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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 99269-99270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28948]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[L19900000.PO0000.LLHQ320000.25X; OMB Control No. 1004-0025]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Mineral 
Surveys, Mineral Patent Applications, Adverse Claims, Protests, and 
Contests

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to renew an information 
collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 9, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for this information 
collection request (ICR) should be sent within 30 days of publication 
of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact John Grasso by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at (303) 239-3777. Individuals in the United States who are 
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay 
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay 
services offered within their country to make international calls to 
the point-of-contact in the United States. You may also view the ICR at 
http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we invite the public and other Federal 
agencies to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps the BLM assess impacts of its 
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting 
burden. It also helps the public understand BLM information collection 
requirements and ensure requested data are provided in the desired 
format.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
August 9, 2024 (89 FR 65390).
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again inviting the public and other Federal agencies to 
comment on the proposed ICR described below. The BLM is especially 
interested in public comment addressing the following:
    (1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How the agency could minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    Abstract: The General Mining Law (30 U.S.C. 29, 30, and 39) 
authorizes a holder of an unpatented claim for hardrock minerals to 
apply for fee title (patent) to the federal land (as well as minerals) 
embraced in the claim. Division E, Title I of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118-42), the annual appropriation 
bill for the Department of the Interior, prevents the BLM from 
processing mineral patent applications unless the applications were 
grandfathered under the initial legislation. While grandfathered 
applications are rare at present, the approval to collect the 
information continues to be necessary because of the possibility that 
the moratorium will be lifted and applicable regulations that contain 
the information are still part of the Code of Federal Regulations. OMB 
control number 1004-0025 is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2025. This 
request is for OMB to renew this OMB control number for an additional 
three (3) years.
    Title of Collection: Mineral Surveys, Mineral Patent Applications, 
Adverse Claims, Protests, and Contests (43 CFR parts 3860 and 3870).
    OMB Control Number: 1004-0025.
    Form Numbers: 3860-2 and 3860-5.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Owners of unpatented mining claims and 
mill sites upon the public lands, and of reserved mineral lands of the 
United States, National Forests, and National Parks.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 1.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 10.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 1-100 hours, 
depending on activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 559.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: $259,035.

[[Page 99270]]

    An agency may not conduct or sponsor and, notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, a person is not required to respond to a collection 
of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.).

Darrin King,
Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-28948 Filed 12-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P
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