quality of life. For this second iteration,

surveys will be administered to a

stratified random sample of citizens

living in six counties in Colorado

(Archuleta, La Plata, Montezuma,

Dolores, San Miguel, and San Juan) and

in San Juan County, New Mexico. The

sampling design is being developed in

partnership with the combined U.S.

Forest Service and Bureau of Land

Management office in Durango,

Colorado and Fort Lewis College.

Respondents will be given 12

exposure, one-time use, 35mm cameras

and will be asked to photograph areas

of their community that either add to or

detract from their quality of life.

Respondents will receive complete sets

of their own photography, accompanied

by a short mail-out survey instrument

for the purposes of collecting

demographic data and cross-check the

quality of life factors reflected in the

photographs.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Frequency: One time.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals or households.

Estimated completion time: 25

minutes per respondent.

Number of respondents: 300 (400

cameras and mail-surveys).

Burden hours: 125 hours. (The burden

hour estimate is based on a 70% return

rate, with 15 minutes to take

photographs and fill out the photo log

and 10 minutes to complete the followup questionnaire.)

Dated: November 17, 1997.

Dennis B. Fern,

Chief Biologist.

[FR Doc. 97–31296 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–31–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO–933–98–1320–01; COC 60941]

Notice of Public Hearing and Request

for Comments on Environmental

Assessment, Maximum Economic

Recovery Report, and Fair Market

Value; Application for Competitive

Coal Lease COC 60941; Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

SUMMARY: Bureau of Land Management,

Colorado State Office, Lakewood,

Colorado, hereby gives notice that a

public hearing will be held to receive
63378 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 1997 / Notices

comments on the environmental

assessment, maximum economic

recovery, and fair market value of

federal coal to be offered. An

application for coal lease was filed by

National King Coal, LLC requesting the

Bureau of Land Management offer for

competitive lease 194.79 acres of federal

coal in La Plata County, Colorado.

DATES: The public hearing will be held

at 7 p.m., December 18, 1997. Written

comments should be received no later

than December 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be

held in the Federal Building, 701

Camino Del Rio, Room 110, Durango,

Colorado 81301. Written comments

should be addressed to the Bureau of

Land Management, Area Manager, San

Juan Basin Resource Area. Federal

Building, Room 203, 701 Camino Del

Rio, Durange, Colorado 81301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cal

Joyner, Area Manager, San Juan Basin

Resource Area Office at the address

above, or by telephone at (970) 247–

1289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bureau of

Land Management, Colorado State

Office, Lakewood, Colorado, hereby

gives notice that a public hearing will be

held on December 18, 1997, at 7 p.m.,

in the Federal Building at the address

given above.

An application for coal lease was filed

by National King Coal, LLC, requesting

the Bureau of Land Management offer

for competitive lease federal coal in the

lands outside established coal

production regions described as:

T. 34 N., R. 11 W., N.M.P.M.

Sec. 6, lots 1 to 5, inclusive, NESW, and

NWSE;

Containing 194.79 acres.

The coal resource to be offered is

limited to coal recoverable by

underground mining methods.

The purpose of the hearing is to

obtain public comments on the

environmental assessment and on the

following items:

(1) The method of mining to be

employed to obtain maximum economic

recovery of the coal,

(2) The impact that mining the coal in

the proposed leasehold may have on the

area, and

(3) The methods of determining the

fair market value of the coal to be

offered.

Written requests to testify orally at the

December 18, 1997, public hearing

should be received at the San Juan

Resource Area Office prior to the close

of business December 18, 1997. Those

who indicate they wish to testify when

they register at the hearing may have an

opportunity if time is available.

In addition, the public is invited to

submit written comments concerning

the fair market value and maximum

economic recovery of the coal resource.

Public comments will be utilized in

establishing fair market value for the

coal resource in the described lands.

Comments should address specific

factors related to fair market value

including, but not limited to:

1. The quality and quantity of the coal

resource.

2. The price that the mined coal

would bring in the market place.

3. The cost of producing the coal.

4. The interest rate at which

anticipated income streams would be

discounted.

5. Depreciation and other accounting

factors.

6. The mining method or methods

which would achieve maximum

economic recovery of the coal.

7. Documented information on the

terms and conditions of recent and

similar coal land transactions in the

lease area, and

8. Any comparable sales data of

similar coal lands.

Should any information submitted as

comments be considered to be

proprietary by the commenter, the

information should be labeled as such

and stated in the first page of the

submission. Written comments on the

environmental assessment, maximum

economic recovery, and fair market

value should be sent to the San Juan

Resource Area Office at the above

address prior to close of business on

December 18, 1997.

Substantive comments, whether

written or oral, will receive equal

consideration prior to any lease offering.

The Draft Environmental Assessment

and Maximum Economic Recovery

Report are available from the San Juan

Resource Area Office upon request.

A copy of the Draft Environmental

Assessment, the Maximum Economic

Recovery Report, the case file, and the

comments submitted by the public,

except those portions identified as

proprietary by the commenter and

meeting exemptions stated in the

Freedom of Information Act, will be

available for public inspection at the

Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield,

Lakewood, Colorado, 80215.

Dated: November 20, 1997.

Karen A. Purvis,

Solid Minerals Team, Resource Services.

[FR Doc. 97–31202 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

(AK–910–0777–51)

Iditarod Advisory Council Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Iditarod Advisory

Council Meeting.

SUMMARY: The Iditarod Advisory

Council will conduct an open meeting

Wednesday, January 7, 1998, and

Thursday, January 8, 1998, from 9 a.m.

to 4 p.m. each day. The purpose of the

meeting is to discuss the formation of a

non-profit organization to assist in the

management of the Iditarod National

Historic Trail. The meeting will be held

at the BLM Anchorage District Office at

6881 Abbott Loop Road in Anchorage.

Public comments pertaining to

management of the Iditarod National

Historic Trail will be taken from 1–2

p.m. Wednesday, January 7. Written

comments may be submitted at the

meeting or mailed to the address below

prior to the meeting.

ADDRESS: Inquiries about the meeting

should be sent to External Affairs,

Bureau of Land Management, 222 W.

7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska

99513–7599.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Teresa McPherson at (907) 271–5555.

Dated: November 18, 1997.

Nick Douglas,

Anchorage District Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–31204 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV–923–1990–00]

Mining Claims Under the General

Mining Laws; Surface Management:

Forms of Legal Financial Guarantees

Allowable Under Nevada State Law

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) amended the

surface management regulations at 43

CFR subpart 3809 on February 28, 1997

(62 FR 9093). The amendment requires

each BLM State Director to consult with

the appropriate State authorities to

determine which financial instruments

in 43 CFR 3809.1–9(k) are allowable

under State law. Nevada State law