Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Recordation of Location Notices and Mining Claims; Payment of Fees

AGENCY:

Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to renew an information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before February 21, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for this information collection request (ICR) should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this Information Collection Request (ICR), contact Sabry Hanna by email at shanna@blm.gov, or by telephone at (571) 458-6644. 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 PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we invite the public and other Federal agencies to comment on new, proposed, revised and continuing collections of information. This helps the BLM assess impacts of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand BLM information collection requirements and ensure requested data are provided in the desired format.

A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on October 27, 2022, 2022 (87 FR 65099). No comments were received.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, we are again inviting the public and other Federal agencies to comment on the proposed ICR described below. The BLM is especially interested in public comment addressing the following:

(1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 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; and

(4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including 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 submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Abstract: The information that is collected under this control number enables the BLM to maintain records of mining claims and sites on Federal lands and enables the BLM to determine which mining claims and sites claimants wish to continue to hold such claims and sites. The BLM collects information under this control number in accordance with The General Mining Law, as amended, the Stock Raising Homestead Act and other statutes. This OMB Control Number is currently scheduled to expire on April 30, 2023. The BLM request that OMB renew this OMB Control Number for an additional three years.

Title of Collection: Recordation of Location Notices and Mining Claims; Payment of Fees (43 CFR 3832-3838).

OMB Control Number: 1004-0114.

Form Numbers: 3830-2, Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification; 3830-3, Notice of Intent to Locate a Lode or Placer Mining Claim(s) and/or a Tunnel Site(s) on Lands Patented under the Stock Raising Homestead Act of 1916, As Amended by the Act of April 16, 1993; and 3830-4, Affidavit of Annual Assessment Work.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Mining claimants.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 195,582.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 195,582.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 30 to 60 minutes per response.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Hours: 95,014.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion, except Form 3830-2 (which may be filed annually) and annual FLPMA documents (are to be filed annually when required).

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $3,387,355.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor and, notwithstanding any other provision of law, 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.).