Notice of Intent To Request a Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Notice of Intent To Request a Revision of a Currently Approved

Information Collection

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States

Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104-13) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at

5 CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces

the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) intention to

request a revision to a currently approved information collection,

Long-Term Contracting (7 CFR 630) Conservation Programs.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by October 13, 1998.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Marcella Graham, Agency OMB

Clearance Officer, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, P.O.

Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013-2890, (202) 720-5699.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Long-Term Contracting Conservation Programs.

OMB Number: 0578-0013.

Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 1998.

Type of Request: To continue, with change, a currently approved

collection for which approval will expire.

Abstract: The primary objective of the Natural Resources

Conservation Service is to work in partnership with the American people

to conserve and sustain our natural resources. The purpose of Long-Term

Contracting information collection is to provide for programs to extend

cost sharing and technical assistance through Long-Term Contracts to

landowners and others for making land use changes and to install

measures to conserve, develop, and utilize the soil, water, and related

natural resources on their lands. Federal financial and technical

assistance is based on a conservation plan which is made a part of an

agreement or contract for a period of time of no less than 5 years, nor

anymore than 15 years. Under the terms of the agreement, the

participant agrees to apply, or arrange to apply, the conservation

treatment specified in the conservation plan. In return for this

agreement, Federal cost-share payments are made to the land user, or

third party, upon successful application of the conservation treatment.

Information collected is used by the NRCS to ensure the proper

utilization of program funds. The NRCS-LTP-001 or the CCC-1250 is the

initial documents used by USDA program participants to indicate their

desire to participate in one of the programs (7 CFR 622.20, 7 CFR

624.9, 7 CFR 636.5, 7 CFR 752.5, and 7 CFR 1467.5). The NRCS-LTP-002 or

the CCC-1251 is used by USDA participants to acknowledge their

agreement to comply with the terms and conditions of the conservation

plan for which they will receive cost-share assistance (7 CFR 622.3, 7

CFR 624.10, 7 CFR 636.8, 7 CFR 752.8, and 7 CFR 1467.7(c)). The NRCS-

LTP-011 or CCC-1252, NRCS-LTP-11A or CCC-1252A, NRCS-LTP-11B or CCC-

1252B, NRCS-LTP-11BE, NRCS-LTP-11E, NRCS-LTP-12 or CCC-1253, and the

NRCS-LTP-12E are used to record conservation treatment decisions made

between eligible participants and USDA for a specified period of time,

including practice/system operation and maintenance requirements for

the applicable conservation program (7 CFR 622.3(c), 7 CFR 624.3(b), 7

CFR 631.10, 7 CFR 632.21, 7 CFR 634.23, 7 CFR 636.7, 7 CFR 701.16, 7

CFR 701.40, 7 CFR 702.7, 7 CFR 752.7, 7 CFR 1410.22, and 7 CFR

1467.11). The NRCS-LTP-13 is used to record progress in applying the

conservation plan, as well as needs for revision or modification of the

conservation plan, and any need for follow-up assistance (7 CFR

622.3(c), 7 CFR 624.4, 7 CFR 631.22, 7 CFR 632.23, 7 CFR 634.27(i), 7

CFR 636.2(c), 7 CFR 701.24, 7 CFR 701.43, 7 CFR 702.21, 7 CFR 752.13, 7

CFR 1410.55, and 7 CFR 1467.14). The NRCS-LTP-20 or CCC-1255, the

Warranty Easement Deed, is the basic document used by a landowner to

grant and convey to NRCS an easement with appurtenant rights of access

to the easement area (7 CFR 1467.10). The NRCS-LTP-20A or the CCC-

1255A, the Option to Purchase is the equivalent of a real estate option

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contract for purchasing land (7 CFR 1467.8). The NRCS-LTP-21 or CCC-

1256, the Subordination Agreement and Limited Lien Waiver is used to

subordinate mortgages and obtain limited lien waivers, when applicable,

to the United States with respect to any and all interests of the

subordinating party in, or related to, the easement area (7 CFR

1467.10(c). The NRCS-LTP-24 or CCC-1257, the Notification of Intent to

Continue, is used by program applicants who have been notified of

funding approval to indicate his/her intent to continue in the program

(7 CFR 1467.7(b). NRCS will ask for 3-year OMB approval within 60 days

of submitting the request.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of

information is estimated to average 0.19 hours per response.

Respondents: Farms, individuals, or households, or State, local, or

Tribal governments.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 893,770.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 170,109.

Copies of this information collection and related instructions can

be obtained without charge from Marcella Graham, the Agency OMB

Clearance Officer, at (202) 720-5699.

Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary 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

burden of the proposed collection of information, including the

validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance

the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on

those who are to respond, such as through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technologic collection

techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments may be

sent to: Marcella Graham, Agency OMB Clearance Officer, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, P.O. Box 2890,

Washington, DC 20013-2890.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the

request for OMB approval.

All comments will also become a matter of public record.

Signed at Washington, DC on August 6, 1998.

Gary R. Nordstrom,

Acting Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

[FR Doc. 98-21665 Filed 8-12-98; 8:45 am]

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