Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 244 / Friday, December 19, 1997 / Notices 66595

The final environmental impact

statement is scheduled to be completed

by May, 1998. In the final

environmental impact statement, the

Swan Lake Ranger District is required to

respond to comments and responses

received during the comment period

that pertain to the environmental

consequences discussed in the draft

environmental impact statement and

applicable laws, regulations and

policies considered in making the

decision regarding this proposal.

Charles E. Harris, District Ranger, Swan

Lake Ranger District, is the responsible

official and his decision and reasons for

this decision will be documented in the

Record of Decision. The decision will be

subject to Forest Service appeal

regulations (36 CFR 215).

Dated: December 8, 1997.

Charles E. Harris,

District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 97–33062 Filed 12–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Notice of Intent To Request a Revision

of a Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service, United States

Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13) and the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320 (60 FR

44978, August 29, 1995), this notice

announces the Natural Resources

Conservation Service’s (NRCS) intention

to request a revision to a currently

approved information collection, the

Rural Abandoned Mine Program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by February 17, 1998 to be

assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Contact Marcella Graham, Agency OMB

Clearance Officer, Natural Resources

Conservation Service, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, Natural Resources

Conservation Service, P.O. Box 2890,

Washington, D.C. 20013–2890, (202)

720–5699.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Rural Abandoned Mine

Program.

OMB Number: 0578–0019.

Expiration Date of Approval: May 31,

1998.

Type of Request: To reinstate, with

change, a previously approved

collection for which approval has

expired.

Abstract: The primary objective of the

Natural Resources Conservation Service

is to work in partnership with the

American people to conserve and

sustain our natural resources. The Rural

Abandoned Mine Program authorizes

Federal technical and financial longterm cost-sharing assistance for

conservation treatment and reclamation

of abandoned coal mined land with

eligible land users. The financial

assistance is based on a conservation

plan for reclamation which is made a

part of an agreement or contract for a 5

or 10-year period of time. Under the

terms of the agreement, the participant

agrees to apply, or arrange to apply, the

conservation treatment specified in the

conservation plan. In return for this

agreement, Federal cost-share payments

are made to the land users, or third

party, upon successful application of

the conservation treatment.

Information collected is used by the

NRCS to ensure proper utilization of

program funds. The NRCS–LTP–013 is

used to record progress in applying the

conservation/reclamation plan (7 CFR

632.24), such as the verification,

revision or modification of the

conservation plan, as well as recording

the need for any follow up technical

assistance. The NRCS–LTP–150 is for

the land user to enter into a contract

with NRCS to receive Federal cost-share

assistance (7 CFR 632.22). The NRCS–

LTP–151 is used to notify the

participant, with an active agreement or

contract, that information has been

received which indicates a violation of

the contract (7 CFR 632.42 (b)(1)(2)).

The NRCS–LTP–152 is used during the

contract period when the land user loses

control of all or part of the right and

interest in the land (7 CFR 632.22(f)).

The NRCS–LTP–153 is used is used

when non-compliance of the contract is

indicated (7 CFR 632.41). The NRCS–

LTP–156 is the basic document used by

landowners to request assistance

through the local NRCS field office (7

CFR 632.20). The NRCS–FNM–140 is

used to authorize the vendor to furnish

the conservation materials and services

described in column (b) of the form (7

CFR 632.31(e)). This information

collection is being resubmitted to reflect

the elimination of two forms previously

authorized (NRCS–LTP–154 and NRCS–

LTP–155) and to reflect a scaled-down

program. NRCS will ask for 3-year OMB

approval within 60 days of submitting

the request.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 0.50 hours per

response.

Respondents: Farms, individuals or

households, or State, local, or Tribal

governments.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

438.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 223 hours.

Copies of this information collection

and related instructions can be obtained

without charge from Marcella Graham,

the Agency OMB Clearance Officer, at

(202) 720–5699.

Comments: Comments are invited on:

(a) Whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

agency, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate

of 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, such as

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technologic collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology. Comments may be sent to:

Marcella Graham, Agency OMB

Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Natural Resources

Conservation Service, P.O. Box 2890,

Washington, D.C. 20013–2890.

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.

Signed at Washington, D.C. on December

15, 1997.

Thomas A. Weber,

Acting Chief, Natural Resources Conservation

Service.

[FR Doc. 97–33126 Filed 12–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3610–16–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Municipal Interest Rates for the First

Quarter of 1998

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of municipal interest

rates on advances from insured electric

loans for the first quarter of 1998.

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service

hereby announces the interest rates for