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###### Department of the Interior

###### Bureau of Indian Affairs

# AGENCY:

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

# ACTION:

Notice of Request for Comments.

# SUMMARY:

The Department of the Interior, Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) is seeking comments on renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act, for the collection of information for Documented Petitions for the Federal Acknowledgment as an Indian Tribe, 25 CFR 83. The information collection is currently authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0104, which expires April 30, 2010. The information collection allows OFA to determine whether an Indian group meets the regulatory criteria for acknowledgment as an Indian tribe.

# DATES:

                        Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before                         *April 5, 2010.*

# ADDRESSES:

                        You may submit comments on the information collection to R. Lee Fleming, Director, Office of Federal Acknowledgment, Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, 1951 Constitution Avenue, NW., MS-34B SIB, Washington, DC 20240; facsimile: (202) 219-3008; e-mail:                         *Lee.Fleming@bia.gov.*

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

R. Lee Fleming (202) 513-7650.

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

## I. Abstract

OFA is seeking renewal of the approval for the information collection conducted under 25 CFR 83, to establish whether a petitioning group has the characteristics necessary to be acknowledged as having a government-to-government relationship with the United States. Federal recognition makes the group eligible for benefits from the Federal Government. Approval for this collection expires April 30, 2010. Three forms are used as part of this information collection; but no changes to the forms are proposed as part of this renewal. No third party notification or public disclosure burden is associated with this collection. There is no change to the approved burden hours for this information collection.

## II. Request for Comments

                    OFA requests that you send your comments on this collection to the location listed in the                     **ADDRESSES**                     section. Your comments should address: (a) The necessity of the information collection for the proper performance of the agencies, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden (hours and cost) of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways we could enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways we could minimize the burden of the collection of the information on the respondents, such as through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.                

Please note that an agency may not sponsor or conduct, and an individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it has a valid OMB Control Number. This information collection expires April 30, 2010.

                    It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for review at the location listed in the                     **ADDRESSES**                     section during the hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday except for legal holidays. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address or other personally identifiable information, be advised that your entire comment—including your personally identifiable information—may be made public at any time. While you may request that we withhold your personally identifiable information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.                

## III. Data

*OMB Control Number:*                     1076-0104.                          ( print page 5626)    

*Title:*                     Documented Petitions for Federal Acknowledgment as an Indian Tribe, 25 CFR 83.                

*Brief Description of Collection:*                     Submission of this information allows OFA to review applications for the Federal acknowledgment of a group as an Indian tribe. The acknowledgment regulations at 25 CFR Part 83 contain seven criteria that unrecognized groups seeking Federal acknowledgment as Indian tribes must demonstrate that they meet. Information collected from petitioning groups under these regulations provide anthropological, genealogical and historical data used by the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs to establish whether a petitioning group has the characteristics necessary to be acknowledged as having a government-to-government relationship with the United States. Respondents are not required to retain copies of information submitted to OFA but will probably maintain copies for their own use; therefore, there is no recordkeeping requirement included in this information collection.                

*Type of Review:*                     Extension without change of a currently approved collection.                

*Respondents:*                     Groups petitioning for Federal acknowledgment as Indian tribes.                

*Number of Respondents:*                     10 per year, on average.                

*Total Number of Responses:*                     10 per year, on average.                

*Frequency of Response:*                     Once.                

*Estimated Time per Response:*                     2,075 hours.                

*Estimated Total Annual Burden:*                     20,750 hours.                

Dated: January 28, 2010.

Alvin Foster,

Chief Information Officer—Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 2010-2292 Filed 2-2-10; 8:45 am]

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