Rate Adjustments for Indian Irrigation Projects, 25691-25698 [2016-10045]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 83 / Friday, April 29, 2016 / Notices
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
for grants must supply a final technical
report at the end of the project period.
All application instructions and forms
are available on the Internet through
Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov).
Hard/paper submissions will not be
accepted under any circumstances. All
reports will be accepted electronically
via email.
II. Data
OMB Control Number: 1028–0092.
Form Number: N/A.
Title: The National Map: Topographic
Data Grants Program.
Type of Request: Renewal of existing
information collection.
Affected Public: State, Local, Tribal
Government.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain benefits.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Estimated Total Number of Annual
Responses: 40 applications and 20 final
reports.
Estimated Time per Response: The
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) foresees
60 hours of time will be needed to
complete the necessary submissions
which will include the narrative and
supporting documentation. We believe
that reading the requirements as well as
development, proposal writing,
reviewing and submission of the
proposal application via Grants.gov will
require 47 hours. Quarterly and final
project reports must be submitted by the
award recipient. The prior quarter’s
progress must be submitted within the
report 7 days following the start of the
new quarter. The quarterly report will
take at least 1 hour to prepare. The final
report must be submitted within 90
calendar days of the end of the project
period. USGS estimates that
approximately 10 hours will be needed
to complete the final report.
Estimated Annual Burden Hours:
2,140 Hours per response.
Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’
Burden: There are no ‘‘non-hour cost’’
burdens related to the collection of this
data.
Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA
(44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an
agency may not conduct or sponsor and
you are not required to respond to a
collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number and current expiration date.
III. Request for Comments
We are soliciting comments as to: (a)
Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the agency
to perform its duties, including whether
the information is useful; (b) the
accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the
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burden of the proposed collection of
information; (c) ways to enhance the
quality, usefulness, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d) how
to minimize the burden on the
respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Please note that the comments
submitted in response to this notice are
a matter of public record. Before
including your personal mailing
address, phone number, email address,
or other personally identifiable
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire
comment, including your personally
identifiable information, may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your comment to
withhold your personally identifiable
information from public view, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Julia Fields,
Deputy Director, National Geospatial
Program.
[FR Doc. 2016–10041 Filed 4–28–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[16X/A11220000.224100/AAK4004800/
AX.480ADM100000]
Rate Adjustments for Indian Irrigation
Projects
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of rate adjustments.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) owns, or has an interest in,
irrigation projects located on or
associated with various Indian
reservations throughout the United
States. We are required to establish
irrigation assessment rates to recover the
costs to administer, operate, maintain,
and rehabilitate these projects. We are
notifying you that we have adjusted the
irrigation assessment rates at several of
our irrigation projects and facilities to
reflect current costs of administration,
operation, maintenance, and
rehabilitation.
DATES: The irrigation assessment rates
are current as of January 1, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
details about a particular BIA irrigation
project or facility, please use the tables
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section to contact the regional or local
office where the project or facility is
located.
SUMMARY:
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25691
A Notice
of Proposed Rate Adjustment was
published in the Federal Register on
June 11, 2015 (80 FR 33279) to propose
adjustments to the irrigation assessment
rates at several BIA irrigation projects.
The public and interested parties were
provided an opportunity to submit
written comments during the 60-day
period that ended August 10, 2015.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Did BIA defer or change any proposed
rate increases?
Yes. Rate increases were deferred on
the Crow Irrigation Project—Two
Leggins Unit and the Wind River
Irrigation Project—Riverton Valley
Irrigation District.
Did BIA receive any comments on the
proposed irrigation assessment rate
adjustments?
Yes. The BIA received sixteen (16)
letters with comments. All comments
received were associated with the
Flathead Indian Irrigation Project’s
(FIIP) proposed rate adjustment for
Calendar Year (CY) 2016.
What issues were of concern to the
commenters?
Comments received relate specifically
to the proposed rate increase for CY
2016 and other activities associated only
with the FIIP.
The BIA’s summary of commenters’
issues and BIA’s response are provided
below.
Comment: Three commenters
requested the rate increase be postponed
until:
—Two court cases (one case in State
court challenging an alleged illegal
vote of the state legislature and one
case in Federal court concerning the
re-assumption of operations and
maintenance of the FIIP by the Bureau
of Indian Affairs) are resolved.
—The Confederated and Salish and
Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Water
Compact is ratified by Congress.
—Western Montana is no longer in a
federally designated ‘‘Severe
Drought’’ condition.
Response: The final rate for the FIIP
in 2016 will remain the same as 2015.
Comment: How can the request for
increased rates be warranted when those
alleging the need are not fully qualified
to do so?
Response: The final rate for the FIIP
in 2016 will remain the same as 2015.
Comment: The BIA Solicitor’s Office
spent large amounts of Cooperative
Management Entity (CME) O&M funds
traveling back and forth from Portland,
OR and Washington, DC to Montana,
conducting private meetings while the
project manager was spending a large
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 83 / Friday, April 29, 2016 / Notices
amount of O&M funds on unjustifiable
purchases of heavy equipment.
Response: The CME O&M funds were
never spent for Office of the Solicitor
travel expenses or conducting meetings.
Travel costs associated with non-FIIP
employees are not included in the FIIP’s
2016 budget and are not part of the 2016
rate assessment or any potential future
O&M rate increases.
Comment: The recent request for an
extra $7 per acre for this year (nearly a
30 percent increase) was accompanied
by no supporting data explaining and
justifying the increase.
Response: The final rate for the FIIP
in 2016 will remain the same as 2015.
Does this notice affect me?
This notice affects you if you own or
lease land within the assessable acreage
of one of our irrigation projects or if you
have a carriage agreement with one of
our irrigation projects.
Where can I get information on the
regulatory and legal citations in this
notice?
You can contact the appropriate
office(s) stated in the tables for the
irrigation project that serves you, or you
can use the Internet site for the
Government Printing Office at
www.gpo.gov.
Project name
What authorizes you to issue this
notice?
Our authority to issue this notice is
vested in the Secretary of the Interior by
(Secretary) 5 U.S.C. 301 and the Act of
August 14, 1914 (38 Stat. 583; 25 U.S.C.
385). The Secretary has in turn
delegated this authority to the Assistant
Secretary—Indian Affairs under Part
209, Chapter 8.1A, of the Department of
the Interior’s Departmental Manual.
Whom can I contact for further
information?
The following tables are the regional
and project/agency contacts for our
irrigation facilities.
Project/Agency contacts
Northwest Region Contacts
Stanley Speaks, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northwest Regional Office, 911 NE. 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232–4169,
Telephone: (503) 231–6702.
Flathead Indian Irrigation Project .............................................................
Fort Hall Irrigation Project ........................................................................
Wapato Irrigation Project ..........................................................................
Ernest Moran, Superintendent, Pete Plant, Irrigation Project Manager,
P.O. Box 40, Pablo, MT 59855, Telephones: (406) 675–2700 ext.
1300 Superintendent, (406) 745–2661 ext. 2 Project Manager.
David Bollinger, Irrigation Project Manager, Building #2 Bannock Ave.,
Fort Hall, ID 83203–0220, Telephone: (208) 238–6264.
David Shaw, Superintendent, Larry Nelson, Acting Project Administrator, P.O. Box 220, Wapato, WA 98951–0220, Telephones: (509)
865–2421, Superintendent, (509) 877–3155 Acting Project Administrator.
Rocky Mountain Region Contacts
Darryl LaCounte, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Rocky Mountain Regional Office, 316 North 26th Street, Billings, MT 59101,
Telephone: (406) 247–7943.
Blackfeet Irrigation Project .......................................................................
Crow Irrigation Project ..............................................................................
Fort Belknap Irrigation Project ..................................................................
Fort Peck Irrigation Project .......................................................................
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Wind River Irrigation Project ....................................................................
Thedis Crowe, Superintendent, Greg Tatsey, Irrigation Project Manager, Box 880, Browning, MT 59417, Telephones: (406) 338–7544,
Superintendent, (406) 338–7519, Irrigation Project Manager.
Vianna Stewart, Superintendent, Karl Helvik, Acting Irrigation Project
Manager, P.O. Box 69, Crow Agency, MT 59022, Telephones: (406)
638–2672, Superintendent, (406) 247–7469, Acting Irrigation Project
Manager.
John St. Pierre, Superintendent, Vacant, Irrigation Project Manager,
(Project operation & maintenance contracted to Tribes), R.R.1, Box
980, Harlem, MT 59526, Telephones: (406) 353–2901, Superintendent, (406) 353–8454, Irrigation Project Manager (Tribal Office).
Howard Beemer, Superintendent, Huber Wright, Acting Irrigation
Project Manager, P.O. Box 637, Poplar, MT 59255, Telephones:
(406) 768–5312, Superintendent, (406) 653–1752, Irrigation Project
Manager.
Norma Gourneau, Superintendent, Karl Helvik, Acting Irrigation Project
Manager, P.O. Box 158, Fort Washakie, WY 82514, Telephones:
(307) 332–7810, Superintendent, (307) 247–7469, Acting Irrigation
Project Manager.
Southwest Region Contacts
William T. Walker, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Southwest Regional Office, 1001 Indian School Road, Albuquerque, NM 87104,
Telephone: (505) 563–3100.
Pine River Irrigation Project .....................................................................
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Priscilla Bancroft, Superintendent, Vickie Begay, Irrigation Project Manager, P.O. Box 315, Ignacio, CO 81137–0315, Telephones: (970)
563–4511, Superintendent, (970) 563–9484, Irrigation Project Manager.
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Project name
25693
Project/Agency contacts
Western Region Contacts
Bryan Bowker, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Western Regional Office, 2600 N. Central Ave., 4th Floor Mailroom, Phoenix, AZ
85004, Telephone: (602) 379–6600.
Colorado River Irrigation Project ..............................................................
Duck Valley Irrigation Project ...................................................................
Yuma Project, Indian Unit ........................................................................
San Carlos Irrigation Project Indian Works and Joint Works ..................
Uintah Irrigation Project ............................................................................
Walker River Irrigation Project .................................................................
What irrigation assessments or charges
are adjusted by this notice?
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
The rate table below contains the
current rates for all irrigation projects
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Kellie Youngbear Superintendent, Gary Colvin, Irrigation Project Manager, 12124 1st Avenue, Parker, AZ 85344, Telephone: (928) 669–
7111.
Joseph McDade, Superintendent, (Project operation & management
compacted to Tribes), 2719 Argent Ave., Suite 4, Gateway Plaza,
Elko, NV 89801, Telephone: (775) 738–5165, (208) 759–3100, (Tribal Office).
Irene Herder, Superintendent, 256 South Second Avenue, Suite D,
Yuma, AZ 85364, Telephone: (928) 782–1202.
Ferris Begay, Project Manager, Clarence Begay, Irrigation Manager,
13805 N. Arizona Boulevard, Coolidge, AZ 85128, Telephone: (520)
723–6225.
Bart Stevens Superintendent, Ken Asay, Irrigation System Manager,
P.O. Box 130, Fort Duchesne, UT 84026, Telephone: (435) 722–
4300, (435) 722–4344.
Robert Eben, Superintendent, 311 E. Washington Street, Carson City,
NV 89701, Telephone: (775) 887–3500.
where we recover costs of
administering, operating, maintaining,
and rehabilitating them. The table also
contains the final rates for the CY 2015
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and subsequent years where applicable.
An asterisk immediately following the
rate category notes the irrigation
projects where 2015 rates are different
from the 2014 rates.
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 83 / Friday, April 29, 2016 / Notices
Project Name
Rate
Category
Final
2014 Rate
Final
Final
2015 Rate
2016 Rate**
Basic-per acre - A
$26.00
$26.00
$26.00
Basic-per acre - B *
$11.75
$13.00
$13.00
Minimum Charge per tract *
$65.00
$75.00
$75.00
Basic-per acre *
$47.00
$49.00
Not Applicable
Minimum Charge per tract *
$32.50
$35.00
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre *
$24.00
$27.00
Not Applicable
Minimum Charge per tract *
$32.50
$35.00
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre *
$47.00
$50.50
Not Applicable
Pressure per acre *
$65.00
$72.50
Not Applicable
Minimum Charge per tract *
$32.50
$35.00
Not Applicable
Wapato Irrigation
ProjectToppenish/ Simcoe
Units
Minimum Charge for per
bill*
$23.00
$24.00
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre *
$23.00
$24.00
Not Applicable
Wapato Irrigation
Project- Ahtanum
Units
Minimum Charge per bill *
$24.00
$25.00
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre *
$24.00
$25.00
Not Applicable
Wapato Irrigation
Project- Satus Unit
Minimum Charge per bill *
$76.00
$79.00
Not Applicable
"A" Basic-per acre*
$76.00
$79.00
Not Applicable
"B" Basic-per acre *
$82.00
$85.00
Not Applicable
Minimum Charge per bill *
$71.00
$75.00
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre *
$71.00
$75.00
Not Applicable
Minimum Charge *
$84.00
$86.00
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre *
$84.00
$86.00
Not Applicable
Flathead Indian
Irrigation Project
Fort Hall Irrigation
Project
Fort Hall Irrigation
Project- Minor
Units
Fort Hall Irrigation
Project- Michaud
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Wapato Irrigation
Project - Additional
Works
Wapato Irrigation
Project- Water
Rental
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(See Note #1)
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Rocky Mountain Region Rate Table
Project Name
Rate
Category
Final
2014 Rate
Final
2015 Rate
Final
2016 Rate**
Blackfeet Irrigation
Project
Basic-per acre *
$19.50
$20.00
Not Applicable
Crow Irrigation
Project- Willow
CreekO&M
(includes Agency,
Lodge Grass # 1,
Lodge Grass #2,
Reno, Upper Little
Hom, and Forty
Mile Units)
Basic-per acre
$24.80
$24.80
Not Applicable
Crow Irrigation
Project- All
Others (includes
Bighorn, Soap
Creek, and Pryor
Units)
Basic-per acre *
$24.50
$24.80
Not Applicable
Crow Irrigation
Project - Two
Leggins Unit
Basic-per acre
$14.00
$14.00
Not Applicable
Crow Irrigation
Two Leggins
Drainage District
Basic-per acre
$2.00
$2.00
Not Applicable
Fort Belknap
Irrigation Project
Basic-per acre
$15.00
$15.00
Not Applicable
Fort Peck Irrigation
Project
Basic-per acre
$26.00
$26.00
Not Applicable
Wind River
Irrigation Project Units 2, 3 and 4
Basic-per acre
$21.00
$21.00
Not Applicable
Wind River
Irrigation Project LeClair District
Basic-per acre *
$28.80
$25.70
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre
$14.00
$14.00
Not Applicable
Wind River
Irrigation Project Crow Heart Unit
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(see Note#2)
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Wind River
Irrigation Project A Canal Unit
Basic-per acre
$ 14.00
$14.00
Not Applicable
Wind River
Irrigation Project Riverton Valley
Irrigation District
Basic-per acre
$21.00
$21.00
Not Applicable
Final
Southwest Region Rate Table
Project Name
Pine River
Irrigation Project
Rate
Category
Final
2014 Rate
2015 Rate
Final
2016 Rate**
Minimum Charge per tract
$50.00
$50.00
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre *
$15.00
$17.00
Not Applicable
Western Region Rate Table
Project Name
Rate Category
Final
2014 Rate
Final
2015 Rate
Final
2016 Rate
Colorado River
Irrigation Project
Basic-per acre
$54.00
$54.00
Not Applicable
Excess Water per acrefoot over 5.75 acre-feet
$17.00
$17.00
Not Applicable
Duck Valley
Irrigation Project
Basic-per acre
$5.30
$5.30
Not Applicable
Yuma Project,
Indian Unit
Basic-per acre up to 5.0
acre-feet*
$91.00
$108.50
Not Applicable
(See Note #3)
Excess Water per acrefoot over 5.0 acre-feet*
$17.00
$24.50
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre up to 5.0
acre-feet (Ranch 5) *
$91.00
$108.50
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre *
$30.00
$35.00
$30.00
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San Carlos
Irrigation Project
up to 5.75 acre-feet
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 83 / Friday, April 29, 2016 / Notices
(Joint Works)
Final2014
25697
2016 Construction Water Rate Schedule:
(See Note #4)
Off Project
Constmction
On Project
Construction Gravity Water
On Project
Construction Pump Water
Administrative
Fee
$300.00
$300.00
$300.00
Usage Fee
$250.00 per
month
No Fee
$100.00 per
acre-foot
Excess Water
Ratet
$5 per 1000 gal
No charge
No charge
tThe excess water rate applies to all water used in excess of 50,000 gallons in any one
month.
San Carlos
Irrigation Project
(Indian Works)
Basic-per acre *
$81.00
$86.00
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre
$18.00
$18.00
Not Applicable
Minimum Bill
$25.00
$25.00
Not Applicable
Basic-per acre *
$28.00
$31.00
Not Applicable
(See Note #5)
Uintah Irrigation
Project
Walker River
Irrigation Project
*Notes irrigation projects where rates are adjusted.
**The requirement for a Final2016 Rate is only applicable to the Flathead and San Carlos Irrigation Projects due
to their specific billing requirements.
Note #1 The BIA reassumed Management and Operation of FliP in April2014. The 2014 and 2015 rates were
established by the previous Project Operator and are considered finaL
Note #2 The O&M rate varies yearly based upon the budget submitted by the LeClair District.
Note #3 The O&M rate for the Yuma Project, Indian Unit has two components. The first component is the O&M
rate established by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the owner and operator of the Project. The BOR rate for
2015 is $107 /acre. The second component is for the O&M rate established by BIA to cover administrative costs,
including billing and collections for the Project. The 2015 BIA rate is $1.50/acre.
Note #5 The 2015 O&M rate for the San Carlos Irrigation Project- Indian Works has three components. The first
component is the O&M rate established by the San Carlos Irrigation Project- Indian Works, the owner and
operator of the Project this rate is $45 per acre. The second component is for the O&M rate established by the San
Carlos Irrigation Project- Joint Works and is deterurined to be $35.00 per acre. The tlrird component is the O&M
rate established by the San Carlos Irrigation Project Joint Control Board and is $6 per acre.
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Note #4 The Construction Water Rate schedule and the CY 2015 rate was established by final notice in the Federal
Register on March 6, 2015 (80 FR 12197).
The CY 2016 rate was proposed by notice in the Federal Register on June 11, 2015 (80 FR 33279). Tlris
notice makes final the 2016 rate for the SCIP-JW.
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Consultation and Coordination With
Tribal Governments (Executive Order
13175)
To fulfill its consultation
responsibility to tribes and tribal
organizations, BIA communicates,
coordinates, and consults on a
continuing basis with these entities on
issues of water delivery, water
availability, and costs of administration,
operation, maintenance, and
rehabilitation of projects that concern
them. This is accomplished at the
individual irrigation project by pProject,
aAgency, and rRegional representatives,
as appropriate, in accordance with local
protocol and procedures. This notice is
one component of our overall
coordination and consultation process
to provide notice to, and request
comments from, these entities when we
adjust irrigation assessment rates.
required by the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Actions Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use (Executive Order
13211)
The rate adjustments will have no
adverse effects on energy supply,
distribution, or use (including a
shortfall in supply, price increases, and
increase use of foreign supplies) should
the rate adjustments be implemented.
This is a notice for rate adjustments at
BIA-owned and operated irrigation
projects, except for the Fort Yuma
Irrigation Project. The Fort Yuma
Irrigation Project is owned and operated
by the Bureau of Reclamation with a
portion serving the Fort Yuma Indian
Reservation.
Civil Justice Reform (Executive Order
12988)
Regulatory Planning and Review
(Executive Order 12866)
These rate adjustments are not a
significant regulatory action and do not
need to be reviewed by the Office of
Management and Budget under
Executive Order 12866.
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Regulatory Flexibility Act
These rate adjustments are not a rule
for the purposes of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act because they establish ‘‘a
rule of particular applicability relating
to rates.’’ 5 U.S.C. 601(2).
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of
1995
These rate adjustments do not impose
an unfunded mandate on State, local, or
tribal governments in the aggregate, or
on the private sector, of more than $130
million per year. The rule does not have
a significant or unique effect on State,
local, or tribal governments or the
private sector. Therefore, the
Department is not required to prepare a
statement containing the information
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Takings (Executive Order 12630)
The Department has determined that
these rate adjustments do not have
significant ‘‘takings’’ implications. The
rate adjustments do not deprive the
public, state, or local governments of
rights or property.
Federalism (Executive Order 13132)
The Department has determined that
these rate adjustments do not have
significant Federalism effects because
they will not affect the States, the
relationship between the national
government and the States, or the
distribution of power and
responsibilities among various levels of
government.
In issuing this rule, the Department
has taken the necessary steps to
eliminate drafting errors and ambiguity,
minimize potential litigation, and
provide a clear legal standard for
affected conduct, as required by section
3 of Executive Order 12988.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
These rate adjustments do not affect
the collections of information which
have been approved by the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget,
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995. The OMB Control Number is
1076–0141 and expires March 31, 2016.
National Environmental Policy Act
The Department has determined that
these rate adjustments do not constitute
a major Federal action significantly
affecting the quality of the human
environment and that no detailed
statement is required under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321–4370(d)).
Data Quality Act
In developing this notice, we did not
conduct or use a study, experiment, or
survey requiring peer review under the
Data Quality Act (Pub. L. 106–554).
Dated: April 20, 2016.
Lawrence S. Roberts,
Acting Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016–10045 Filed 4–28–16; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[167 A2100DD/AAKC001030/
A0A501010.999900]
Renewal of Agency Information
Collection for Acquisition of Trust
Land
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is seeking
comments on the renewal of Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
approval for the collection of
information for Acquisition of Trust
Land authorized by OMB Control
Number 1076–0100. This information
collection expires August 31, 2016.
DATES: Submit comments on or before
June 28, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the information collection to Ms.
Sharlene M. Round Face, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Division of Real Estate
Services, MS–4639–MIB, 1849 C Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20240; fax: (202)
219–1065; email: Sharlene.Roundface@
bia.gov.
SUMMARY:
Ms.
Sharlene M. Round Face, (202) 208–
3615.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The BIA is seeking renewal of the
approval for the information collection
conducted under 25 CFR part 151, Land
Acquisitions, for the United States to
take land into trust for individual
Indians and Indian Tribes. This
information collection allows the BIA to
review applications for compliance with
regulatory and statutory requirements.
No specific form is used. No third party
notification or public disclosure burden
is associated with this collection.
II. Request for Comments
The BIA requests your comments on
this collection concerning: (a) The
necessity of this information collection
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the
agency’s 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
E:\FR\FM\29APN1.SGM
29APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 83 (Friday, April 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25691-25698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10045]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[16X/A11220000.224100/AAK4004800/AX.480ADM100000]
Rate Adjustments for Indian Irrigation Projects
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of rate adjustments.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) owns, or has an interest
in, irrigation projects located on or associated with various Indian
reservations throughout the United States. We are required to establish
irrigation assessment rates to recover the costs to administer,
operate, maintain, and rehabilitate these projects. We are notifying
you that we have adjusted the irrigation assessment rates at several of
our irrigation projects and facilities to reflect current costs of
administration, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation.
DATES: The irrigation assessment rates are current as of January 1,
2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For details about a particular BIA
irrigation project or facility, please use the tables in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section to contact the regional or local
office where the project or facility is located.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Proposed Rate Adjustment was
published in the Federal Register on June 11, 2015 (80 FR 33279) to
propose adjustments to the irrigation assessment rates at several BIA
irrigation projects. The public and interested parties were provided an
opportunity to submit written comments during the 60-day period that
ended August 10, 2015.
Did BIA defer or change any proposed rate increases?
Yes. Rate increases were deferred on the Crow Irrigation Project--
Two Leggins Unit and the Wind River Irrigation Project--Riverton Valley
Irrigation District.
Did BIA receive any comments on the proposed irrigation assessment rate
adjustments?
Yes. The BIA received sixteen (16) letters with comments. All
comments received were associated with the Flathead Indian Irrigation
Project's (FIIP) proposed rate adjustment for Calendar Year (CY) 2016.
What issues were of concern to the commenters?
Comments received relate specifically to the proposed rate increase
for CY 2016 and other activities associated only with the FIIP.
The BIA's summary of commenters' issues and BIA's response are
provided below.
Comment: Three commenters requested the rate increase be postponed
until:
--Two court cases (one case in State court challenging an alleged
illegal vote of the state legislature and one case in Federal court
concerning the re-assumption of operations and maintenance of the FIIP
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs) are resolved.
--The Confederated and Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Water Compact
is ratified by Congress.
--Western Montana is no longer in a federally designated ``Severe
Drought'' condition.
Response: The final rate for the FIIP in 2016 will remain the same
as 2015.
Comment: How can the request for increased rates be warranted when
those alleging the need are not fully qualified to do so?
Response: The final rate for the FIIP in 2016 will remain the same
as 2015.
Comment: The BIA Solicitor's Office spent large amounts of
Cooperative Management Entity (CME) O&M funds traveling back and forth
from Portland, OR and Washington, DC to Montana, conducting private
meetings while the project manager was spending a large
[[Page 25692]]
amount of O&M funds on unjustifiable purchases of heavy equipment.
Response: The CME O&M funds were never spent for Office of the
Solicitor travel expenses or conducting meetings. Travel costs
associated with non-FIIP employees are not included in the FIIP's 2016
budget and are not part of the 2016 rate assessment or any potential
future O&M rate increases.
Comment: The recent request for an extra $7 per acre for this year
(nearly a 30 percent increase) was accompanied by no supporting data
explaining and justifying the increase.
Response: The final rate for the FIIP in 2016 will remain the same
as 2015.
Does this notice affect me?
This notice affects you if you own or lease land within the
assessable acreage of one of our irrigation projects or if you have a
carriage agreement with one of our irrigation projects.
Where can I get information on the regulatory and legal citations in
this notice?
You can contact the appropriate office(s) stated in the tables for
the irrigation project that serves you, or you can use the Internet
site for the Government Printing Office at www.gpo.gov.
What authorizes you to issue this notice?
Our authority to issue this notice is vested in the Secretary of
the Interior by (Secretary) 5 U.S.C. 301 and the Act of August 14, 1914
(38 Stat. 583; 25 U.S.C. 385). The Secretary has in turn delegated this
authority to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs under Part 209,
Chapter 8.1A, of the Department of the Interior's Departmental Manual.
Whom can I contact for further information?
The following tables are the regional and project/agency contacts
for our irrigation facilities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project name Project/Agency contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northwest Region Contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stanley Speaks, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northwest
Regional Office, 911 NE. 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232-4169,
Telephone: (503) 231-6702.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flathead Indian Irrigation Project..... Ernest Moran, Superintendent,
Pete Plant, Irrigation Project
Manager, P.O. Box 40, Pablo,
MT 59855, Telephones: (406)
675-2700 ext. 1300
Superintendent, (406) 745-2661
ext. 2 Project Manager.
Fort Hall Irrigation Project........... David Bollinger, Irrigation
Project Manager, Building #2
Bannock Ave., Fort Hall, ID
83203-0220, Telephone: (208)
238-6264.
Wapato Irrigation Project.............. David Shaw, Superintendent,
Larry Nelson, Acting Project
Administrator, P.O. Box 220,
Wapato, WA 98951-0220,
Telephones: (509) 865-2421,
Superintendent, (509) 877-3155
Acting Project Administrator.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rocky Mountain Region Contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darryl LaCounte, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Rocky
Mountain Regional Office, 316 North 26th Street, Billings, MT 59101,
Telephone: (406) 247-7943.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blackfeet Irrigation Project........... Thedis Crowe, Superintendent,
Greg Tatsey, Irrigation
Project Manager, Box 880,
Browning, MT 59417,
Telephones: (406) 338-7544,
Superintendent, (406) 338-
7519, Irrigation Project
Manager.
Crow Irrigation Project................ Vianna Stewart, Superintendent,
Karl Helvik, Acting Irrigation
Project Manager, P.O. Box 69,
Crow Agency, MT 59022,
Telephones: (406) 638-2672,
Superintendent, (406) 247-
7469, Acting Irrigation
Project Manager.
Fort Belknap Irrigation Project........ John St. Pierre,
Superintendent, Vacant,
Irrigation Project Manager,
(Project operation &
maintenance contracted to
Tribes), R.R.1, Box 980,
Harlem, MT 59526, Telephones:
(406) 353-2901,
Superintendent, (406) 353-
8454, Irrigation Project
Manager (Tribal Office).
Fort Peck Irrigation Project........... Howard Beemer, Superintendent,
Huber Wright, Acting
Irrigation Project Manager,
P.O. Box 637, Poplar, MT
59255, Telephones: (406) 768-
5312, Superintendent, (406)
653-1752, Irrigation Project
Manager.
Wind River Irrigation Project.......... Norma Gourneau, Superintendent,
Karl Helvik, Acting Irrigation
Project Manager, P.O. Box 158,
Fort Washakie, WY 82514,
Telephones: (307) 332-7810,
Superintendent, (307) 247-
7469, Acting Irrigation
Project Manager.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Southwest Region Contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
William T. Walker, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Southwest Regional Office, 1001 Indian School Road, Albuquerque, NM
87104, Telephone: (505) 563-3100.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pine River Irrigation Project.......... Priscilla Bancroft,
Superintendent, Vickie Begay,
Irrigation Project Manager,
P.O. Box 315, Ignacio, CO
81137-0315, Telephones: (970)
563-4511, Superintendent,
(970) 563-9484, Irrigation
Project Manager.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 25693]]
Western Region Contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan Bowker, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Western
Regional Office, 2600 N. Central Ave., 4th Floor Mailroom, Phoenix, AZ
85004, Telephone: (602) 379-6600.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colorado River Irrigation Project...... Kellie Youngbear
Superintendent, Gary Colvin,
Irrigation Project Manager,
12124 1st Avenue, Parker, AZ
85344, Telephone: (928) 669-
7111.
Duck Valley Irrigation Project......... Joseph McDade, Superintendent,
(Project operation &
management compacted to
Tribes), 2719 Argent Ave.,
Suite 4, Gateway Plaza, Elko,
NV 89801, Telephone: (775) 738-
5165, (208) 759-3100, (Tribal
Office).
Yuma Project, Indian Unit.............. Irene Herder, Superintendent,
256 South Second Avenue, Suite
D, Yuma, AZ 85364, Telephone:
(928) 782-1202.
San Carlos Irrigation Project Indian Ferris Begay, Project Manager,
Works and Joint Works. Clarence Begay, Irrigation
Manager, 13805 N. Arizona
Boulevard, Coolidge, AZ 85128,
Telephone: (520) 723-6225.
Uintah Irrigation Project.............. Bart Stevens Superintendent,
Ken Asay, Irrigation System
Manager, P.O. Box 130, Fort
Duchesne, UT 84026, Telephone:
(435) 722-4300, (435) 722-
4344.
Walker River Irrigation Project........ Robert Eben, Superintendent,
311 E. Washington Street,
Carson City, NV 89701,
Telephone: (775) 887-3500.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
What irrigation assessments or charges are adjusted by this notice?
The rate table below contains the current rates for all irrigation
projects where we recover costs of administering, operating,
maintaining, and rehabilitating them. The table also contains the final
rates for the CY 2015 and subsequent years where applicable. An
asterisk immediately following the rate category notes the irrigation
projects where 2015 rates are different from the 2014 rates.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP16.029
[[Page 25698]]
Consultation and Coordination With Tribal Governments (Executive Order
13175)
To fulfill its consultation responsibility to tribes and tribal
organizations, BIA communicates, coordinates, and consults on a
continuing basis with these entities on issues of water delivery, water
availability, and costs of administration, operation, maintenance, and
rehabilitation of projects that concern them. This is accomplished at
the individual irrigation project by pProject, aAgency, and rRegional
representatives, as appropriate, in accordance with local protocol and
procedures. This notice is one component of our overall coordination
and consultation process to provide notice to, and request comments
from, these entities when we adjust irrigation assessment rates.
Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use (Executive Order 13211)
The rate adjustments will have no adverse effects on energy supply,
distribution, or use (including a shortfall in supply, price increases,
and increase use of foreign supplies) should the rate adjustments be
implemented. This is a notice for rate adjustments at BIA-owned and
operated irrigation projects, except for the Fort Yuma Irrigation
Project. The Fort Yuma Irrigation Project is owned and operated by the
Bureau of Reclamation with a portion serving the Fort Yuma Indian
Reservation.
Regulatory Planning and Review (Executive Order 12866)
These rate adjustments are not a significant regulatory action and
do not need to be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget under
Executive Order 12866.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
These rate adjustments are not a rule for the purposes of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act because they establish ``a rule of
particular applicability relating to rates.'' 5 U.S.C. 601(2).
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
These rate adjustments do not impose an unfunded mandate on State,
local, or tribal governments in the aggregate, or on the private
sector, of more than $130 million per year. The rule does not have a
significant or unique effect on State, local, or tribal governments or
the private sector. Therefore, the Department is not required to
prepare a statement containing the information required by the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Takings (Executive Order 12630)
The Department has determined that these rate adjustments do not
have significant ``takings'' implications. The rate adjustments do not
deprive the public, state, or local governments of rights or property.
Federalism (Executive Order 13132)
The Department has determined that these rate adjustments do not
have significant Federalism effects because they will not affect the
States, the relationship between the national government and the
States, or the distribution of power and responsibilities among various
levels of government.
Civil Justice Reform (Executive Order 12988)
In issuing this rule, the Department has taken the necessary steps
to eliminate drafting errors and ambiguity, minimize potential
litigation, and provide a clear legal standard for affected conduct, as
required by section 3 of Executive Order 12988.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
These rate adjustments do not affect the collections of information
which have been approved by the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, under the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995. The OMB Control Number is 1076-0141 and expires March 31,
2016.
National Environmental Policy Act
The Department has determined that these rate adjustments do not
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality
of the human environment and that no detailed statement is required
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-
4370(d)).
Data Quality Act
In developing this notice, we did not conduct or use a study,
experiment, or survey requiring peer review under the Data Quality Act
(Pub. L. 106-554).
Dated: April 20, 2016.
Lawrence S. Roberts,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-10045 Filed 4-28-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P
