Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Revisions to a Currently Approved Information Collection; Comment Request, 9964-9965 [E7-3844]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Reclamation
• Reclamation Bureau

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9964-9965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3844]



[[Page 9964]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Agency Information Collection Activities; 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. 
1006-0023).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
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): Forms to Determine Compliance by Certain Landholders, 43 CFR 
part 426, OMB Control Number: 1006-0023. As a result of the regulatory 
requirements to ensure compliance with Federal reclamation law and 
assessment of the appropriate water rate [43 CFR 426.6(b)(2) and 43 CFR 
426.9(b)], a new ``Religious or Charitable Organization Identification 
Sheet'' (Form 7-2578) has been developed for approval as part of this 
information collection. We request your comments on the proposed 
Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA) forms and specific aspects of the 
information collection.

DATES: Your written comments must be received on or before May 7, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may send written comments to the Bureau of Reclamation, 
Attention: 84-53000, P.O. Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007. You may 
request copies of the proposed 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: Forms to Determine Compliance by Certain Landholders, 43 CFR 
part 426. The former title of this information collection was ``Limited 
Recipient Identification Sheet, Trust Information Sheet, Public Entity 
Information Sheet for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426.'' Because of 
the addition of the proposed new form to this information collection as 
described below, we have changed the title of this information 
collection to ``Forms to Determine Compliance by Certain Landholders, 
43 CFR part 426.'' This title change will allow us to capture the 
purpose of the forms in this information collection without listing 
lengthy form names.
    Abstract: Identification of limited recipients--Some entities that 
receive Reclamation irrigation water may believe that they are under 
the RRA forms submittal threshold and, consequently, may not submit the 
appropriate RRA form(s). However, some of these entities may in fact 
have a different RRA forms submittal threshold than what they believe 
it to be due to the number of natural persons benefiting from each 
entity and the location of the land held by each entity. In addition, 
some entities that are exempt from the requirement to submit RRA forms 
due to the size of their landholdings (directly and indirectly owned 
and leased land) may in fact be receiving Reclamation irrigation water 
for which the full-cost rate must be paid because the start of 
Reclamation irrigation water deliveries occurred after October 1, 1981 
[43 CFR 426.6(b)(2)]. The information obtained through completion of 
the Limited Recipient Identification Sheet (Form 7-2536) allows us to 
establish entities' compliance with Federal reclamation law. The 
Limited Recipient Identification Sheet is disbursed at our discretion. 
The proposed revisions to the Limited Recipient Identification Sheet 
will be included starting in the 2008 water year, and are designed to 
facilitate ease of completion.
    Trust review--We are required to review and approve all trusts [43 
CFR 426.7(b)(2)] in order to ensure trusts meet the regulatory criteria 
specified in 43 CFR 426.7. Land held in trust generally will be 
attributed to the beneficiaries of the trust rather than the trustee if 
the criteria are met. When we become aware of trusts with a relatively 
small landholding (40 acres or less), we may extend to those trusts the 
option to complete and submit for our review the Trust Information 
Sheet (Form 7-2537) instead of actual trust documents. If we find 
nothing on the completed Trust Information Sheet that would warrant the 
further investigation of a particular trust, that trustee will not be 
burdened with submitting trust documents to us for in-depth review. The 
Trust Information Sheet is disbursed at our discretion. The proposed 
revisions to the Trust Information Sheet will be included starting in 
the 2008 water year, and are designed to facilitate ease of completion.
    Acreage limitation provisions applicable to public entities--Land 
farmed by a public entity can be considered exempt from the application 
of the acreage limitation provisions provided the public entity meets 
certain criteria pertaining to the revenue generated through the 
entity's farming activities (43 CFR 426.10 and the Act of July 7, 1970, 
Pub. L. 91-310). We are required to ascertain whether or not public 
entities that receive Reclamation irrigation water meet such revenue 
criteria regardless of how much land the public entities hold (directly 
or indirectly own or lease) [43 CFR 426.10(a)]. In order to minimize 
the burden on public entities, standard RRA forms are submitted by a 
public entity only when the public entity holds more than 40 acres 
subject to the acreage limitation provisions westwide, which makes it 
difficult to apply the revenue criteria as required to those public 
entities that hold less than 40 acres. When we become aware of such 
public entities, we may extend to those public entities the option to 
complete and submit for our review the Public Entity Information Sheet 
(Form 7-2565), which allows us to establish compliance with Federal 
reclamation law for those public entities that hold 40 acres or less 
and thus do not submit a standard RRA form because they are below the 
RRA forms submittal threshold. In addition, for those public entities 
that do not meet the exemption criteria, we must determine the proper 
rate to charge for Reclamation irrigation water deliveries. The Public 
Entity Information Sheet is disbursed at our discretion. The proposed 
revisions to the Public Entity Information Sheet will be effective 
starting in the 2008 water year and are designed to facilitate ease of 
completion.
    Acreage limitation provisions applicable to religious or charitable 
organizations (new form)--Some religious or charitable organizations 
that receive Reclamation irrigation water may believe that they are 
under the RRA forms submittal threshold and, consequently, may not 
submit the appropriate RRA form(s). However, some of these 
organizations may in fact have a different RRA forms submittal 
threshold than what they believe it to be depending on whether these 
organizations meet all of the required criteria for full special 
application of the acreage limitations provisions to religious or 
charitable organizations [43 CFR 426.9(b)]. In addition, some 
organizations that (1) do not meet the criteria to be treated as a 
religious or charitable organization under the acreage limitation 
provisions, and (2) are exempt from the requirement to submit RRA forms 
due to the size of their landholdings (directly and indirectly owned 
and leased land), may in fact be receiving Reclamation irrigation water 
for which the full-cost rate must be paid because the start of

[[Page 9965]]

Reclamation irrigation water deliveries occurred after October 1, 1981 
[43 CFR 426.6(b)(2)]. A new ``Religious or Charitable Organization 
Identification Sheet'' (Form 7-2578) has been developed for approval as 
part of this information collection, and will allow us to establish 
certain religious or charitable organizations' compliance with Federal 
reclamation law. Reclamation anticipates a very minimal increase in 
burden hours resulting from the addition of this form because of the 
very limited type of landholders that can use this form. The Religious 
or Charitable Organization Identification Sheet is disbursed at our 
discretion and will be effective starting in the 2008 water year.
    Frequency: Generally, these forms will be submitted once per 
identified entity, trust, public entity, or religious or charitable 
organization. Each year, we expect new responses in accordance with the 
following numbers.
    Respondents: Entity landholders, trusts, public entities, and 
religious or charitable organizations identified by Reclamation that 
are subject to the acreage limitation provisions of Federal reclamation 
law.
    Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 500.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.0.
    Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 500.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 72 hours.
    Estimate of Burden for Each Form:

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                                                      Burden                                       Annual burden
                                                   estimate per      Number of     Annual number        on
                    Form No.                         form  (in      respondents    of  responses    respondents
                                                     minutes)                                       (in hours)
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Limited Recipient Identification Sheet..........               5             175             175              15
Trust Information Sheet.........................               5             150             150              13
Public Entity Information Sheet.................              15             100             100              25
Religious or Charitable Identification Sheet....              15              75              75              19
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................  ..............             500             500  ..............
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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;
    (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.
    Before including your address, telephone number, e-mail 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.

    Dated: January 29, 2007.
Roseann Gonzales,
Director, Office of Program and Policy Services, Denver Office.
 [FR Doc. E7-3844 Filed 3-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P