[Federal Register: October 7, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 194)]
[Notices]
[Page 60181-60182]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07oc04-58]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Thirty-day Notice of Submission of Study Package to Office of
Management and Budget--Opportunity for Public Comment
AGENCY: Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) Social Science Program has
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for
clearance of a renewed program of social science surveys of the public
related to the mission of the NPS. The NPS is publishing this notice to
inform the public of this program and to request comments on the
program.
Since many of the NPS surveys are similar in terms of the
populations being surveyed, the types of questions being asked, and
research methodologies, the NPS proposed to OMB and received clearance
for a program of approval for NPS-sponsored public surveys
(OMB 1024-0224 exp. 8/31/2001; three-year extension granted in
September 2001, exp. 9/30/2004). The program presented an alternative
approach to complying with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). In the
five years since the NPS received clearance for the program of
expedited approval, 193 public surveys have been conducted in units of
the National Park System. The benefits of this program have been
significant to the NPS, Department of the Interior (DOI), OMB, NPS
cooperators, and the public. Significant time and cost savings have
been incurred. Expedited approval was typically granted in 45 days or
less from the date the Principal Investigator first submitted a survey
package for review. This is a significant reduction over the
approximate 6 months involved in the standard OMB approval process. It
is estimated that the expedited approval process saved a total of 870
months in Fiscal Years 1999-2003. In five years, the expedited approval
process has accounted for a cost savings to the federal government and
PIs estimated at $348,001. The initial program included surveys of park
visitors. The program renewed in September 2001 included surveys of
park visitors, potential park visitors, and residents of communities
near parks. The current extension request proposes to continue with a
program of social science surveys of park visitors, potential park
visitors, and residents of communities near parks.
Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR
Part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the National Park
Service is soliciting comments on: (a) Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the NPS, including whether the information will have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the NPS estimate of the burden of the collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) how to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other forms of
information technology.
DATES: Public comments will be accepted on or before 30 days from the
date of publication in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior (OMB 1024-0224), Office of
Management and Budget Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
(OMB-OIRA) by fax at 202-395-5806 or e-mail at
oira_docket@omb.eop.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE STUDY PACKAGE, CONTACT: Dr.
James H. Gramann. Voice: 202-513-7189, Fax: 202-371-2131, E-mail:
james_gramann@partner.nps.gov or Brian E. Forist. Voice: 202-513-7190,
[[Page 60182]]
Fax: 202-371-2131, E-mail: brian_forist@partner.nps.gov.
Request for Clearance of a Three Year Program of Collections of
Information: Programmatic Approval of NPS-Sponsored Public Surveys.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Programmatic Approval of NPS-Sponsored Public Surveys.
Bureau Form Number: None.
OMB Number: 1024-0224.
Expiration date: 9/30/2004.
Type of request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Description of need: The National Park Service needs information
concerning park visitors and visitor services, potential park visitors,
and residents of communities near parks to provide park and NPS
managers with usable knowledge for improving the quality and utility of
agency programs, services, and planning efforts.
Automated data collection: At the present time, there is no
automated way to gather this information, since the information
gathering process involves asking the public to evaluate services and
facilities that they used during their park visits, services and
facilities they are likely to use on future park visits, perceptions of
park services and facilities, opinions regarding park management, and
technical assistance provided by the agency. The burden on individuals
is minimized by rigorously designing public surveys to maximize the
ability of the surveys to use small samples of individuals to represent
large populations of the public, and by coordinating the program of
surveys to maximize the ability of new surveys to build on the findings
of prior surveys.
Description of Respondents: A sample of visitors to parks,
potential visitors to parks, and residents of communities near parks.
Estimated average number of respondents: The program does not
identify the number of respondents because that number will differ in
each individual survey, depending on the purpose and design of each
information collection.
Estimated average number of responses: The program does not
identify the average number of responses because that number will
differ in each individual survey, depending on the purpose and design
of each individual survey. For most surveys, each respondent will be
asked to respond only one time, so in those cases the number of
responses will be the same as the number of respondents.
Estimated average burden hours per response: The program does not
identify the average burden hours per response because that number will
differ from individual survey to individual survey, depending on the
purpose and design of each individual survey.
Frequency of response: Most individual surveys will request only 1
response per respondent.
Estimated annual reporting burden: The program identifies the
requested total number of burden hours annually for all of the surveys
to be conducted under its auspices to be 15,000 burden hours per year.
The total annual burden per survey for most surveys conducted under the
auspices of this program would be within the range of 100 to 300 hours.
Information Collection Clearance Officer, WASO Administrative
Program Center, National Park Service.
Dated: September 17, 2004.
Doris Lowery,
Acting, Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-22570 Filed 10-6-04; 8:45 am]
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