[Federal Register: February 1, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 20)]
[Notices]
[Page 5221-5222]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01fe05-106]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Revisions to a
Currently Approved Information Collection; Comment Request
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of renewal of a currently approved collection (OMB No.
1006-0023).
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us)
intends to submit a request for renewal (with revisions) of an existing
approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB): Limited Recipient Identification Sheet, Trust Information Sheet
for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426, OMB Control Number: 1006-0023.
As a result of Reclamation's activities to fully implement the acreage
limitation provisions applicable to public entities (43 CFR 426.10 and
the Act of July 7, 1970, Public Law 91-310), a new ``Public Entity
Information Sheet'' (Form 7-2565) has been developed for approval as
part of this information collection. We request your comments on the
proposed RRA forms and specific aspects of the information collection.
DATES: Your written comments must be received on or before April 4,
2005.
ADDRESSES: You may send written comments to the Bureau of Reclamation,
Attention: D-5300, PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007. You may request
copies of the proposed forms by writing to the above address or by
contacting Stephanie McPhee at: (303) 445-2897.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie McPhee at: (303) 445-2897.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Limited Recipient Identification Sheet, Trust Information
Sheet, Public Entity Information Sheet for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR
part 426 and the Act of July 7, 1970, Public Law 91-310.
Abstract: Identification of limited recipients--Some entities that
receive Reclamation irrigation water may believe that they are under
the RRA forms submittal threshold and consequently, may not submit the
appropriate RRA form(s). However, some of these entities may in fact
have a different RRA forms submittal threshold than what they believe
it to be due to the number of natural persons benefiting from each
entity and the location of the land held by each entity. In addition,
some entities that are exempt from the requirement to submit RRA forms
due to the size of their landholdings (directly and indirectly owned
and leased land) may in fact be receiving Reclamation irrigation water
for which the full-cost rate must be paid because the start of
Reclamation irrigation water deliveries occurred after October 1, 1981
(43 CFR 426.6(b)(2)). The information obtained through completion of
the Limited Recipient Identification Sheet allows us to establish
entities' compliance with Federal reclamation law. The Limited
Recipient Identification Sheet is disbursed at our discretion. The
proposed revisions to the Limited Recipient Identification Sheet will
be included starting in the 2006 water year, and are designed to
facilitate ease of completion.
Trust review--We are required to review and approve all trusts (43
CFR 426.7(b)(2)) in order to ensure trusts meet the regulatory criteria
specified in 43 CFR 426.7. Land held in trust generally will be
attributed to the beneficiaries of the trust rather than the trustee if
the criteria are met. When we become aware of trusts with a relatively
small landholding (40 acres or less), we may extend to those trusts the
option to complete and submit for our review the Trust Information
Sheet instead of actual trust documents. If we find nothing on the
completed Trust Information Sheet that would warrant the further
investigation of a particular trust, that trustee will not be burdened
with submitting trust documents to us for in-depth review. The Trust
Information Sheet is disbursed at our discretion. The proposed
revisions to the Trust Information Sheet will be included starting in
the 2006 water year, and are designed to facilitate ease of completion.
Acreage limitation provisions applicable to public entities--Land
farmed by a public entity can be considered exempt from the application
of the acreage limitation provisions provided the public entity meets
certain criteria pertaining to the revenue generated through the
entity's farming activities (43 CFR 426.10 and the Act of July 7, 1970,
Public Law 91-310). We are required to ascertain whether or not public
entities that receive Reclamation irrigation water meet such revenue
criteria regardless of how much land the public entities hold (directly
or indirectly own or lease) (43 CFR 426.10(a)). In order to minimize
the burden on public entities, standard RRA forms are submitted by a
public entity only when the public entity holds more than 40 acres,
which makes it difficult to apply the revenue criteria as required to
those public entities that hold less than 40 acres. A new ``Public
Entity Information Sheet'' (Form 7-2565) has been developed for
approval as part of this information collection. The information
obtained through completion of Form 7-2565 allows us to establish
compliance with Federal reclamation law for those public entities that
hold less than 40 acres and thus do not submit a standard RRA form
because they are below the RRA forms submittal threshold. In addition,
for those public entities that do not meet the exemption criteria, we
must determine the proper rate to charge for Reclamation irrigation
water deliveries. There is anticipated to be a very minimal increase in
burden hours resulting from the addition of this form because of the
very limited type of landholders that can use this form (i.e., only
those public entities that hold less
[[Page 5222]]
than 40 acres). The Public Entity Information Sheet is disbursed at our
discretion and will be effective starting in the 2006 water year.
Because of the addition of this proposed new form to this information
collection, we also propose that the title of this information
collection be changed to ``Forms for Certain Landholders That Hold Less
Than 40 Acres for Acreage Limitation.'' This change in title will allow
us to capture the purpose of the forms in this information collection
without listing lengthy form names.
Frequency: Generally, these forms will be submitted once per
identified entity, trust, or public entity. Each year, we expect new
responses in accordance with the following numbers.
Respondents: Entity landholders, trusts, and public entities
identified by Reclamation that are subject to the acreage limitation
provisions of Federal reclamation law.
Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 425.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.0.
Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 425.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Responses: 52 hours.
Estimate of Burden for Each Form:
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Burden Annual burden
estimate per Number of Annual number on
Form number form (in respondents of responses respondents
minutes) (in hours)
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Limited Recipient Identification Sheet.......... 5 175 175 15
Trust Information Sheet......................... 5 150 150 12
Public Entity Information Sheet................. 15 100 100 25
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Comments
Comments are invited on:
(a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of our functions, including whether the
information will have practical use;
(b) The accuracy of our burden estimate for the proposed new
collection of information;
(c) Ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
We will summarize all comments received regarding this notice. We
will publish that summary in the Federal Register when the information
collection request is submitted to OMB for review and approval.
Department of the Interior practice is to make comments, including
names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review.
Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address
from public disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by
law. There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold a
respondent's identity from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If
you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will make all
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.
Dated: January 14, 2005.
Roseann Gonzales,
Director, Office of Program and Policy Services, Denver Office.
[FR Doc. 05-1790 Filed 1-31-05; 8:45 am]