[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7029-7030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2168]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2007-0008]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments 
for Change to and Extension of Currently Approved Information 
Collection

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request 
described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for approval of changes to and extension of a currently approved 
information collection. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 
60-day public comment period on this information collection on October 
23, 2007. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal 
Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by March 7, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments within 30 days to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. 
You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, 
including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the 
FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways 
for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the 
collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized, 
including the use of electronic technology, without reducing the 
quality of the collected information. All comments should include the 
Docket number FHWA-2007-0008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Jensen, 202-366-2048, Office of 
Planning, Environment and Realty, HEP-2, Federal Highway 
Administration, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Scenic Byway Program.
    OMB Control #: 2125-0611.
    Form #: FHWA-1569, FHWA-1570, FHWA-1577.
    Background: The National Scenic Byways Program was established 
under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, and 
reauthorized in 1998 under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 
Century. Under the program, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation 
recognizes certain roads as National Scenic Byways or All-American 
Roads based on their archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, 
recreational, and scenic qualities. There are 126 such designated 
Byways in 44 states, which the FHWA promotes as the America's Byways. 
It is a voluntary, grassroots program that recognizes and supports 
outstanding roads while providing resources to help manage the 
intrinsic qualities within the broader Byway corridor to be treasured 
and shared. The vision of the FHWA's National Scenic Byways Program is 
``to create a distinctive collection of American roads, their stories, 
and treasured places.'' The program's mission is to provide resources 
to the byway community in creating a unique travel experience and 
enhanced local quality of life through efforts to preserve, protect, 
interpret, and promote the intrinsic qualities of designated byways. 
Title 23, Section 162 of the United States Code describes the creation 
of the National Scenic Byways Program. This legislation was most 
recently amended in 2005 upon passage of the Public Law 109-59 Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A 
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The legislation includes provisions for 
review and dissemination of grant monies by the U.S. Secretary of 
Transportation. Grant applications are

[[Page 7030]]

solicited on an annual basis. Eligible projects are on State designated 
byways, National Scenic Byways, All-American Roads, or Indian tribe 
scenic byways.
    Applications are completed by Federal, State, or local governmental 
agencies; Tribal governments; and non-profit organizations. The 
application information is collected electronically via the online 
Grant system (http://www.grants.gov) and is used to determine project 
eligibility.
    The legislation also includes information about the nomination of 
scenic byways to become one of America's Byways, a collection of 
distinct and diverse roads designated by the U.S. Secretary of 
Transportation. America's Byways include the National Scenic Byways and 
All-American Roads. Additional information on the National Scenic 
Byways Program, its grant program, and the nomination process is 
available at http://www.bywaysonline.org.
    The total number of burden hours for this collection has changed. 
The grants applications forms were decreased to include only those 
forms that were created specifically for www.grants.gov. Also, the 
nominations cycle burden hours have been added.

Respondents

    Grants Application Respondents: In a typical grants cycle, it is 
estimated that 400 applications will be received. Respondents include: 
50 State Departments of Transportation, the District of Columbia and 
Puerto Rico (Right-of-Way Department), Federal Land Management 
Agencies, State and local governments, non-profit agencies, and Tribal 
Governments.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 16 hours.
    Nomination Respondents: Based on previous nomination cycles, it is 
estimated that a total of 75 nominations will be received, originating 
from any local government, including Indian tribal governments, or any 
private group or individual. Nominations may also originate from the 
U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land 
Management, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    Frequency: Every 2-3 years.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 200 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 11,400 hours.
    Electronic Access: For access to the docket to read background 
documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets.

    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.


    Issued on: January 30, 2008.
James R. Kabel,
Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
 [FR Doc. E8-2168 Filed 2-5-08; 8:45 am]
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