2023 Supporting Statement for OMB 0596-0081

2023 Supporting Statement for OMB 0596-0081

Disposal of Mineral Materials

A. Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the col­lection of information necessary. Iden­tify any legal or administrative require­ments that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the col­lection of information.

Laws, Statutes, and Regulations (Disposal of Mineral Materials)

• 16 U.S.C. 520

• 16 U.S.C. 521a

• 30 U.S.C 181

• 30 U.S.C. 351

• 30 U.S.C. 601-604, 611-615 (Multiple-Use Mining Act of 1955)

• 36 Stat. 961 (Weeks Act of 1911)

• 74 Stat. 205

• 36 CFR 228, Subpart C

The Secretary of Agriculture has the statutory authority, as described in 36 CFR 228 Subpart C, to dispose of petrified wood and common varieties of sand, stone, gravel, pumice, pumicite, cinders, clay, and other similar materials on lands administered by the Forest Service. That authority derives, in part, from the Multiple-Use Mining Act of 1955 (30 U.S.C. 601-604, 611-615), which amended the Materials Act of 1947 to permit disposal from National Forest System lands reserved from the public domain. The authority to dispose of mineral materials from lands acquired under the authority of the Weeks Act of 1911 (36 Stat. 961) stems from the Act of March 4, 1971 (16 U.S.C. 520). The Secretary of Agriculture was revested with this authority by the Act of June 11, 1960 (74 Stat. 205) and by the Act of September 2, 1958 (16 U.S.C. 521a).

A Privacy Act System of Records – USDA/FS-16, Mineral Lessees and Permittees, covers the information collected. The system covers inter and intra-agency, Secretarial, Presidential, and Congressional correspondence, leases, permits, sale contracts, environmental reports, mineral evaluations operating plans, reclamation plans, and pleadings. Authority for maintenance of the system is 16 U.S.C. 520 and 30 U.S.C 181, 351, and 601.

Laws, Statutes, and Regulations (Paleontological Resources Administration)

• 16 U.S.C. 470aaa through 470aaa-11

• 36 CFR 291

The Secretary of Agriculture has statutory responsibility, as described in 36 CFR 291.1(b) to manage, protect, and preserve paleontological resources on National Forest System lands using scientific principles and expertise. This authority derives from the Paleontological Resources Preservation ‘act’ (PRPA), subtitle D of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act 2009 (P.L. 111-11; 16 U.S.C. 470aaa through 470aaa-11), including specific permitting provisions to allow for research and collection of paleontological resources. Differing from the mineral disposal authority outlined above, paleontological resources collected under permit remain property of the federal government and are preserved within a public trust of non-federal repositories (museums). In light of the stewardship aspect of this responsibility, and the specific permitting authority granted in the PRPA statute, the Forest Service manages such administrative actions in the USDA as a minerals and geology function (rather than special uses), where qualified subject matter experts are employed (geologists and paleontologists). Thus, information collection related to the Forest Service’s administration of paleontological resources is included herein under 0596-0081, though with its own Federal Register publication and notice inviting public comment.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what pur­pose the information is to be used. Except for a new collec­tion, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the infor­ma­tion received from the current collec­tion.

   1. What information will be collected - reported or recorded? (If there are pieces of information that are especially burdensome in the collection, a specific explanation should be provided.)

This revision of a currently approved collection adds the Paleontological Resources Administration forms which were removed from 0596-0082 in 2020 and did not get combined in this collection (0596-0081).

Disposal of Mineral Materials - Mineral materials operators are required to complete FS-2800-9 Contract for the Sale of Mineral Materials. This form requires the purchaser’s name and address, the location and dimensions of the area to be mined, the kind of material that will be mined, the quantity of material to be mined, the sale price of the mined material, the payment schedule, the amount of the bond, and the period of the contract.

Operators requesting approval to develop new sites or to remove large quantities of mineral materials are also required to file, and obtain approval of, an operating plan, which provides detailed information about operations before they begin. There is no required format for the operating plan. They are often handwritten and, in some cases, engineered drawings are provided. At a minimum, the operating plan must include a map and explanation of the nature of the access, anticipated activity, surface disturbance, and intended reclamation including removal or retention of structures and facilities.

A simple annual statement of production (amount of material removed) is also required of each purchaser or permittee. In some cases, additional information may be required of purchasers or permittees in the form of information indicating qualifications to perform the obligations of the contract or permit, the value of a deposit, notification of completion of operations, and a report of operations. There is no required format for this information but is usually submitted through a letter to the authorizing Forest Service Officer. This information can also be provided electronically or by facsimile.

Paleontological Resources Administration

Applicants are required to complete FS-2800-22A Application for Research or Collection of Paleontological Resources on National Forest System lands. This information can be provided electronically via email or fax, or hardcopy through standard mail service. The form requires an individual applicant’s name, affiliation and contact information, curriculum vitae, proposed work and location including map, anticipated start/end dates, and written approval of an approved repository to receive proposed collections (if pertinent). Further correspondence to assess qualifications based upon provided information can be conducted through email or telephone correspondence with specialist support staff of the authorizing Forest Service Officer.

Form FS-280022B, Authorization to Conduct Paleontological Resources Research or Collection, is the actual authorization (permit) allowing individuals to undertake activities outlined in the application form (FS-2800-22A). Permits require a final report of activity prior to completion, normally coinciding with the end of calendar year. There is no required format for final reports, but FS-280022C (Paleontological Locality Report Form) and FS-280022D (Paleontological Specimen Curation Form) may be used to fulfill reporting requirements of the permit. A comprehensive list of report requirements is listed at 36 CFR § 291.17 (a-x).

2. From whom will the information be collected? If there are different respondent categories (e.g., loan applicant versus a bank versus an appraiser), each should be described along with the type of collection activity that applies.

Disposal of Mineral Materials

Information is collected from operators requesting approval to mine mineral materials on National Forest System lands. Within any given year, approximately 1 percent of requestors are current employees of the Federal government acting within the scope of their employment. In accordance with 5 CFR 1320.3(c)(4), these requestors are not considered respondents purposes of this information collection.

Paleontological Resources Administration

Information is collected from non-federal applicants desiring to undertake research and collection of paleontological resources on National Forest System lands. Specific Forest Service regulations detailing permitting and the need for information collection are at 36 CFR 291.13–291.23.

2. What will this information be used for - provide ALL uses?

Disposal of Mineral Materials

This information is used to minimize environmental impacts, assures financial accountability, and gives the authorizing Forest Service Officer the opportunity to determine whether the proposal is appropriate. The operating plan requirement ensures that needed dialogue takes place and provides the means of documenting planned operations, terms, and conditions that the Forest Service must impose to protect surface resources.

The information is required for the Forest Service to meet various statutory obligations through its management of mineral materials. If these obligations cannot be met, the Agency would have to disallow access to the material by the public in order to avoid violating the law.

Paleontological Resources Administration

This information is used to ensure permit applicants are (1) qualified to undertake the proposed research and collection activities, (2) to ensure that an approved non-federal repository is willing (signed agreement) to accept all paleontological resources (federal property) collected under the proposed activity, and (3) to allow Forest Service staff to undertake environmental review of the proposed activity.

Permit reporting information is used to contribute toward a Forest Service national database that documents paleontological localities on National Forest System lands.

2. How will the information be collected (e.g., forms, non-forms, electronically, face-to-face, over the phone, over the Internet)? Does the respondent have multiple options for providing the information? If so, what are they?

Disposal of Mineral Materials

Each applicant must complete Form FS-2800-9. The applicant has the option to choose from several methods when submitting the required annual production statements and operating plans, as there is not a required or standardized format. This information can be provided as a hard copy, electronically, or by facsimile.

Paleontological Resources Administration

Applicants for research and collection permit must submit proposed activities along with required supplemental information (e. g. map, curation agreement) on Form FS-2800-22A. This information can be provided electronically via email or fax, or hardcopy through standard mail service. Permit holders may choose their own preferred system of reporting requirements (as per 36 CFR § 291.17), and Forms FS2800-22C and FS-2800-22D are provided as an option for this purpose.

2. How frequently will the information be collected?

Disposal of Mineral Materials

For long-term operations, a statement of production is required annually. All other information is collected only once for each operation, unless the operation is modified or extended.

Paleontological Resources Administration

Information is collected once through application for each proposed research and collection effort authorized under permit.

For permit holders, information is collected once upon completion of authorized activity, in a report per permit stipulations.

2. Will the information be shared with any other organizations inside or outside USDA or the government?

Disposal of Mineral Materials

The Forest Service prepares an annual Mineral Materials Production Report that is submitted to the United States Geological Survey and made available to the public on the Forest Service website (http://www.fs.fed.us/geology/mineral_materials.html). This report is a summary of annual production on National Forest System lands and does not include specific information about individual operations. See item 16 below for additional information.

Paleontological Resources Administration

The Forest Service prepares internal reports about the number and nature of paleontological resources administrative activities, but such reporting does not include specifics other than information of a scientific nature.

2. If this is an ongoing collection, how have the collection requirements changed over time?

The collection requirements have changed since the information collection was last approved and adds four forms.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of auto­mat­ed, elec­tronic, mechani­cal, or other techno­log­ical collection techniques or other forms of information technol­o­gy, e.g. permit­ting elec­tronic sub­mission of respons­es, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also, describe any con­sideration of using in­fo­r­m­a­t­ion technolo­gy to re­duce bur­den.

Disposal of Mineral Materials

The applicant has the option to choose from several methods when submitting the required information. Most choose to submit a paper copy of FS-2800-9 provided by the Forest Service, but the form is available on the Forest Service website (http://www.fs.fed.us/geology/mineral_materials.html) in fillable-printable format. The applicant and the Forest Service use a facsimile machine and/or email to send copies back and forth when it is not convenient to use the regular mail system or a meeting cannot be attended.

Paleontological Resources Administration

Applicants have the option to choose from submitting a hard copy or digital Form FS-2800-22A, though digital is preferred. Permit holders are encouraged to submit final reports in digital format. Most prefer electronic submission of applications and/or permit reports via electronic email correspondence. Forms are available on Forest Service website (https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/geology/paleontology) in fillable-printable format. New versions of forms will be 508C compliant Adobe PDF documents. Future improvements within the Forest Service software environment (database) will allow permit holder reports to be uploaded directly to the internal database environment (work in progress).

4. Describe efforts to identify duplica­tion. Show specifically why any sim­ilar in­for­mation already avail­able cannot be used or modified for use for the purpos­es de­scri­bed in Item 2 above.

No duplication of information gathering takes place. As the Secretary of Agriculture has the sole authority to dispose of mineral materials from National Forest System lands, no other agency is involved in collecting the required information from the public. Additionally, in sites of recurring uses the Forest Service compiles as much information as possible for programmatic use. The Secretary of Agriculture also has sole authority to approve research and collection of paleontological resources from National Forest System lands.

5. If the collection of information im­pacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to mini­mize burden.

Disposal of Mineral Materials

The activity of many small businesses takes place in sites of recurring uses. Where recurring disposals of mineral materials either take place or are anticipated, the Agency compiles as much of the needed information as possible in advance for use in a programmatic way, thus sparing individual operators from having to generate the information themselves. These small businesses have their burden reduced directly through the programmatic approach taken at such sites. In addition, on a project-by-project basis, the Authorizing Forest Service Officer can work with the operator to reduce the information requirements through such means as finding locations where fewer surface resource conflicts are likely, thereby reducing information needs.

Paleontological Resources Administration

This information collection does not impact small businesses or other small entities.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is con­ducted less fre­quent­ly, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

Disposal of Mineral Materials

If the information was not collected, the Forest Service would have no documentation of active mineral materials operations on National Forest System lands, would not be able to ensure the protection of surface resources, and would not be in compliance with 36 CFR 228, Subpart C. Eliminating information collection or less frequent information collection would result in poor land and resource planning and management.

Paleontological Resources Administration

If the information was not collected, the Forest Service would not be able to authorize research or collection of paleontological resources. Such preservation activities are fundamental for compliance with U.S.C. 470aaa-1 (Sec. 6302. Management.) which states that “The Secretary shall manage and protect paleontological resources on Federal land using scientific principles and expertise”.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collecti­on to be con­ducted in a manner:

• Requiring respondents to report informa­tion to the agency more often than quarterly;

• Requiring respondents to prepare a writ­ten response to a collection of infor­ma­tion in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

• Requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any docu­ment;

• Requiring respondents to retain re­cords, other than health, medical, governm­ent contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years;

• In connection with a statisti­cal sur­vey, that is not de­signed to produce valid and reli­able results that can be general­ized to the uni­verse of study;

• Requiring the use of a statis­tical data classi­fication that has not been re­vie­wed and approved by OMB;

• That includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by au­thority estab­lished in statute or regu­la­tion, that is not sup­ported by dis­closure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unneces­sarily impedes shar­ing of data with other agencies for com­patible confiden­tial use; or

• Requiring respondents to submit propri­etary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demon­strate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permit­ted by law.

There are no special circumstances. The collection of information is conducted in a manner consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and iden­tify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8 (d), soliciting com­ments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public com­ments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address com­ments received on cost and hour burden.

Describe efforts to consult with persons out­side the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and record keeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.

Consultation with representatives of those from whom information is to be obtained or those who must compile records should occur at least once every 3 years even if the col­lection of information activity is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances should be explained.

Disposal of Mineral Materials

A Federal Register notice seeking comments on this information collection was published on page 32167 of the Federal Register, Volume 82, Number 132, on July 12, 2017. No public comments were received in response to this notice.

The Forest Service maintains a steady dialogue with the various affected individuals and organizations through such means as meeting with trade associations representing the sectors of the public affected by this information collection. Contacts include:

• Owner, Geo Contracting, PO Box 1052, Girdwood, AK, 99587 email: mail@geocontracting.com

• Jones Backhoe and Dozer Service, Inc., 160 South Fork Road, Mt Ida, AR 71957

• Mineral Property Evaluation LLC, 3953 South Summerset Way, Boise, ID 83709

These contacts did not have any issues with the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions, disclosure, reporting format associated with permitting, or record keeping requirements.

Burdens imposed or potentially imposed by the Agency are a routine part of these discussions. Many applicants continue to use the form regularly, many on a yearly basis and some more than once a year depending on mineral demands, without comment.

There have been no reports that the current information collection has caused problems, large or small, for operators.

Paleontological Resources Administration

A Federal Register notice seeking comments on this information collection was published on pages 60366-60367 of the Federal Register, Volume 87, Number 192, on October 5, 2022. No public comments were received in response to this notice. There have been no reports that the current information collection has caused problems for permit applicants.

With permission of individuals, the Forest Service submitted names and contact information for four previous permit holders of form FS-2800-22B. These individuals agreed to serve as contacts for review of forms and information collection upon request from OMB.

Ian Miller, Curator of Paleobotany

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

ian.miller@dmns.org

303-370-8351

John Foster

Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum

johnfoster@utah.gov

496 East Main St

Vernal, UT 84078

435-789-3799

L.J. Krumenacker, Ph.D.

Research Associate: Department of Geological Sciences and Idaho Museum of Natural History, ISU

https://ljkrumenacker.weebly.com/

https://idahostate.academia.edu/LJKrumenacker

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lj_Krumenacker

Steve Miller

Avocational Paleontologist

Colorado Springs, CO

steve_miller_cs@yahoo.com

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than re-numeration of contractors or grantees.

The Forest Service does not provide any kind of payment or gift to respondents or grantees regarding information collection requirements of 36 CFR Part 228 Subpart C, or 36 CFR 291.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

A Privacy Act System of Records – USDA/FS-16, Mineral Lessees and Permittees, covers the information collected. The system covers inter- and intra-agency, Secretarial, Presidential, and Congressional correspondence, leases, permits, sale contracts, environmental reports, mineral evaluations operating plans, reclamation plans, and pleadings. Authority for maintenance of the system is 16 U.S.C. 520 and 30 U.S.C 181, 351, and 601. Records are stored in a filing cabinet in a locked office.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior or attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

The Forest Service does not request any information of a sensitive nature.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated.

Disposal of Mineral Materials

Please refer to supplemental document entitled 0596-0081 Burden-Cost Spreadsheet for estimates of burden, recordkeeping, and costs to respondent details.

Number of respondents: The estimated annual number of respondents of 2,617 was based on the average of the number of responses received during the previous 3 years (3,034 responses in 2014, 2,579 responses in 2015, and 2,264 responses in 2016), less the estimated number of contracts that were signed by Federal Agencies (estimated to be 1 percent of free use contracts, or an estimate of 9 contracts for this 3-year period. Thus, the total average of 2,626-9=2617). The number of respondents varies from year to year based mostly on economic factors in the construction industry, but the previous 3-year average gives a reasonable estimate of what to expect in the next 3 years.

Response Frequency: Responses are required once a year for any given activity (project). However, changes to the form may be required if circumstances of the activity change (i.e., if, after the form has been approved, the respondent requests to collect a larger amount of mineral materials). As this form serves as a contract between the respondent and the Federal government, any changes to the activities require revisions to the form. For purposes of calculating the annual hour burden and annualized cost to respondents, one response per respondent in a given year was assumed.

Annual hour burden: The estimate for the time and record keeping burden to respondents is based on conversations with permittees and applicable trade association representatives. While some projects require that the respondent spend a large amount of time to gather the necessary information (on the order of weeks or months to provide the Agency with enough background information to complete an environmental analysis and approve the sale of mineral materials from a certain area) prior to completing the form FS-2800-9, the vast majority of the forms are for smaller projects with very little background or preparatory work required from the respondent (estimated over 95 percent of responses). In these majority of instances, the annual hour burden is on the order of minutes. To account for the difference in time for preparation between less than an hour to days or weeks, the annual average hour burden per respondent is estimated to be 2.5 hours, reflecting the greater frequency of the former preparation category and the rarity of the latter.

Annual Cost Burden: While there are no capital or maintenance costs associated with the information collected (see item 13 below), there will be some costs associated with filling out the form FS-2800-9. It is assumed that a foreman or a supervisor of a small entity or business would be the contact who is assigned the task of filling out the form. For individuals not associated with any business interest, the individual themselves will be filling out the form. The assumed cost per hour was based on wages paid to first line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers (May,2021) (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes471011.htm).

Paleontological Resources Administration

The number of respondents and frequency of response is solely dictated by applicants request for permit, and the required terms and conditions for permits issued. The values for number of respondents are from records maintained in the agency’s FS-2800-22B permit database. Estimate of burden hours is per agency forms FS-2800-A (application, 5.5 hours); FS-2800-22B (permit; 15 minutes required for review and signature by permittee, form prepared by Forest Service); FS-2800-C (locality form, 6.5 hours); FS-2800-22D (specimen form, 6.5 hours).

The mean hourly wage for these supervisors is $37.03. With an estimate total of 2,722 respondents per year, a total of 7038.75 total hours, with an estimated cost burden of $260,644.91.

Section of Regs	Description	Form #	No. Resp	Resp per Resp	Annual Resp	Hour per Resp	Total Hours	Cost Per Hour	Total Cost
36 CFR 228.42	Contract for the Sale of Minerals	FS-2800-9	2,617	1.00	2,617.00	2.5	6542.50	37.03	$242.268.78
36 CFR 291.17	Application for Permit Paleontological Resource	FS-2800-22A	30	1.00	30.00	5.500	165.00	37.03	$6,109.95
36 CFR 291.17	Paleontological Resources Research and Collection Authorization	FS-2800-22B	25	1.00	25.00	0.250	6.25	37.03	$231.44
36 CFR 291.17	Paleontological Investigation Report Form	FS-2800-22C	25	1.00	25.00	6.500	162.50	37.03	$6,017.38
36 CFR 291.17	Paleontological Specimen Data	FS-2800-22D	25	1.00	25.00	6.500	162.50	37.03	$6,017.38
	Totals				2722.0		7038.75		$260,644.91

13. Provide estimates of the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information, (do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in items 12 and 14). The cost estimates should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start-up cost component annualized over its expected useful life, and (b) a total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component.

There are no capital operation and maintenance costs.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Provide a description of the method used to estimate cost and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.

The response to this question covers the actual costs the agency will incur as a result of implementing the information collection. The estimate should cover the entire life cycle of the collection and include costs, if applicable, for:

• Employee labor and materials for developing, printing, storing forms

• Employee labor and materials for developing computer systems, screens, or reports to support the collection

• Employee travel costs

• Cost of contractor services or other reimbursements to individuals or organizations assisting in the collection of information

• Employee labor and materials for collecting the information

• Employee labor and materials for analyzing, evaluating, summarizing, and/or reporting on the collected information

Disposal of Mineral Materials

An information assistant working at the front desk of a Forest Service office receives approximately 95 percent of all applications. It takes approximately 15 minutes for the information assistant to process an application. The estimate of the proportion of applications processed by the front desk has increased from 85 percent at the last information collection, based on the overall average type of project proposal the Forest Service has received in collection years 2017, 2018, and 2019.

A geologist or minerals administrator processes the applications for large or complex operations. Estimates are that about 5 percent of all applications are in this category. It can take from 1 day to several weeks to process these applications depending upon the complexity of the site and information needs. On average, each of these applications requires approximately 3 days to process. Once the minerals administrator or geologist processes these larger operations, the line officer (typically a District Ranger) must review and approve the operation. Given the same assumptions as described for processing these larger operations, this review takes approximately one hour.

For proposals of large operations, a site visit and inspections are necessary. The cost of a vehicle is therefore included at the assumed rate of $0.47/mile and an average distance of 50 miles for these projects.

Additionally, the National Mineral Materials Program Manager spends approximately 24 hours preparing an annual Mineral Materials Production Report (see item 16 below).

Previous calculations of agency costs did not include the time of other specialists (i.e., biologists, archaeologists, botanists) that may have to analyze the environmental effects of a larger-scale proposal to remove mineral materials. That time has been estimated as a total of 24 hours per application of this type and is included in this year’s estimate.

Based on the average income of employees in these positions (Table 3 below), the estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $196,857 + $78,075.69 = $274,932.69.

Table 3 – Estimate of the annual cost to the Federal government.

Federal Employee	Estimated Average Income per Hour1	Estimated Number of Forms Processed	Estimate of Burden Hours per Application	Total Burden Hours	Estimated Cost to the Federal Government
Information Assistant (GS-5)	$18.36	2486	0.25	621.5	$11,411
Geologist/Minerals Administrator (GS-9)	$27.82	131	24	3144	$87,466
Specialist (GS-9)	$27.82	131	24	3144	$87,466
Saleable Minerals Program Leader (GS-13)	$47.97	---	---	24	$1,151
District Ranger (GS-13)	$47.97	131	1	131	$6,284
Vehicle2		131			$3,079
Totals	---	---	---	7,064.5	$196,857

Paleontological Resources Administration

Typically, permit applications are submitted to local administrative offices, who then forward the information to an agency paleontologist. Applications are reviewed by agency paleontologists, and then returned to local administrative offices for environmental review by agency staff specialists. For approved applications authorized under permit, agency paleontologists maintain databases, provide oversite during life of the permit, and review of final reports. This includes all terms and conditions of permit as stipulated on form FS-2800-22B, and all associated records submitted for collected specimens and accessioned to non-federal repositories (forms FS-2800-22C and FS-2800-22D).

Federal Employee	Estimated Average Income per Hour2	Estimated Number of Forms Processed	Estimate of Burden Hours per Application	Total Burden Hours	Estimated Cost to the Federal Government
Agency Paleontologist (GS-12) FS-2800-22A application	$40.31	21	16	336	$13,544.16
Agency Paleontologist (GS-12) FS-2800-22B oversite and report review	$40.31	21	40	840	33,860.40
Agency Paleontologist (GS-12) FS-2800-22C locality form review and database entry	$40.31	21	16	336	13,544.16
Agency Paleontologist (GS-12) FS-2800-22D specimen form review and archive	$40.31	21	8	168	6,772.08
Geologist/Paleontology Administrator (GS-9)	$27.82	21	8	168	$4,673.76
Resource Specialist (GS-9)	$27.82	21	8	168	$4,673.76
District Ranger (GS-13)	$47.97	21	1	21	$1,007.37
Totals	---	---	---	2,037	78,075.69

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in items 13 or 14 of OMB form 83-I.

The change in Burden results from adding the mineral Material and the Paleontological together.

16. For collections of information whose results are planned to be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication.

Disposal of Mineral Materials

The Forest Service prepares an annual Mineral Materials Production Report. This report is used by the United States Geologic Survey to report to Congress on the net amount of federal mineral material assets supplied to various parties. These reports are available to the public on the Forest Service Minerals and Geology website (https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/natural-resources/geology/minerals/mineral-materials). The website is updated each June for the prior year. The reports summarize the number of permits issued and the tonnage and value of material removed by the type of permit, mineral material, rock type, and location (district, forest, county, and state).

Paleontological Resources Administration

The Forest Service prepares an annual internal Paleontology Permitting Highlights report (first such report completed for FY21). This report is intended to raise resource awareness within the agency consistent with 36 CFR § 291.7 (Public Awareness and Education Program). The report includes resource information and contributions from cooperating non-federal institutions as detailed in individual permit holder reports and does not include information collection from application. The report will typically be completed in April of each year, and summarizes the number of permits issued, with particular attention given to important scientific contributions and aesthetic fossil specimens.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

The expiration date of the OMB approval of this information collection will be displayed on all forms associated with this collection.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in item 19, "Certification Requirement for Paperwork Reduction Act."

The agency can certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.

1 General Schedule hourly pay estimates come from OPM website (General Schedule (opm.gov)

² Vehicle cost is based on a Fleet published rate of $0.50/mile and an average of 50 miles per inspection of larger project

2 General Schedule hourly pay estimates come from OPM website (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages//2022/general-schedule/)

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