Notice of Proposed Information Collection, OMB Approval Number 1004-0051

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO-220-1020-24 1A]

Notice of Proposed Information Collection, OMB Approval Number

1004-0051

agency: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

action: Notice and request for comments.

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summary: In accordance with the Paper Work Reduction Act of 1995, the

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is announcing its intention to request

renewal of existing approval to collect certain information from

individuals who are required to provide the actual grazing use made by

their livestock while grazing public rangelands. The report is used

most frequently to document the grazing use made for an end-of-season

grazing billing when authorized within the terms and conditions of a

permit or lease that incorporates an allotment management plan. The

report is also used for documenting forage harvest, a key data for use

in conjunction with the data from other monitoring studies, when

evaluating trend in rangeland health for grazing allotments. Form 4130-

5 (ACTUAL GRAZING USE REPORT) is used under authority of Sections 3 and

15 of the Taylor Grazing Act and associated regulations found at 43 CFR

4130.3-2(d) and 4130.8-1(e). It requests information necessary to

compute the amount of forage consumed by the authorized grazing animals

and prepare the grazing billing. Requested information is: Name of

grazing allotment, Pasture(s) grazed, dates of grazing use, and numbers

and kind or class of livestock. Information concerning other factors

that affect the grazing use may be voluntarily provided, such as death

losses of grazing animals, environmental influences such as insects,

abnormal weather events, fire, etc. It also documents the grazing use

for the allotment files.

dates: Comments on the proposed information collection must be received

by May 8, 1998.

addresses: Comments may be mailed to: Regulatory Affairs Group (630),

Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street N.W., Room 401 LS Bldg.,

Washington, D.C. 20240. Comments may be sent via Internet to:

[email protected]. Please include ``Attn: 1004-0051'' and your name and

return address in your Internet message. Comments may be hand delivered

to the Bureau of Land Management Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620

L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Comments will be available for public inspection at the L Street

address during regular business hours (8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday

through Friday).

further information contact: George Ramey (202) 452-7747.

supplementary information: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320.8(d), BLM is

required to provide 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning a

collection of information contained in current published rules to

solicit comments on (a) Whether the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,

including

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whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy

of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection,

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, including through the use of

appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms of information technology. BLM

will receive and analyze any comments sent in response to this notice

and include them with its request for approval from the Office of

Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

The Taylor Grazing Act (TGA) of 1934 (43 U.S.C. 315, 315 et seq.),

the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976 (43 U.S.C.

1701 et seq.), and the Public Rangelands Improvement Act (PRIA) of 1978

(43 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) provide the authority for the Bureau of Land

Management to administer the livestock grazing program consistent with

land-use plans, multiple-use objectives, sustained yield, environmental

values, economic considerations, and other factors. Sections 3 and 15

of the TGA and Regulations in 43 CFR 4130.3-2(d) require permitees or

lessees (graziers) to furnish a record of the actual grazing use made

on public rangeland grazing allotments when specified as a term or

condition of a permit or lease. The Regulations at 43 CFR 4130.8-1(e)

provide for the end-of-season billing based upon the record of actual

grazing use. The Regulations were issued on February 21, 1984 (49 FR

6452) and last amended on February 22, 1995 (60 FR 9964). Form 4130-5,

Actual Grazing Use Report, is the approved form to be used for

recording the actual grazing use made on public rangelands.

The BLM Authorizes livestock grazing on the public lands within

specified terms and conditions. Recordation and reporting of actual

grazing use may be included in permits or leases to provide information

that is necessary for evaluating the monitoring data collected on the

grazing allotment and for after the season billing for grazing use when

authorized under an allotment management plan. The information provided

by the grazier is used by the BLM for two specific purposes:

a. To calculate the fees due for the grazing use completed. Fees

are due the United States upon issuance of a billing notice and must be

paid in full prior to grazing use, except when an allotment management

plan (AMP) provides for delayed payment and has been incorporated into

a grazing permit or lease. In this later situation, a billing notice,

based upon the actual grazing use completed, will be issued at the end

of the grazing period or year (43 CFR 4130.8-1(e)). Copies of the

actual grazing use report form are furnished with the annual grazing

authorization for use by the graziers in record keeping during the

season. Because the information collected is used for billing for

grazing use or makes up a part of the allotment monitoring records, the

permittee or lessee must keep accurate and current records for the

period of time covered by his/her permit or lease. The information

collected includes allotment and pasture location of the grazing, the

date and numbers of livestock turned on or removed from the range, and

the kind or class of livestock grazed. The actual grazing use report is

required to be submitted within 15 days following the end of the

grazing period. Failure to collect this information will prevent the

BLM from providing proper administration.

b. To obtain information needed to monitor and evaluate livestock

grazing use on the public lands for the purposes of determining if

adjustments in the amount of use are needed, or if other management

actions are having the desired effects. Knowledge of actual livestock

grazing use is essential in the monitoring and the evaluation of the

livestock grazing management program. Information on the specific use

is essential for an accurate and complete analysis and evaluation of

the effects of livestock grazing during particular periods of time, as

interrelated with other factors such as climate, growth characteristics

of the vegetation, and utilization levels on the plants. Failure to

collect this information would result in less than satisfactory data

and reduced capability to make adjustments in grazing use or

management.

Other information required by Form 4130-5 provides: The name and

address used to identify the permittee or lessee for matching the

actual use record with the appropriate grazing case records. The

Signature of the grazier and date signifies a certification that the

information is complete and accurate report of the grazier's livestock

use of public rangeland. The graziers may provide other information

that they wish in addition to the required elements.

The BLM completes administrative calculations of animal unit months

of grazing use made within the allotment and pasture by the kind or

class of livestock for summary use in preparing a grazing bill and/or

for use in the evaluation of monitoring data for the allotment. The

record is retained to document the BLM files. Without this information,

the BLM could not fulfill its responsibility to manage uses of the

public land as required by law.

The required information is only available from the grazing

operators. Specific information is only known by a grazier who

identifies specific information pertinent to the purposes of the form

in completing the record of grazing use. The form was designed to

request only basic information required to administer the livestock

grazing on public land. The information is contained in the grazier's

personal plans or records kept for the ranching business purposes and

does not impose a significant burden.

Since grazing on the unreserved public lands is administered only

by the BLM, there is no duplication of information collections.

Because the actual grazing use that occurs is not constant from

year to year, the required information collection must be made for each

grazing season for which grazing use is sought. This report is

completed annually during the period when actual grazing use is

required for either end-of-season billing under an AMP, or for use in

evaluating the monitoring data for rangeland management. This

information collection is consistent with guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6

without which the BLM would not be able to administer the Public Land

Laws.

There are no assurances of confidentiality but the Privacy Act

Notice is provided to inform the applicants of the uses to be made.

There are no plans for publishing information for statistical use.

On March 25, 1994 the BLM published in the Federal Register a

notice of proposed rulemaking to amend the regulations for livestock

grazing. A comment period of 120 days was allowed. Included in the

notice was a request for comments on the information collections

involved including, this collection (1004-0051). Several comments were

received on this section addressing information resources and questions

of timeliness relating to compliance. Federal Register 2/22/95, page

9925. Copies of the comments are on file at the Bureau of Land

Management, Eastern States Office, 7450 Boston Boulevard, Springfield,

Virginia 22153, and may be reviewed by contacting Jim Gegen at that

Office.

The BLM experience and recent tabulations of activity indicate

approximately 15,000 records are

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processed each year. The annual cost to the Government is estimated to

be $82,500 for information analysis, calculations and filing the

records in appropriated case files, incidental expenses for postage

based on 15 minutes time with each form at $21 per hour. Annual costs

to the 15,000 respondents is estimated at $136,200, including postage

based on 6,250 burden hours at $21 per hour to prepare the form and to

receive and file their actual grazing use report.

Several years experience has shown that it takes an average of

about 25 minutes for an estimated 15,000 graziers to complete the form.

Because of the variations in size and complexity of range livestock

operations, some of the 15,000 responses may take a few minutes in one

recording session to complete the form, while others may take up to 60

minutes combined through several sessions during the grazing year, with

each requiring a few minutes to enter the required data.

Any interested member of the public may request and obtain, without

charge, a copy of BLM Form 4130-5 the person identified under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

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

request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will

also become a matter of public record.

Dated: February 26, 1998.

Carole J. Smith,

Information Collection Officer.

[FR Doc. 98-5467 Filed 3-3-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-84-M