Notice2021-16829
Information Collection; Forest Products Removal Permits and Contracts
Primary source
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Published
August 6, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the renewal with revisions of a currently approved information collection, Forest Products Removal Permits and Contracts. The revision pertains to the inclusion of the sale of Christmas trees through Rec.gov. The agency began providing that option in calendar year 2020, and the public may now buy--and print--a Christmas tree permit online versus traveling to a Forest Service office. The option to purchase a permit in-person is still available.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 149 (Friday, August 6, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 149 (Friday, August 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43163-43165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16829]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Forest Products Removal Permits and
Contracts
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and
organizations on the renewal with revisions of a currently approved
information collection, Forest Products Removal Permits and Contracts.
The revision pertains to the inclusion of the sale of Christmas trees
through <a href="http://Rec.gov">Rec.gov</a>. The agency began providing that option in calendar
year 2020, and the public may now buy--and print--a Christmas tree
permit online versus traveling to a Forest Service office. The option
to purchase a permit in-person is still available.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before October 5,
2021 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date
will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Commenters are encouraged to submit comments by email, if
possible. You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2d4a414843035b4c43574c4349596d585e494c034a425b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="81e6ede4efaff7e0effbe0efe5f5c1f4f2e5e0afe6eef7">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Mail: Director, Forest Management, USDA, P.O. Box 96090,
Washington, DC 20090-6090.
<bullet> Hand Delivery/Courier: Forest Service, USDA, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 1103, Washington, DC 20250.
Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available
to the public through relevant websites and upon request. For this
reason, please do not include in your comments information of a
confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or
proprietary information. If you send an email comment, your email
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the
internet. Please note that responses to this public comment request
containing any routine notice about the confidentiality of the
communication will be treated as public comments that may be made
available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine
notice.
The public may request an electronic copy of the draft supporting
statement and/or any comments received be sent via return email.
Requests should be emailed to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d7b0bbb2b9f9a1b6b9adb6b9b3a397a2a4b3b6f9b0b8a1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="27404b4249095146495d46494353675254434609404851">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glen Van Zandt, Forest Management
Staff, by phone 202-617-1095 or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e88f848d86c69e89869289868c9ca89d9b8c89c68f879e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="01666d646f2f77606f7b606f657541747265602f666e77">[email protected]</span></a>.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the hearing-impaired
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Forest Products Removal Permits and Contracts.
OMB Number: 0596-0085.
Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2021.
Type of Request: Renewal with revisions of a currently approved
information collection.
Abstract: Under 16 U.S.C. 551 Protection of National Forests; Rules
[[Page 43164]]
and Regulations, individuals and businesses wishing to remove forest
products from National Forest System lands must request a permit. To
obtain a permit, applicants must meet the criteria at 36 CFR 223.1,
223.2, and 223.5-223.13, which authorizes free use or sale of timber or
forest products.
Under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-
246, 122 Stat. 1651) section 8105 Forest Products for Traditional and
Cultural Purposes [hereinafter referred to as ``section 8105''],
federally recognized Indian tribes may make a request for free use of
trees, portions of trees, or forest products for traditional and
cultural purposes, provided the use will not be for commercial
purposes. Section 8105 has been codified in 25 U.S.C. chapter 32A
Cultural and Heritage Cooperation Authority, section 3055 Forest
Products for Traditional and Cultural Purposes (25 U.S.C. 3055).
Additionally, Forest Service issued final implementation regulations,
for section 8105, at 36 CFR 223.15 Provision of Trees, Portions of
Trees, or Forest Products to Indian Tribes for Traditional and Cultural
Purposes.
Indian tribes seeking products, under section 8105 authority, must
make a request for free use, following the criteria at 36 CFR 223.15,
which includes: ``Requests for trees, portions of trees, or forest
products . . . must be submitted to the local Forest Service District
Ranger's Office(s) in writing. Requests may be made: (1) Directly by a
tribal official(s) who has been authorized by the Indian tribe to make
such requests; or (2) By providing a copy of a formal resolution
approved by the tribal council or other governing body of the Indian
tribe.'' Note: There is no stated maximum free use limitation for
products requested by Indian tribes, and there is no limitation to the
number of requests that each federally recognized Indian tribe may
make, under section 8105 authority. Should federally recognized Indian
tribes seeking such use wish to obtain proof of possession, as may be
required in some States, they could be issued a FS-2400-8 permit which
allows use of timber or forest products at no charge (36 CFR 223.5-
223.13).
Upon receiving a permit, the permittee must comply with the terms
of the permit (36 CFR 261.6), which designates the forest products that
can be harvested and under what conditions, such as limiting harvest to
a designated area or permitting harvest of only specifically designated
material. The collected information will help the Forest Service and
the Bureau of Land Management (for form FS-2400-1) oversee the approval
and use of forest products by the public.
When applying for forest product removal permits, applicants
(depending on the products requested) would provide information needed
to complete one of the following:
<bullet> FS-2400-1, Forest Products Removal Permit and Cash
Receipt, is used to sell timber or forest products such as, but not
limited to, fuelwood, Christmas trees, or pine cones (36 CFR 223.1,
223.2). The Bureau of Land Management identifies the FS-2400-1 as BLM-
5450-24 (43 U.S.C. 1201, 43 CFR 5420). This form would not be used to
issue products requested by federally recognized Indian tribes under
section 8105 authority. In addition, beginning in calendar year 2020,
the agency has made the option available to the public to use
<a href="http://Recreation.gov">Recreation.gov</a> to secure a permit online for Christmas trees at many
forests and print it out at home instead of traveling to a Forest
Service office to get the permit there.
<bullet> FS-2400-4/FS-2400-4ANF, Forest Products Contract and Cash
Receipt, are used to sell timber products such as sawtimber or forest
products such as, but not limited to, fuelwood, or posts and poles.
These forms would not be used to issue products requested by federally
recognized Indian tribes under section 8105 authority.
<bullet> FS-2400-8, Forest Products Free Use Permit, allows use of
timber or forest products at no charge to the permittee (36 CFR 223.5-
223.13). This form could be used to issue products requested by
federally recognized Indian tribes under section 8105 authority.
Each form listed above implements different regulations and has
different provisions for compliance but collects similar information
from the applicant for related purposes.
The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management will use the
information collected on form FS-2400-1 to ensure identification of
permittees in the field by agency personnel. The Forest Service will
use the information collected on forms FS-2400-4/FS-2400-4ANF and/or
FS-2400-8 to:
<bullet> Ensure that permittees obtaining free use of timber or
forest products qualify for the free-use program.
<bullet> Ensure that permittees obtaining free use of timber or
forest products, under 36 CFR 223.8, do not receive product value in
excess of that allowed by regulations. However, as noted above for
federally recognized Indian Tribe requests made under section 8105
authority, there is no stated maximum free use limitation (25 U.S.C.
3055).
<bullet> Ensure that applicants purchasing timber harvest or forest
products permits non-competitively do not exceed the authorized limit
in a fiscal year (16 U.S.C. 472(a)).
<bullet> Ensure identification of permittees, in the field, by
Forest Service personnel.
Applicants may apply for more than one forest product permit or
contract per year. For example, an applicant may obtain a free use
permit for a timber product such as, but not limited to, pine cones
(FS-2400-8) and still purchase fuelwood (FS-2400-1, and/or FS-2400-4/
2400-4ANF). Additionally, as noted above, there is no limitation to the
number of requests that each federally recognized Indian tribe may make
under section 8105 authority (25 U.S.C. 3055).
Individuals and small business representatives usually request and
apply for permits and contracts in person at the office issuing the
permit. As noted above, Indian tribes seeking products under section
8105 authority must make a written request for free use, following the
criteria at 36 CFR 223.15.
Applicants provide the following information, as applicable:
<bullet> Name,
<bullet> Address, and
<bullet> Personal identification number such as tax identification
number, driver's license number, or other unique number identifying the
applicant.
Agency personnel enter the information into a computerized database
to use for subsequent requests by applicants for a forest product
permit or contract. The information is printed on paper, which the
applicant signs and dates. Agency personnel discuss the terms and
conditions of the permit or contract with the applicant.
For Christmas tree permits purchased through the <a href="http://Recreation.gov">Recreation.gov</a>
website, a user is required to have an account which requires first
name, last name, email address and mobile phone number.
The data gathered is not available from other sources. The
collected data is used to ensure:
<bullet> Applicants for free use permits meet the criteria for free
use of timber or forest products authorized by regulations at 36 CFR
223.5-223.13; and, for federally recognized Indian tribes under section
8105 authority, the criteria at 36 CFR 223.15;
<bullet> Applicants seeking to purchase and remove timber or forest
products from Agency lands meet the criteria under which sale of timber
or forest products is authorized by regulations at 36 CFR 223.80; and
<bullet> Permittees comply with regulations and terms of the permit
at 36 CFR 261.6.
[[Page 43165]]
The collection of this information is necessary to ensure that
applicants meet the requirements of the forest products program; that
those obtaining free-use permits for forest products qualify for the
program; that applicants purchasing non-competitive permits to harvest
forest products do not exceed authorized limits; and that Federal
Agency employees can identify permittees when in the field.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 5 minutes.
Type of Respondents: Individuals, small businesses, and, for
requests made under section 8105 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy
Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246, 122 Stat. 1651), federally recognized
Indian tribes.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 192,224.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents (hours): 32,037.
Comment is Invited: Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this
collection of information is necessary for the stated purposes and the
proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether
the information will have practical or scientific utility; (2) the
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the 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) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on respondents, including the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
All comments received in response to this notice, including names
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record.
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission request for
Office of Management and Budget approval.
Dated: August 3, 2021.
Barnie Gyant,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2021-16829 Filed 8-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.