30 Day Notice of Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB); Opportunity for Public Comment, 5589 [08-406]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 20 (Wednesday, January 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 5589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-406]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


30 Day Notice of Submission to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB); Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 
CFR Part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National 
Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a revision of a currently 
approved collection of information (OMB 1024-0037).

DATES: Public comments on this Information Collection Request (ICR) 
will be accepted on or before February 29, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior (OMB 1024-0037), Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, by fax at 202/395-6566, or by 
electronic mail at oira_docket@omb.eop.gov. Please also send a copy of 
your comments to Dr. Francis P. McManamon, Manager, Archeology Program, 
NPS, 1849 C Street, NW., (2275), Washington, DC 20240; or via phone at 
202/354-2123; or via fax at 202/371-5102.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Karen Mudar, Archeologist, 
Archeology Program, NPS, 1849 C Street, NW., (2275), Washington, DC 
20240; or via phone at 202/354-2103; or via fax at 202/371-5102; or via 
e-mail at Karen_mudar@nps.gov. You are entitled to a copy of the 
entire ICR package free-of-charge. You may obtain this information at 
the Web site http://www.reginfo.gov.
    Comments Received on the 60-Day Federal Register Notice: The NPS 
published a 60-Day Notice to solicit public comments on this ICR in the 
Federal Register on August 1, 2007 (Vol. 72, No. 147, FR 42108). The 
comment period closed on October 1, 2007. No comments on the 60-Day 
Notice were received.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Archeology Permits and Reports--43 CFR Parts 3 and 7.
    Bureau Form Number: DI-1926 (permit application).
    OMB Number: 1024-0037.
    Expiration Date: 1/31/2008.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Description of Need: Section 4 of the Archaeological Resources 
Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470cc), and Section 3 of the 
Antiquities Act (AA) of 1906 (16 U.S.C. 432), authorize any individual 
or institution to apply to Federal land managing agencies to 
scientifically excavate or remove archeological resources from public 
or Indian lands. Permits for Archeological Investigations ordinarily 
are requested for conducting scientific research; in conjunction with 
statutorily required environmental clearance activities prior to 
commencing a Federal undertaking; or issuing a Federal license or 
permit for a third party activities such as energy development on 
public or Indian lands.
    ARPA and AA require that Federal land managers issue permits to 
qualified applicants and place terms and conditions on the permits, 
including reporting requirements, as set forth in the implementing 
regulation for the two statutes (43 CFR Part 7 for ARPA; 43 CFR Part 3 
for the AA), to ensure that the resources are scientifically excavated 
or removed and deposited, along with associated records, in a suitable 
repository for preservation. If the permit is for work on Indian lands, 
ARPA required that the Federal land manager place terms and conditions 
on the permit as requested by the Indian landowner and the Indian tribe 
having jurisdiction over the lands. If the permit may have an effect on 
a resource on public lands that has Indian tribal religious or cultural 
importance, ARPA requires that the Federal land manager notify the 
pertinent tribe for the purpose of developing terms and conditions to 
be placed on the permit.
    Section 13 of ARPA (16 U.S.C. 470II) requires that the Secretary of 
the Interior report to Congress on archeological activities conducted 
pursuant to the Act. To fulfill this requirement, the Secretary must 
collect information about permitted activities from the various land 
managing agencies and the Department's land managing bureaus.
    Information collected responds to statutory requirements that 
Federal agencies (1) issue permits to qualified individuals and 
institutions desiring to excavate or remove archeological resources 
from public or Indian lands and (2) specify terms and conditions, 
including reporting requirements, in permits. The information collected 
is reported to Congress and is issued for land management purposes. The 
obligation to respond is required to obtain a benefit.
    Automated data collection: This information will be collected via a 
paper form. No automated data collection will take place.
    Frequency of Collection: Once at the beginning of each 
archeological project for which a permit is required. An interim and/or 
final report is required at the end of the archeological project.
    Description of Respondents: Businesses, scholarly institutions, and 
tribes wishing to excavate or remove archeological resources from 
public or Indian lands.
    Estimated average number of respondents: 1,600.
    Estimated average number of responses: 3,200.
    Estimated average burden hours per respondent: 3 hours. 2.5 hours 
to complete the application form; 30 minutes to complete the 
investigative report.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion for applications; upon 
completion of project for report.
    Estimated total annual reporting burden: 4,800 hours.
    Comments are invited on: (1) The practical utility of the 
information being gathered; (2) the accuracy of the burden hour 
estimate; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden to 
respondents, including use of automated information collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Before including 
your address, phone 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 OMB in your 
comments to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that OMB will be able to do so.

    Dated: January 25, 2008.
Leonard E. Stowe,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, NPS.
[FR Doc. 08-406 Filed 1-29-08; 8:45 am]
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