Agency Information Collection Activities: Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-CRPS-NPS0043383; OMB Control Number 1024-0271 PPWOCRADI0, PPMRSCR1Y.Y00000, P103601 (222)]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the National Park Service (NPS) are requesting an extension of a currently approved information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 19, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Send written comments on this information collection request (ICR) to Phadrea Ponds, Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 13461 Sunrise Valley Drive, (MS-263) Reston, VA 20191 (mail) or

phadrea_ponds@ios.doi.gov

(email). Please refer to OMB Control Number 1024-0271 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alisha Hall, Tribal Relations Specialist in the Washington Support Office, by email at

Alisha_Hall@nps.gov,

or by telephone at (202) 641-0748. Please reference OMB Control Number 1024-

0271 in the subject line of your comments. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international calls to the point of contact in the United States. You may also view the ICR at

http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501

et seq.

) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require approval under the PRA. We 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.

A

Federal Register

notice with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on June 11, 2026, (91 FR 35550). No comments were received.

We are especially interested in public comments addressing the following:

(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether or not the information will have practical utility.

(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used.

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.

(4) How might the agency 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 response).

Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your 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 review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Abstract:

In most cases, people are not allowed to collect plants in national parks. However, federal law and certain regulations (36 CFR 2.1(c)) allow exceptions, including situations where a federally recognized Tribe has the legal right to gather plants for traditional purposes.

Under 36 CFR 2.6, members of federally recognized Tribes may gather plants or plant parts in a park if their Tribe has a gathering agreement with the National Park Service (NPS). These agreements honor Tribal sovereignty, support government-to-government relationships, and ensure that NPS applies the rules consistently across parks.

Section 2.6(f) of the regulations explains how NPS and a Tribe work together to create a plant-gathering agreement. After an agreement is completed, NPS issues a permit that authorizes Tribal members to gather specific plants. Only enrolled Tribal members who are designated by the tribe to gather and whose Tribe has a long-standing, historical connection to the park—and whose connection existed before the park was created—may gather plants. The gathering must be for traditional cultural purposes, must be sustainable, and cannot be for commercial use. The information collection covered by these rules includes:

• A Tribe's request to enter into a plant-gathering agreement.

• Information needed to develop the agreement, such as the Tribe's traditional connection to the park, the cultural purpose for gathering, and details about the types and amounts of plants to be gathered.

• Information submitted if a Tribe appeals an NPS decision denying a request, such as documentation of the Tribe's historical connection to the park, traditional practices, or potential effects on park resources.

Title of Collection:

Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes.

OMB Control Number:

1024-0271.

Form Number:

None.

Type of Review:

Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public:

Indian Tribes.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses:

30.

Estimated Completion Time per Response:

Varies from 4 to 80 hrs. (times vary depending upon the activity).

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours:

530 hrs.

Respondent's Obligation:

Required to obtain or retain a benefit.

Frequency of Collection:

On occasion.

Total Estimated Annual Non Hour Burden Cost:

None.

An agency may not conduct, or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501

et seq.

).

Phadrea Ponds,

Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service.

[FR Doc. 2026-19151 Filed 9-17-26; 8:45 am]

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