Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 6 / Tuesday, January 9, 2001 / Notices 1695

to prepare Resource Management Plans

(RMPs) to provide management

direction for the public lands. The

objective of land use planning is to

ensure that BLM lands are managed

under the principles of multiple use and

sustained yield (FLPMA, sec. 102 (a)

(7)); in a manner that will protect the

quality of scientific, scenic, historical,

ecological, environmental, air and

atmospheric, water resource, and

archaeological values; that, where

appropriate, will preserve and protect

certain public lands in their natural

condition; that will provide food and

habitat for fish and wildlife and

domestic animals; and that will provide

for outdoor recreation and human

occupancy and use (FLPMA, sec.

102(a)(8)); and in a manner that

recognizes the Nation’s need for

domestic sources of minerals, food,

timber, and fiber from the public lands

(FLPMA, sec. 102 (a) (12)).

The Planning Manual and Handbook

provide direction in implementing the

requirements of FLPMA and the BLM

planning regulations.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

addition to serving as BLM’s primary

tool for determining resource protection

and allocations in the management of

the public lands, RMPs provide the

public a voice in BLM’s land and

resource management programs. They

establish goals and objectives for

resource management, measures needed

to achieve them, and parameters for use.

The Land Use Planning Manual and

Handbook replace earlier guidance

which has been in place since the

1980s. The new guidance is necessary to

address new circumstances affecting the

management of public lands.

The new planning guidance differs

from the earlier guidance in that it:

1. Encourages planning on a variety of

scales, including both traditional RMPs

at the local level and larger regionallevel plans, and combinations of these

across different land ownerships and

jurisdictions;

2. Encourages greater public

participation throughout the planning

process and facilitates collaborative and

multi-jurisdictional planning;

3. Clarifies the relationship between

land use plans and implementation

plans;

4. Provides the minimum procedural

requirements for completing land use

plans and implementation plans;

5. Clarifies the relationships between

land use plan and NEPA requirements;

6. Addresses new requirements and

approaches for managing public lands

or resources; and

7. Addresses the consideration of new

information and circumstances, such as

new listings of threatened and

endangered species, and new

requirements and standards for the

protection of air and water quality.

As part of the effort to update Manual

and Handbook guidance for preparing

land use plans, during June and July,

2000, the Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) circulated a draft Land Use

Planning Manual and Handbook for

BLM and public review and comment.

About 115 comments were received

from agencies, State and local

governments, organizations, companies,

and the general public. Approximately

35 comments were received from BLM

employees and offices.

The goal of the review was to ensure

the guidance (1) accurately reflects

statutory and regulatory requirements,

(2) facilitates the development of land

use plans which meet resource use and

protection needs, and ensures the

involvement of other Federal agencies,

tribes, State and local government, and

the public, (3) provides an appropriate

level of detail (i.e., sufficiently detailed

to ensure conformance with specific

planning requirements, yet provides a

level of flexibility necessary to address

various issues associated with

individual planning efforts), and (4) is

readily understandable and useable by

BLM and the public.

We have carefully considered the

comments received and have revised the

guidance in light of the goals listed

above. A summary of the comments and

how they were addressed will be

available shortly on BLM’s Internet

homepage (www.blm.gov) or by request.

Because the approved Manual and

Handbook are internal guidance, they

are not subject to protest or appeal.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the approved land

use planning manual and handbook

may be obtained from the Internet at

www.blm.gov; from the BLM

Washington Office at the following

address: BLM, Planning, Assessment

and Community Support Group (WO–

210), 1849 C Street, NW (LS–1050),

Washington, DC 20240–0001; or from

any BLM State Office or Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted

Milesnick at (202) 452–7727, Ann

Aldrich at (202) 452–7722, or Paul

Politzer at (202) 452–0349.

Dated: December 22, 2000.

Henri R. Besson,

Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and

Planning.

[FR Doc. 01–192 Filed 1–8–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–84–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Justice Programs

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

ACTION: Notice of information collection

under review (new collection).

State Police Traffic Stop Data

Collection Procedures, 2000

The Department of Justice, Bureau of

Justice Statistics, has submitted the

following information collection request

for review and clearance in accordance

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995. Office of Management and Budget

approval is being sought for the

information collection listed below.

This proposed information collection

was previously published in the Federal

Register on August 15, 2000, Vol. 65,

page 49837, allowing for a 60-day public

comment period.

The purpose of this notice is to allow

an additional 30 days for public

comment until February 8, 2001. This

process is conducted in accordance with

5 CFR 1320.10.

Written comments and/or suggestions

regarding the item(s) contained in this

notice, especially regarding the

estimated public burden and associated

response time, should be directed to the

Office of Management and Budget,

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Attention: Department of Justice

Desk Officer, Washington, DC 20530.

Additionally, comments may be

submitted to OMB via facsimile to (202)

395–7285. Comments may also be

submitted to the Department of Justice

(DOJ), Justice Management Division,

Information Management and Security

Staff, Attention: Department Deputy

Clearance Officer, National Place, 1331

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20530.

Written comments and/or suggestions

from the public and affected agencies

concerning the proposed collection of

information should address one or more

of the following four points:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

function 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,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

1696 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 6 / Tuesday, January 9, 2001 / Notices

(4) Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology,

e.g., permitting electronic submission of

responses.

Overview of this information:

(1) Type of information collection:

New Collection.

(2) The title of the form/collection:

State Police Traffic Stop Data Collection

Procedures, 2000.

(3) The agency form number, if any,

and the applicable component of the

Department sponsoring the collection:

The form number is SP–1. Bureau of

Justice Statistics, Office of Justice

Programs, United States Department of

Justice.

(4) Affected public who will be asked

or required to respond, as well as a brief

abstract:

Primary: State government.

Other: None.

42 U.S.C. 3711, et seq. authorizes the

Department of Justice to collect and

analyze statistical information

concerning crime, juvenile delinquency,

and the operation of the criminal justice

system and related aspects of the civil

justice system and to support the

development of information and

statistical systems at the Federal, State,

and local levels.

(5) An estimate of the total number of

respondents and the amount of time

estimated for an average respondent to

respond/reply: It is estimated that 50

respondents will complete a 30-minute

data collection form.

(6) An estimate of the total public

burden (in hours) associated with the

collection: The total hour burden to

complete the forms is 25 annual burden

hours.

If additional information is required

contact: Ms. Brenda E. Dyer, Deputy

Clearance Officer, United States

Department of Justice, Information

Management and Security Staff, Justice

Management Division, Suite 1220,

National Place Building, 1331

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20530.

Dated: January 3, 2001.

Brenda E. Dyer,

Department Deputy Clearance Officer, United

States Department of Justice.

[FR Doc. 01–476 Filed 1–8–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410–18–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training

Administration

Federal-State Unemployment

Compensation Program:

Unemployment Insurance Program

Letter Interpreting Federal

Unemployment Insurance Law

The Employment and Training

Administration interprets Federal law

requirements pertaining to

unemployment compensation (UC) as

part of its rule in the administration of

the Federal-State UC program. These

interpretations are issued in

Unemployment Insurance Program

Letters (UIPLs) to the State Employment

Security Agencies. The UIPL described

below is published in the Federal

Register in order to inform the public.

UIPL 12–01

UIPL 12–01 provides the Department

of Labor’s interpretation of Federal law

concerning the outsourcing (or

contracting out) of UC administrative

functions. It is being issued in response

to numerous inquiries from States and

agencies involved in the administration

of the UC program. It also provides

answers to questions raised by State

Employment Security Agencies and

other interested parties.

Dated: January 3, 2001.

Raymond Bramucci,

Assistant Secretary of Labor.

Classification: OWS

Correspondence Symbol: TEUL

December 28, 2000.

Directive: Unemployment Insurance

Program Letter No. 12–01.

To: All State Employment Security

Agencies.

From: Grace A. Kilbane,

Administrator, Office of Workforce

Security.

Subject: Outsourcing of

Unemployment Compensation

Administrative Functions

1. Purpose. To inform States of the

Department of Labor’s (Department)

interpretation of Federal law concerning

the ‘‘outsourcing’’ of unemployment

compensation (UC) administrative

functions.

2. References. Sections 303(a)(1), (3),

and (8) of the Social Security Act (SSA);

the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of

1970 (IPA); 5 U.S.C. Section 2301(b); 42

U.S.C. Sections 4701 and 4728; 5 CFR

Sections 900.603, 900.604; 20 CFR Part

602; 20 CFR Section 652.3; 26 CFR

Section 31–3306(i)–1; Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

Circular No. A–76 (Revised) (48 Fed.

Reg. 37110 (August 16, 1983); 64 Fed.

Reg. 33927 (June 24, 1999)); OMB Office

of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP)

Policy Letter No. 92–1 (57 Fed. Reg.

45096 (September 30, 1992)).

3. Background. The Department has

received numerous inquiries concerning

the outsourcing (or contracting out) of

functions related to the administration

of the UC program. This UIPL is issued

in response to these inquiries. As this

issuance applies only to the outsourcing

of UC administrative functions, it is not

to be construed as applying to,

permitting, or prohibiting the

outsourcing of non-UC functions.

Further, where outsourcing is permitted,

this UIPL neither encourages nor

discourages the outsourcing of UC

administrative functions.

A longstanding tenet in the

administration of public programs is the

desirability of using merit systems. In

the IPA, Congress declared that the

quality of public service is maintained

and improved by the development and

maintenance of systems of personnel

administration consistent with merit

principles. (42 U.S.C. 4701.) A basic

merit principle is that governmental

employees are responsible to the public

as represented by the elected officials

who head the executive branch of

government (for example, the President

or Governor). A second merit principle

is that public employees covered by a

merit system are able to administer the

law in an unbiased, professional manner

without undue outside influence.

Because many decisions made by public

employees affect the rights and property

of individuals, these decisions must be

made in a fair and unbiased manner that

is consistent with the rule and intent of

the law.

Impartiality in administering the UC

program is especially important because

UC is a major economic stabilizer. It is

often the only source of income during

a worker’s period of involuntary

unemployment. Further, employers are

charged for UC paid to their former

employees. The lack of impartiality

could lead to individuals being

improperly paid or denied UC due to

outside pressures. In addition, because

employers’ experience rates are

calculated based on the payment of UC

to their former workers, impartiality is

needed to assure not only that eligibility

is determined properly, but that charges

to the employer are proper. For reasons

such as these, Congress included a

specific merit staffing requirement in

Federal UC law. This requirement, and

other Federal law requirements affecting

outsourcing, are discussed below.

4. Federal Requirements.