40306 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 144 /Tuesday, July 28, 1998 / Notices

The information provided by the

permittees and lessees is used by the

BLM to authorize livestock grazing use

on the public lands, and to amend

annual authorizations levels. The

information requested includes the

name and number of the grazing

allotment to verify the authorized

location, the number of livestock and

periods of use for billing purposes,

recorded brands to verify ownership,

and reasons for any nonuse. The

information on the form is used by the

BLM authorized officer to: determine if

the applied for use is within the

permittees’ or lessees’ preference

(authorized level of use), determine if

the applied for use would be consistent

with multiple-use objectives, and

establish the terms and conditions

which should be attached to a permit or

lease. A permit or lease remains in effect

for up to 10 years, or until the permit

or lease is canceled by the authorized

office. Without this information, the

BLM would not be able to assure proper

administration of the use of the public

lands as required by law and would

result in unauthorized use, improper

billings, and nonpayment of fees due

the Federal Government.

After the permit is issued, the form is

then computer generated (Form No.

4130–3a) with the applicant’s name,

address, stated qualifications, and

mailed annually to each grazing

permittee or lessee of record. Using

information technology enables the

applicant to review the grazing use that

is scheduled for the coming grazing

season request a change in the

scheduled use if needed, show the

livestock identification, and sign the

form.

The form is returned to the authorized

officer who, if changes are indicated,

either approves the change by issuing a

bill listing the grazing use requested, or

denies the request for a change by

issuing a decision which includes a

right of protest and administrative

appeal.

The information required by law is

only available from the applicants and

uses information already available for

the purpose identified. Since grazing on

the unreserved public lands is

administered only by the BLM, there is

no duplication of information

collections.

The form was designed to request

only basic information required to

administer the permitting process. The

majority of the information is contained

in the applicant’s ownership

documents, and previously approved

grazing permit, or lease, and by using

previously automated information, the

burden is minimized for all

respondents.

The information requested by the

form is subject to change from 1 grazing

year to another and is necessary for

annual collection of grazing fees. There

is no opportunity to conduct the

collection less frequently and collect

user fees as required by law.

This information collection is

consistent with guidelines in 5 CFR

1320.6 without which the BLM would

not be able to administer the Public

Land Laws. There are no assurances of

confidentiality but the Privacy Act

Notice is provided to inform the

applicants of the uses to be made.

On March 25, 1994 the BLM

published in the Federal Register a

notice of proposed rulemaking to amend

the regulations for livestock grazing. A

comment period of 120 days was

allowed. Included in the notice was a

request for comments on the

information collections involved

including, this collection (1004–0041).

Several comments were received on this

section addressing information

resources and questions of timeliness

relating to compliance. (Federal

Register 2/22/95, page 9925) Copies of

the comments are on file at the Bureau

of Land Management, Eastern States

Office, 7450 Boston Boulevard,

Springfield, Virginia 22153, and may be

reviewed by contacting Jim Gegan at

that Office.

The annual cost to the Government is

estimated to be $170,300 based on

$11,000 for forms and processing and

$159,300 to review returned

applications at $20 per hour. Annual

costs to the respondents is estimated at

$35,900 based on $20 per hour to

prepare the forms.

Approximately 23,000 forms are

computer printed and mailed annually.

From records available from the

automated data processing (ADP)

system, about one-third or 7,665 are

returned as requests for moderate

changes with an average of 14 minutes

(0.234 hours) required for each

respondent to review, check records,

change if necessary and sign, resulting

in 1,794 burden hours. Response time

has been estimated from those

respondents who have brought in the

form and completed it in the presence

of BLM employees.

Any interested member of the public

may result and obtain, without charge,

a copy of BLM Form 4130.3a from the

person identified under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for Office of Management and Budget

approval. All comments will also

become a matter of public record.

Dated: July 23, 1998.

Carole J. Smith,

Bureau of Land Management Information

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–20158 Filed 7–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–84–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AK–962–1410–00–P; AA–10517]

Alaska Native Claims Selection;

Publication

In accordance with Departmental

regulation 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is

hereby given that a decision to issue

conveyance under the provisions of Sec.

14(h)(1) of the Alaska Native Claims

Settlement Act of December 18, 1971, 43

U.S.C. 1601, 1613(h)(1), will be issued

to Sealaska Corporation for

approximately 9.87 acres. The lands

involved are in the vicinity of Sanford

Cove, Alaska.

Copper River Meridian, Alaska

T. 48 S., R. 74 E.,

Secs. 29 to 32, inclusive.

A notice of the decision will be

published once a week, for four (4)

consecutive weeks, in the Juneau

Empire. Copies of the decision may be

obtained by contacting the Alaska State

Office of the Bureau of Land

Management, 222 West Seventh

Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513–

7599 (907) 271–5960).

Any party claiming a property interest

which is adversely affected by the

decision, an agency of the Federal

government or regional corporation,

shall have until August 27, 1998 to file

an appeal. However, parties receiving

service by certified mail shall have 30

days from the date of receipt to file an

appeal. Appeals must be filed in the

Bureau of Land Management at the

address identified above, where the

requirements for filing an appeal may be

obtained. Parties who do not file an

appeal in accordance with the

requirements of 43 CFR part 4, subpart

E, shall be deemed to have waived their

rights.

Patricia K. Underwood,

Land Law Examiner, ANCSA Team, Branch

of 962 Adjudication.

[FR Doc. 98–20078 Filed 7–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JA–U