Notice2026-19151
Agency Information Collection Activities: Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 18, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the National Park Service (NPS) are requesting an extension of a currently approved information collection.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 180 (Friday, September 18, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 180 (Friday, September 18, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59155-59156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19151]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-CRPS-NPS0043383; OMB Control Number 1024-0271 PPWOCRADI0,
PPMRSCR1Y.Y00000, P103601 (222)]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Gathering of Certain
Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for
Traditional Purposes
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the National Park Service (NPS) are requesting an extension of a
currently approved information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
October 19, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on this information collection request
(ICR) to Phadrea Ponds, Information Collection Clearance Officer,
National Park Service, 13461 Sunrise Valley Drive, (MS-263) Reston, VA
20191 (mail) or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#34445c55504651556b445b5a5047745d5b471a505b5d1a535b42"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cabaa2abaeb8afab95baa5a4aeb98aa3a5b9e4aea5a3e4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a> (email). Please refer to OMB
Control Number 1024-0271 in the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alisha Hall, Tribal Relations
Specialist in the Washington Support Office, by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#eaab868399828bb5a28b8686aa849a99c48d859c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c988a5a0baa1a89681a8a5a589a7b9bae7aea6bf">[email protected]</span></a>, or by telephone at (202) 641-0748. Please
reference OMB Control Number 1024-
[[Page 59156]]
0271 in the subject line of your comments. 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 <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all
information collections require approval under the PRA. We may not
conduct, or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection
of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on
June 11, 2026, (91 FR 35550). No comments were received.
We are especially interested in public comments addressing the
following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether or not 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.
(4) How might the agency 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 (e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of response).
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personally identifiable information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personally identifiable information--may be made publicly
available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold
your personally identifiable information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract: In most cases, people are not allowed to collect plants
in national parks. However, federal law and certain regulations (36 CFR
2.1(c)) allow exceptions, including situations where a federally
recognized Tribe has the legal right to gather plants for traditional
purposes.
Under 36 CFR 2.6, members of federally recognized Tribes may gather
plants or plant parts in a park if their Tribe has a gathering
agreement with the National Park Service (NPS). These agreements honor
Tribal sovereignty, support government-to-government relationships, and
ensure that NPS applies the rules consistently across parks.
Section 2.6(f) of the regulations explains how NPS and a Tribe work
together to create a plant-gathering agreement. After an agreement is
completed, NPS issues a permit that authorizes Tribal members to gather
specific plants. Only enrolled Tribal members who are designated by the
tribe to gather and whose Tribe has a long-standing, historical
connection to the park--and whose connection existed before the park
was created--may gather plants. The gathering must be for traditional
cultural purposes, must be sustainable, and cannot be for commercial
use. The information collection covered by these rules includes:
<bullet> A Tribe's request to enter into a plant-gathering
agreement.
<bullet> Information needed to develop the agreement, such as the
Tribe's traditional connection to the park, the cultural purpose for
gathering, and details about the types and amounts of plants to be
gathered.
<bullet> Information submitted if a Tribe appeals an NPS decision
denying a request, such as documentation of the Tribe's historical
connection to the park, traditional practices, or potential effects on
park resources.
Title of Collection: Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by
Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes.
OMB Control Number: 1024-0271.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Indian Tribes.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 30.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 4 to 80 hrs.
(times vary depending upon the activity).
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 530 hrs.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Non Hour Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct, or sponsor and 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.).
Phadrea Ponds,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-19151 Filed 9-17-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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