Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 223 / Monday, November 21, 2005 / Notices 70089 

Total Estimated Burden Hours: 2,257. 

Status: Extension of an existing 

collection. 

Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 35, as 

amended. 

Wayne Eddins, 

Departmental Paperwork Reduction Act 

Officer, Office of the Chief Information 

Officer. 

[FR Doc. E5–6392 Filed 11–18–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–27–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–4975–N–38] 

Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection: Comment Request; 

Mortgagee’s Certification of Fees and 

Escrow and Surety Bond Against 

Defects 

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Housing—Federal Housing 

Commissioner, HUD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The proposed information 

collection requirement described below 

will be submitted to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review, as required by the Paperwork 

Reduction Act. The Department is 

soliciting public comments on the 

subject proposal. 

DATES: Comments Due Date: January 20, 

2006. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit comments regarding 

this proposal. Comments should refer to 

the proposal by name and/or OMB 

Control Number and should be sent to: 

Wayne Eddins, Reports Management 

Officer, Department of Housing and 

Urban Development, 451 7th Street, 

SW., L’Enfant Plaza Building, Room 

8003, Washington, DC 20410, or 

Wayne_Eddins@hud.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe 

E. Malloy, Acting Director, Office of 

Multifamily Housing Development, 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development, 451 7th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202) 

708–1142, extension 2524 (this is not a 

toll free number) for copies of the 

proposed forms and other available 

information. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department is submitting the proposed 

information collection to OMB for 

review, as required by the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35, as amended). 

This Notice is soliciting comments 

from members of the public and affected 

agencies concerning the proposed 

collection of information to: (1) Evaluate 

whether the proposed collection is 

necessary for the proper performance of 

the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (2) evaluate the 

accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the 

burden of the proposed collection of 

information; (3) enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and (4) minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond; including 

the use of appropriate automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology, e.g., permitting 

electronic submission of responses. 

This Notice also lists the following 

information: 

Title of Proposal: Mortgagee’s 

Certification of Fees and Escrow and 

Surety Bond Against Defects. 

OMB Control Number, if applicable: 

2502–0468. 

Description of the need for the 

information and proposed use: HUD 

requires the mortgagee to submit Form 

HUD 2434, Mortgagee’s Certificate, to 

assure that fees are within acceptable 

limits and the required escrows will be 

collected. HUD determines the 

reasonableness of the fees and uses the 

information in calculating the financial 

requirement for closing. The 

information is also used to determine 

allowable fees that will be collected 

from the mortgagor at closing. HUD 

requires that Form HUD–3259 be 

submitted on all construction projects. 

This bond protects HUD and the 

mortgagor against liens arising from the 

development of the project and 

unprofessional construction. 

Agency form numbers, if applicable: 

HUD–2434 and HUD–3259. 

Estimation of the total numbers of 

hours needed to prepare the information 

collection based on the number of 

respondents, frequency of response, and 

hours of response: The estimated total 

number of burden hours needed to 

prepare the information collection is 

1,071; the number of respondents is 

1,020, generating approximately 1,020 

annual responses; the frequency of 

response is on occasion; and the 

estimated time needed to prepare the 

response varies from .30 to .75 hours per 

form. 

Status of the proposed information 

collection: This is an extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995, 44 U.S.C., Chapter 35, as amended. 

Frank L. Davis, 

General Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Housing-Deputy Federal Housing 

Commissioner. 

[FR Doc. E5–6393 Filed 11–18–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–27–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Notice of Availability of Draft 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Assessment for Salt 

Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Jet, 

OK 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service) announces that a Draft 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

(CCP) and Environmental Assessment 

(EA) for the Salt Plains National 

Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is available for 

review and comment. This CCP/EA, 

prepared pursuant to the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Administration 

Act of 1966, as amended by the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 

Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.), 

and the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321–4370d), 

describes how the Service intends to 

manage this refuge over the next 15 

years. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before January 20, 2006. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Chris 

Perez, Biologist/Natural Resource 

Planner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Route 2, Box 202A, Alamo, Texas 

78516, Telephone: 956–784–7553, Fax: 

956–782–0641. Comments may also be 

sent via electronic mail to: 

Chris_Perez@fws.gov. 

The draft CCP/EA is available on 

compact disk or hard copy, and may be 

obtained by writing, telephoning, 

faxing, or e-mailing Chris Perez at the 

above-listed address. In addition, the 

CCP/EA is available on the Internet at: 

http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/ 

Plan/index.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chris Perez, Biologist/Natural Resource 

Planner, 956–784–7553 or Jon M. Brock, 

Refuge Manager, 580–626–4794. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public 

Involvement: The draft CCP/EA is 

available for public review and 

comment for a period of 60 days from 

the date of publication. Copies of the 

70090 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 223 / Monday, November 21, 2005 / Notices 

document can be obtained as indicated 

in the ADDRESSES section. In addition, 

documents will be available for public 

inspection between the hours of 7:30 

a.m.–4 p.m., Monday through Friday at 

the Salt Plains NWR Headquarters 

Office, 35 miles northwest of Enid, 

Oklahoma, off State Highway 38, and at 

the following libraries: Cherokee Public 

Library, 602 S. Grand Ave., Cherokee, 

OK 73728. 

An open house to receive comments 

on the Draft CCP/EA will be held at the 

Salt Plains NWR Headquarters Office 

during the open comment period on 

January 12, 2006 from 2 p.m.–7 p.m. 

Special mailings, newspaper articles, 

and/or other media announcements will 

be used to inform the public of the date 

and time of the meeting. 

All comments received from 

individuals become part of the official 

public record. Requests for such 

comments will be handled in 

accordance with the Freedom of 

Information Act and the Council on 

Environmental Quality’s NEPA 

regulations [40 CFR 1506.6 (f)]. 

Background: The National Wildlife 

Refuge System Administration Act of 

1966, as amended by the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 

Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd–668ee et 

seq.), requires a CCP. The purpose in 

developing CCPs is to provide refuge 

managers with a 15-year strategy for 

achieving refuge purposes and 

contributing toward the mission of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System, 

consistent with sound principles of fish 

and wildlife science, conservation, legal 

mandates, and Service policies. In 

addition to outlining broad management 

direction on conserving wildlife and 

their habitats, the CCPs identify 

wildlife-dependent recreational 

opportunities available to the public, 

including opportunities for hunting, 

fishing, wildlife observation and 

photography, and environmental 

education and interpretation. We will 

review and update these CCPs at least 

every 15 years in accordance with the 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966, as amended 

by the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997, and the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321–4370d). 

Salt Plains NWR was established ‘‘as 

a refuge and breeding grounds for 

birds,’’ by Executive Order No. 5314 on 

March 26, 1930. The authority of the 

Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 

U.S.C. 712d) establishes that each refuge 

is: ‘‘* * * for use as an inviolate 

sanctuary, or any other management 

purpose, for migratory birds.’’ The 

Refuge Recreation Act (16 U.S.C. 460–1) 

states that each refuge is ‘‘suitable for 

incidental fish and wildlife-oriented 

recreational development, the 

protection of natural resources, and the 

conservation of endangered or 

threatened species.’’ Additionally, Salt 

Plains NWR has been designated as 

critical habitat for the whooping crane 

(43 FR 20938, May 15, 1978). 

Salt Plains NWR is located on the Salt 

Fork of the Arkansas River at the Great 

Salt Plains Lake in north-central 

Oklahoma. The confluence of several 

streams and rivers and the saltencrusted plains produces a variety of 

unique wildlife habitats found nowhere 

else for hundreds of miles around. The 

32,030-acre refuge is roughly equal parts 

of upland, open water, and salt flats, 

making it one of the most important 

migratory bird stopover, wintering, and 

nesting habitats in the Central Great 

Plains region. Three federally listed 

species use the refuge on a seasonal 

basis, and the refuge is also designated 

critical habitat for endangered 

whooping cranes. Federally threatened 

bald eagles winter on the refuge and 

endangered least terns nest in large 

numbers every year on the salt flats. 

Management efforts focus on protecting, 

enhancing, and restoring refuge habitats 

and water management for the benefit of 

important fish and wildlife resources. 

The Draft CCP/EA addresses a range 

of topics, including habitat and wildlife 

management, water management, 

invasive species control, public use 

opportunities, and administration and 

staffing for the refuge. Important refuge 

issues and how they are addressed in 

the plan alternatives are summarized 

below. Alternative A is the current 

management, or what is currently 

offered, at the refuge. Alternative B is 

the proposed action. Under Alternative 

C, a greater emphasis on public uses 

such as all types of hunting, hiking, and 

necessary facilities, roads, and trails is 

proposed. 

Habitat management activities: 

Alternative A: Habitat management such 

as prescribed fire, farming, moist soil 

management, invasive species control, 

or revegetation and maintenance 

projects would proceed to the extent 

that current base funding and staffing 

allows. Alternative B: The actions 

proposed in this alternative emphasize 

updated and integrated land 

management to progressively restore, 

maintain, and enhance native habitats 

for migratory birds, waterfowl, federally 

listed species, and resident wildlife. 

Alternative C: Habitat management 

would essentially be the same as 

Alternative A so that the refuge could 

focus more on public use opportunities. 

Improvements to public use 

opportunities: Alternative A: The public 

use program would remain at current 

levels and no new facilities would be 

developed on the refuge. Alternative B: 

The public use program would increase 

and/or enhance educational and 

outreach activities, recreational 

opportunities (including expansion of 

waterfowl hunting areas), community 

involvement, and improvement of 

facilities and interpretive trails. 

Alternative C: The public use program 

would emphasize opening the refuge to 

all types of hunting and increase roads, 

trails, and facilities to meet the 

emphasis on all compatible public uses. 

Refuge Land and Boundary 

Protection: Alternative A: There would 

be no acquisition and no exploration of 

possible refuge boundary expansion. 

Alternative B: Land protection would be 

accomplished through partnerships 

with adjacent owners. Any refuge 

boundary (none are currently proposed) 

expansion would only occur from 

willing sellers as a means to improve or 

protect important habitats that support 

accomplishment of species, habitat, and 

ecosystem goals and/or lands with high 

flood potential. Alternative C: Same as 

Alternative A. 

Dated: August 18, 2005. 

Larry G. Bell, 

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

[FR Doc. 05–22969 Filed 11–18–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Receipt of Applications for Permit 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications 

for permit. 

SUMMARY: The public is invited to 

comment on the following applications 

to conduct certain activities with 

endangered species. 

DATES: Written data, comments or 

requests must be received by December 

21, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Documents and other 

information submitted with these 

applications are available for review, 

subject to the requirements of the 

Privacy Act and Freedom of Information 

Act, by any party who submits a written 

request for a copy of such documents 

within 30 days of the date of publication 

of this notice to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Division of Management 

Authority, 4401 North Fairfax Drive,