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[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 194 (Thursday, October 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60181-60182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22570]

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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 [email protected].

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: 
[email protected] or Brian E. Forist. Voice: 202-513-7190,

[[Page 60182]]

Fax: 202-371-2131, E-mail: [email protected].
    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]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P
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