[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5219-5221]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1789]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Agency Information Collection; Proposed Revisions to a Currently 
Approved Information Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of renewal of a currently approved collection (OMB No. 
1006-0005).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

[[Page 5220]]

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us) 
intends to submit a request for renewal (with revisions) of an existing 
approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB): Individual Landholder's and Farm Operator's Certification and 
Reporting Forms for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426 and 43 CFR part 
428, OMB Control Number: 1006-0005. This information collection is 
required under the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA), Acreage 
Limitation Rules and Regulations, 43 CFR part 426, and Information 
Requirements for Certain Farm Operations In Excess of 960 Acres and the 
Eligibility of Certain Formerly Excess Land, 43 CFR part 428. We 
request your comments on the revised RRA forms and specific aspects of 
the information collection.

DATES: Your written comments must be received on or before April 4, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: You may send written comments to the Bureau of Reclamation, 
Attention: D-5300, PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007. You may request 
copies of the proposed revised forms by writing to the above address or 
by contacting Stephanie McPhee at: (303) 445-2897.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie McPhee at: (303) 445-2897.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Individual Landholder's and Farm Operator's Certification 
and Reporting Forms for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426 and 43 CFR 
part 428.
    Abstract: This information collection requires certain landholders 
(direct or indirect landowners or lessees) and farm operators to 
complete forms demonstrating their compliance with the acreage 
limitation provisions of Federal reclamation law. These forms are 
submitted to districts who use the information to establish each 
landholder's status with respect to landownership limitations, full-
cost pricing thresholds, lease requirements, and other provisions of 
Federal reclamation law. In addition, forms are submitted by certain 
farm operators to provide information concerning the services they 
provide and the nature of their farm operating arrangements. All 
landholders whose entire westwide landholdings total 40 acres or less 
are exempt from the requirement to submit RRA forms. Landholders who 
are ``Aqualified recipients'' have RRA forms submittal thresholds of 80 
acres or 240 acres depending on the district's RRA forms submittal 
threshold category where the land is held. Only farm operators who 
provide multiple services to more than 960 acres held in trusts or by 
legal entities are required to submit forms.

Changes to the RRA Forms and the Instructions to Those Forms

    We made a few editorial changes to the currently approved RRA forms 
and the instructions to those forms that are designed to assist the 
respondents by increasing their understanding of the forms, clarifying 
the instructions for use when completing the forms, and clarifying the 
information that is required to be submitted to the districts with the 
forms. The proposed revisions to the RRA forms will be included 
starting in the 2006 water year.
    In response to Reclamation's efforts to fully implement the acreage 
limitation provisions applicable to public entities (43 CFR 426.10 and 
the Act of July 7, 1970, Pub. L. 91-310), we have revised the existing 
``Declaration of Public Entities Landholdings'' (Form 7-21PE) to allow 
Reclamation to ascertain required information about public entities' 
landholdings and the revenue generated from public entities' farming 
activities. There is expected to be a minimal increase in burden hours 
resulting from the changes to this form because (1) the number of 
public entities expected to complete the revised areas of Form 7-21PE 
is minimal, (2) the majority of public entities will continue to submit 
the same information on the revised Form 7-21PE that they have already 
been submitting on the current Form 7-21PE, and (3) the majority of 
pubic entities will be allowed to skip entire sections of the revised 
Form 7-21PE based on the characteristics of their farming activities. 
The proposed revisions to Form 7-21PE will be included starting in the 
2006 water year.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondents: Landholders and farm operators of certain lands in our 
projects, whose landholdings exceed specified RRA forms submittal 
thresholds.
    Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 17,875.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.02.
    Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 18,233.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 13,590 hours.
    Estimate of Burden for Each Form:

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                                                      Burden
                                                   estimate per      Number of     Annual number   Annual burden
                    Form No.                         form (in       respondents    of responses   on respondents
                                                     minutes)                                       (in hours)
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Form 7-2180.....................................              60           4,963           5,062           5,062
Form 7-2180EZ...................................              45             503             513             385
Form 7-2181.....................................              78           1,467           1,496           1,945
Form 7-2184.....................................              45              36              37              28
Form 7-2190.....................................              60           1,845           1,882           1,882
Form 7-2190EZ...................................              45             109             111              83
Form 7-2191.....................................              78             880             898           1,167
Form 7-2194.....................................              45               4               4               3
Form 7-21PE.....................................              75             178             182             228
Form 7-21PE-IND.................................              12               5               5               1
Form 7-21TRUST..................................              60           1,045           1,066           1,066
Form 7-21VERIFY.................................              12           6,237           6,362           1,272
Form 7-21FC.....................................              30             243             248             124
Form 7-21XS.....................................              30             164             167              84
Form 7-21FARMOP.................................              78             196             200             260
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Comments

    Comments are invited on:
    (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of our functions, including whether the 
information will have practical use;
    (b) The accuracy of our burden estimate for the proposed collection 
of information;

[[Page 5221]]

    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    We will summarize all comments received regarding this notice. We 
will publish that summary in the Federal Register when the information 
collection request is submitted to OMB for review and approval.
    Department of the Interior practice is to make comments, including 
names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review. 
Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address 
from public disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by 
law. There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold a 
respondent's identity from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If 
you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will make all 
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.

    Dated: January 14, 2005.
Roseann Gonzales,
Director, Office of Program and Policy Services, Denver Office.
[FR Doc. 05-1789 Filed 1-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P