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AGENCY:

Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

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.

DATES:

Comments will be received for a 60-day period commencing with the date of this publication.

Additional Information or Comments: Contact Phyllis I. Williams, Agency OMB Clearance Officer, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mailstop 5460, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-5000; (301) 504-2170; phyllis.i.williams@usda.gov.

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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Application for Payment.

OMB Number: 0578-0013.

Expiration Date of Approval: June 30, 2003.

Type of Request: To continue with a change of a currently approved collection for which the approval will expire.

Abstract: The primary objective of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is to work in partnership with the American people and the farming and ranching community 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. These contracts provide for making land use changes and installing conservation measures and practices to conserve, develop, and use the soil, water, and related natural resources on private Start Printed Page 7341lands. For cost-share programs, Federal financial and technical assistance is based on a conservation plan that is made a part of an agreement, contract or easement, for a period of time of no less than 1 year, no more 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. NRCS purchases easement programs and provides for the protection and management for the life of the easement.

The information collected through this package is used by NRCS to ensure the proper use of program funds, including the application for participation, contract implementation, conservation planning, and application for payment. The table below lists the forms in this collection, the use of each document, and the applicable programs for the information collection. These forms constitute this information collection, and reflect the documents used by Department of Agriculture (USDA) program participants to indicate their desire to participate in one or more of the applicable programs. To obtain copies of forms referenced, access the Service Center Web site address at http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov. You may also e-mail your request and/or comments, including your address, phone number, and form number, to terri.jackson@usda.gov, or call the Forms Manager at (301) 504-2164.

This request represents a combination of four Information Collection Packages, as follows: OMB Number: 0578-0013, Long Term Contracting; OMB Number: 0578-0018, Application for Payment; OMB Number 0578-0028, Risk Protection Programs; and OMB Number 0560-0174, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, (transferred from the Farm Service Agency). The above table represents all of the forms incorporated into this one information collection, OMB Number 0578-0013. The table below shows a summary of the changes in the package since the previous authorization:

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 1.41 hours or 84.7 minutes per response.

Respondents: Farms, individuals, or households, or State, local, or Tribal governments.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 396,077.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 558,930.

Copies of this information collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from Phyllis Williams, the Agency OMB Clearance Officer, at 5602 Sunnyside Avenue, Mailstop 5460, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-5000; (301) 504-2170; phyllis.i.williams@usda.gov.

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: Phyllis Williams, Agency OMB Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 5602 Sunnyside Avenue, Mailstop 5460, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-5000; (301) 504-2170; phyllis.williams@usda.gov.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request Start Printed Page 7344for OMB approval. All comments also will become a matter of public record.

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