Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request, 29263-29264 [2011-12516]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 98 (Friday, May 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29263-29264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12516]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWO3200000-L19900000.PP0000]


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: 60-day notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is announcing its intention to request 
that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issue a new control 
number for two forms--Form 3830-4, Affidavit of Annual Assessment Work; 
and Form 3830-5, Maintenance Fee Payment Form. As required by the PRA, 
the BLM is soliciting public comments on the proposed forms. Upon 
approval of the new control number by the OMB, the BLM will consider 
requesting that the new control number be combined with existing 
control number 1004-0114, Recordation of Location Notices and Mining 
Claims; Payment of Fees (43 CFR parts 3832-3838).

DATES: Please submit comments by July 19, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Please submit comments by mail, electronic mail, or fax:
    Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 
1849 C Street, NW., Room 2134LM, Attention: Jean Sonneman, Washington, 
DC 20240.
    Fax: to Jean Sonneman at 202-912-7181.
    Electronic mail: Jean_Sonneman@blm.gov.
    Please indicate ``Attn: 1004-XXXX'' regardless of the form of your 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sonia Santillan, Mineral Leasing 
Specialist, Bureau of Land Management, Division of Solid Minerals, 
(202) 912-7123 (Commercial or FTS). Persons who use a telecommunication 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) on 1-800-877-8330, to contact Ms. Santillan.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521) requires 
Federal agencies to obtain OMB approval, in the form of a control 
number, for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. A 
statutory prerequisite for OMB approval is the solicitation of public 
comments. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the PRA at 
43 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).
    With respect to this proposed collection of information, the BLM 
invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the BLM's functions, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) The 
accuracy of the BLM's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection 
of information; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information proposed to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize 
the burden of the proposed collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or the use 
of other forms of information technology.

Titles

    a. Form 3830-4, Affidavit of Annual Assessment Work; and
    b. Form 3830-5, Maintenance Fee Payment Form.
    OMB Control Number: 1004-XXXX.
    Abstract: This notice pertains to information that holders of legal 
interests in unpatented mining claims, mill sites, and/or tunnel sites 
must submit annually to the BLM in order to retain those interests. 
Claimants with a legal interest in mining claims or sites located under 
the Mining Law of 1872, 30 U.S.C. 22-54, must pay an annual maintenance 
fee in accordance with 43 CFR 3834.11. Proposed Form 3830-5, 
Maintenance Fee Payment Form, would be an optional form such claimants 
could use to list their mining claims or sites and submit with their 
maintenance fee payment to document their compliance with 43 CFR 
3834.111.
    Proposed Form 3830-4, Affidavit of Annual Assessment Work, would be 
an optional form claimants with 10 or fewer claims nationwide could 
file if they have elected to seek a waiver of annual maintenance fees. 
The proposed form would be the second of two submissions that are 
required of such claimants. The first required submission is a 
Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification (Form 3830-2) no later than the 
beginning of the upcoming assessment year on September 1. OMB has 
approved Form 3830-2 under control number 1004-0114.
    The second submission is required after the end of the assessment 
year, but no later than December 30 of the year in which the assessment 
year ends. At that time, a claimant seeking a waiver from annual 
maintenance fees must

[[Page 29264]]

provide the BLM with a certification that the annual assessment work 
requirements have been completed. Proposed Form 3830-4 is intended to 
assist eligible claimants comply with this second requirement.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Affected Public: Individuals, associations, and corporations 
seeking to retain interests under the Mining Law, 30 U.S.C. 28f, and 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, 43 U.S.C. 1744.
    Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 12,080 
responses and 6,040 hours annually. The following table details the 
individual components and respective hour burdens of this information 
collection request:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                B. Number of                                      D. Total hours
             A. Type of response                  responses          C. Time per  response            (B x C)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Affidavit of Annual Assessment Work (43 CFR             5,360  30 minutes.......................           2,680
 part 3835) Form 3830-4.
Maintenance Fee Payment Form (43 CFR part               6,720  30 minutes.......................           3,360
 3834) (Form 3830-5).
                                              ====================================================
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Non-Hour Cost: The BLM assesses a $10 processing 
fee, per mining claim, for affidavits of assessment work. 43 CFR 
3000.12, 3830.21, and 3835.32(c). Some affidavits include information 
on more than one mining claim. Based on our experience, we estimate 
that respondents file affidavits of assessment work for 21,679 claims 
and pay $216,790 in processing fees annually.
    Please send comments as directed above under DATES and ADDRESSES. 
Please refer to OMB control number 1004-XXXX in your correspondence. 
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 us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Jean Sonneman,
Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-12516 Filed 5-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P