# Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Navajo Partitioned Lands Grazing Permits
**AGENCY:**
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
**ACTION:**
Notice of Information Collection; request for comment.
**SUMMARY:**
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is proposing to renew an information collection without change.
**DATES:**
Interested persons are invited to submit comments. To be considered, your comments must be received on or before April 20, 2026.
**ADDRESSES:**
Send your written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) through *https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRA/icrPublicCommentRequest?ref_nbr=202508-1076-005* or by visiting *https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain* and selecting “Currently under Review—Open for Public Comments” and then scrolling down to the “Department of the Interior.”
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Steven Mullen, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1001 Indian School Road NW, Suite 229, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104; *[email protected];* (202) 924-2650. 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. You may also view the ICR at *https://www.reginfo.gov/public/Forward?SearchTarget=PRA&textfield=1076-0162.*
**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), we provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection requirements and provide the requested data 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 September 22, 2025 (90 FR 45406). We received one comment, available at *https://www.regulations.gov/comment/BIA-2022-0005-0025* with pertinent summary below.
*Comment 1:* The Navajo Partitioned Lands are tribal lands; therefore, grazing decisions must reflect tribal laws, customs, and governance systems, not unilateral federal control; and require Navajo Nation review and concurrence for all NPL grazing permit decisions; and initiate formal, government-to-government consultation before any approval, implementation, or modification of NPL grazing information collection activities.
*Agency Response to Comment 1:* The Department is proposing to extend an existing information collection authorized under 25 CFR part 161, to maintain services for (a) individual Navajo Tribal members wanting to obtain or modify a grazing permit and (b) by departments and officials of the Navajo Nation. Under 25 CFR 161.101, unless prohibited by federal law, BIA will recognize and comply with tribal laws regulating activities on the Navajo Partitioned Lands, including tribal laws relating to land use, environmental protection, and historic or cultural preservation.
The Department is not proposing to modify 25 CFR part 161. The following formal, government-to-government consultation occurred under RIN 1076-AE46.
• For 25 CFR part 161, the proposed regulation was published on November 12, 2003 (68 FR 64023) and the final regulation was published October 7, 2005 (70 FR 58882).
• On October 27, 2004, the Navajo Hopi Land Commission, by a 6-0 vote, passed a resolution recommending concurrence in the final regulation. On February 10, 2005, the Navajo Nation Resources Committee, by a 7-0 vote, recommended concurrence, and referred the final regulation to the Navajo Nation Intergovernmental Relations Committee for final concurrence.
• On April 8, 2005, the Navajo Nation Intergovernmental Relations Committee, by an 8-0 vote, passed a resolution concurring in and approving the final regulation.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are especially interested in public comment 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; and
(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. 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:* This information collection is authorized under 25 CFR part 161, which implements the Navajo-Hopi Indian Relocation Amendments Act of 1980, 94 Stat. 929, and the Federal court decisions of *Healing* v. *Jones,* 174 F. Supp. 211 (D Ariz. 1959) (Healing I), *Healing* v. *Jones,* 210 F. Supp. 126 (D. Ariz. 1962), aff'd 363 U.S. 758 (1963) (Healing II), *Hopi Tribe* v. *Watt,* 530 F. Supp. 1217 (D. Ariz. 1982), and *Hopi Tribe* v. *Watt,* 719 F.2d 314 (9th Cir. 1983). This information collection allows BIA to receive the information necessary to determine whether an applicant to obtain, modify, or assign a grazing permit on Navajo Partitioned Lands is eligible and complies with all applicable grazing permit requirements. The data is collected by electronic global positioning systems and field office interviews by BIA & Navajo Nation staff. The data is maintained by BIA's Navajo Partitioned Lands office.
*Title of Collection:* Navajo Partitioned Lands Grazing Permits.
*OMB Control Number:* 1076-0162.
*Form Number:* 5-5015 and 5-5022.
*Type of Review:* Extension of a currently approved collection.
*Respondents/Affected Public:* Tribes, Tribal organizations, and individual Indians.
*Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents:* 700.
*Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses:* 3,121.
*Estimated Completion Time per Response:* Varies from 15 minutes to 2 hours.
*Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours:* 2,123.
*Respondent's Obligation:* Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
*Frequency of Collection:* Annually.
*Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost:* $0.
**Authority**
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.* ).
Steven Mullen,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs.