60-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of Information; Opportunity for Public Comment, 59521-59522 [06-8564]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 10, 2006 / Notices period will begin at approximately 11 a.m. and the meeting will adjourn at approximately 3:30 p.m. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Jacobsen, Public Affairs Specialist, Miles City Field Office, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles City, Montana, 59301. Telephone: (406) 233–2831. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 15member Council advises the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management, on a variety of planning and management issues associated with public land management in Montana. At this meeting, topics to discuss include: Field Manager Updates The Miles City Field Office and Billings Field Office Updates Subcommittee working sessions —and other topics the council may raise. All meetings are open to the public. The public may present written comments to the Council. Each formal Council meeting will also have time allocated for hearing public comments. Depending on the number of persons wishing to comment and time available, the time for individual oral comments may be limited. Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance, such as sign language interpretation, tour transportation or other reasonable accommodations, should contact the BLM as provided above. Dated: October 3, 2006. Theresa Hanley, Field Manager. [FR Doc. E6–16669 Filed 10–6–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR National Park Service 60-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of Information; Opportunity for Public Comment Department of the Interior, National Park Service. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a proposed new collection of information (OMB # 1024– XXXX), DATES: Public comments will be accepted on or before December 11, 2006. VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:42 Oct 06, 2006 Jkt 211001 Send comments to: Susan Johnson, National Park Service Air Resources Division, U.S. National Park Service, 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225; phone: (303) 987–6694; e-mail: Susan_Johnson@nps.gov., or fax at 303/ 969–2822. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan McBride, National Park Service Social Science Program, 1201 ‘‘Eye’’ St., NW., Washington, DC 20016; phone: (202) 513–7190; e-mail: Megan_McBride@contractor.nps.gov., or fax at 202/371–2131. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Visibility Valuation in National Parks and Wilderness Areas: Pre-test and Pilot Test. Bureau Form Number: None. OMB Number: To be requested. Expiration Date: To be requested. Type of Request: New collection. Description of Need: The Clean Air Act includes provisions designed to maintain and enhance visibility at national parks and wilderness areas (Sections 169A, 169B, and 110(a)(2)(j)). The National Park Service is directed by its Organic Act to ‘‘conserve the scenery * * * unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations’’ (16 U.S.C. a-1); and the Clean Air Act charges the NPS with an ‘‘affirmative responsibility to protect air quality related values (including visibility)’’ (42 U.S.C. 7475(d)(2)(B)). Therefore, the NPS believes it is imperative that the value of visibility changes is adequately represented in cost-benefit analyses related to state and federal efforts that may affect visibility (including the Regional Haze Rule, 40 CFR part 51). Although several studies were conducted to estimate visibility benefits in the 1970s and 1980s, methodologies for estimating the benefits of improvements in environmental goods have advanced significantly since that time. Furthermore, baseline visibility conditions in national parks and wilderness areas have changed significantly over the last few decades. As a result, updated estimates of visibility benefits are required. NPS plans to conduct a nationwide stated-preference survey to estimate the value of visibility changes in national parks and wilderness areas. Statedpreference surveys use carefully designed questions to elicit respondents’ willingness to pay for improvements in environmental quality. A general population stated-preference survey is required in this case, as many U.S. citizens may be willing to pay to improve or maintain visibility at national parks and wilderness areas, ADDRESSES: PO 00000 Frm 00096 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 59521 even if they do not use these areas. Stated-preference surveys are the only methodology available to estimate these non-market-based values. But to ensure that the nationwide survey is unbiased and readily understood by respondents and that the likely effect of nonresponse on benefit estimates is known, the pre-test and pilot test must first be conducted. The pre-testing will be done through focus groups, which will be used to develop and refine a survey instrument for the pilot study. Twelve focus groups will be conducted, with approximately 10 participants in each group (120 in total). Thus, a sufficient number of responses will be gathered to evaluate the information presentation, reliability, internal consistency, response variability, and other properties of the draft survey. Results will be used to make improvements to the survey instrument. NPS will proceed iteratively, modifying the draft survey instrument after each focus group to ensure that the wording of the questions is clear and unbiased and effectively addresses the relevant issues. The pilot study will be designed to account for the potential impact of mail survey non-response on benefit estimates. The pilot study will involve a split-sample comparison between a mail and an in-person survey. Respondents will be asked to complete the survey instrument developed during the pre-testing stage. The results will ultimately be used to adjust the benefit estimates obtained in the nationwide survey for potential non-response bias. The final content of the pilot survey instrument will depend on the pretesting results. At a minimum, the survey will describe the characteristics of various visibility improvement programs and ask respondents to select a preferred program. The survey will also include socio-demographic questions and questions designed to evaluate the respondents’ motivation in selecting a preferred program. Surveys will be conducted with approximately 800 individuals. For this pilot study, 16 neighborhoods will be selected in two metropolitan areas (Phoenix, AZ and Syracuse, NY). Each neighborhood sample will be split into two groups, with 50 households assigned to a mail survey group and 50 households assigned to an in-person survey group. The in-person survey will be conducted in a manner that minimizes the differences between the two survey modes. NPS specifically requests comments on: (1) The practical utility of the information being gathered; (2) the accuracy of the burden hour estimate; (3) ways to enhance the E:\FR\FM\10OCN1.SGM 10OCN1 59522 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 10, 2006 / Notices quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden to respondents, including use of automated information collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Automated data collection: No automated data collection will be used in this study. Description of respondents: Pre-test— adults from Atlanta, GA, Sacramento, CA, and Chicago, IL who are contacted by telephone and agree to participate in focus groups in those cities. Pilot test— adult residents of 16 neighborhoods in Phoenix, AZ and Syracuse, NY who live in owner-occupied homes. Estimated average number of respondents: 920 (120 for focus groups; 800 for pilot survey). Estimated average number of responses: 920 (120 for focus groups; 800 for pilot survey). Estimated average burden hours per response: 2.5 hours for focus group respondents, 1⁄3 hour for pilot survey respondents. Frequency of response: 1 time per respondent. Estimated annual reporting burden: 567 hours. Dated: September 27, 2006. Leonard E. Stowe, NPS, Information Collection Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 06–8564 Filed 10–6–06; 8:45 am] next 15 to 20 years. The document describes four management alternatives, including a No-Action Alternative and the NPS’s preferred alternative. The anticipated environmental impacts of those alternatives are also analyzed. Public comment on the draft plan was considered when preparing the final. The NPS will execute a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 days following the Environmental Protection Agency’s notice in the Federal Register. DATES: Copies of the FEIS and GMP are available from the Superintendent, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, 2995 Lincoln Farm Road, Hodgenville, Kentucky 42748–9707; telephone: 270–358–3137. An electronic copy of the document is available on the Internet at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ . ADDRESSES: The Superintendent, Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site, at the address and telephone number shown above, Matthew Safford at 303–969–2898, or Amy Wirsching at 404–562–3124, extension 607. The responsible official for the FEIS is Patricia A. Hooks, Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Park Service, 100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dated: August 28, 2006. Patricia A. Hooks, Regional Director, Southeast Region. [FR Doc. E6–16686 Filed 10–6–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312–52–M0 BILLING CODE 4310–5C–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES National Park Service National Park Service SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the General Management Plan (GMP) for Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Kentucky. This document will be available for public review pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and NPS policy in Director’s Order Number 2 (Park Planning) and Director’s Order Number 12 (Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision-making). The authority for publishing this notice is 40 CFR 1506.6. The document provides a framework for management, use, and development of the historic site by the NPS for the VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:42 Oct 06, 2006 Jkt 211001 Draft Environmental Impact Statement for General Management Plan; Olympic National Park; Notice of Extension of Public Comment Period SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91–190 as amended), the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which will serve as the ‘‘blueprint’’ to guide management, research, and other activities in Olympic National Park, Washington, during the next 15–20 years. The park’s Notice of Availability of the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on July 14, 2006, with the original public review period set to conclude on September 15, 2006. In response to public interest expressed to date and with regard for the timing of the original PO 00000 Frm 00097 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 release, the public review period has been extended two additional weeks. Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are encouraged to provide written comments—to be considered any response must now be postmarked or transmitted no later than September 30, 2006. Persons wishing to comment may do so by one of several ways. Responses are encouraged online using the electronic comment form accessed at the NPS Park Planning website (https:// parkplanning.nps.gov), or by e-mail to olym_gmp@nps.gov. Written comments can be mailed to Olympic National Park General Management Plan, National Park Service, Denver Service Center, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225; or faxed to (303) 969–2736. Comments may be hand delivered during normal business hours to the headquarters office of Olympic National Park located at 600 East Park Avenue, Port Angeles, WA 98362. To obtain a copy of the DEIS please contact the park at the address noted above, or via telephone at (360) 565–3004. Our practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses, home phone numbers, and email addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider withholding this information you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale for withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be released. We will always make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dated: August 24, 2006. Patricia L. Neubacher, Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region. [FR Doc. E6–16664 Filed 10–6–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312–KY–P E:\FR\FM\10OCN1.SGM 10OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59521-59522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8564]


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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

National Park Service


60-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of 
Information; Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 
CFR part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National 
Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a proposed new collection 
of information (OMB  1024-XXXX),

DATES: Public comments will be accepted on or before December 11, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Susan Johnson, National Park Service Air 
Resources Division, U.S. National Park Service, 12795 W. Alameda 
Parkway, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225; phone: (303) 987-6694; 
e-mail: Susan--Johnson@nps.gov., or fax at 303/969-2822.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan McBride, National Park Service 
Social Science Program, 1201 ``Eye'' St., NW., Washington, DC 20016; 
phone: (202) 513-7190; e-mail: Megan--McBride@contractor.nps.gov., or 
fax at 202/371-2131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Visibility Valuation in National 
Parks and Wilderness Areas: Pre-test and Pilot Test.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: To be requested.
    Expiration Date: To be requested.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Description of Need: The Clean Air Act includes provisions designed 
to maintain and enhance visibility at national parks and wilderness 
areas (Sections 169A, 169B, and 110(a)(2)(j)). The National Park 
Service is directed by its Organic Act to ``conserve the scenery * * * 
unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations'' (16 U.S.C. a-1); 
and the Clean Air Act charges the NPS with an ``affirmative 
responsibility to protect air quality related values (including 
visibility)'' (42 U.S.C. 7475(d)(2)(B)). Therefore, the NPS believes it 
is imperative that the value of visibility changes is adequately 
represented in cost-benefit analyses related to state and federal 
efforts that may affect visibility (including the Regional Haze Rule, 
40 CFR part 51). Although several studies were conducted to estimate 
visibility benefits in the 1970s and 1980s, methodologies for 
estimating the benefits of improvements in environmental goods have 
advanced significantly since that time. Furthermore, baseline 
visibility conditions in national parks and wilderness areas have 
changed significantly over the last few decades. As a result, updated 
estimates of visibility benefits are required.
    NPS plans to conduct a nationwide stated-preference survey to 
estimate the value of visibility changes in national parks and 
wilderness areas. Stated-preference surveys use carefully designed 
questions to elicit respondents' willingness to pay for improvements in 
environmental quality. A general population stated-preference survey is 
required in this case, as many U.S. citizens may be willing to pay to 
improve or maintain visibility at national parks and wilderness areas, 
even if they do not use these areas. Stated-preference surveys are the 
only methodology available to estimate these non-market-based values. 
But to ensure that the nationwide survey is unbiased and readily 
understood by respondents and that the likely effect of non-response on 
benefit estimates is known, the pre-test and pilot test must first be 
conducted.
    The pre-testing will be done through focus groups, which will be 
used to develop and refine a survey instrument for the pilot study. 
Twelve focus groups will be conducted, with approximately 10 
participants in each group (120 in total). Thus, a sufficient number of 
responses will be gathered to evaluate the information presentation, 
reliability, internal consistency, response variability, and other 
properties of the draft survey. Results will be used to make 
improvements to the survey instrument. NPS will proceed iteratively, 
modifying the draft survey instrument after each focus group to ensure 
that the wording of the questions is clear and unbiased and effectively 
addresses the relevant issues.
    The pilot study will be designed to account for the potential 
impact of mail survey non-response on benefit estimates. The pilot 
study will involve a split-sample comparison between a mail and an in-
person survey. Respondents will be asked to complete the survey 
instrument developed during the pre-testing stage. The results will 
ultimately be used to adjust the benefit estimates obtained in the 
nationwide survey for potential non-response bias. The final content of 
the pilot survey instrument will depend on the pre-testing results. At 
a minimum, the survey will describe the characteristics of various 
visibility improvement programs and ask respondents to select a 
preferred program. The survey will also include socio-demographic 
questions and questions designed to evaluate the respondents' 
motivation in selecting a preferred program. Surveys will be conducted 
with approximately 800 individuals.
    For this pilot study, 16 neighborhoods will be selected in two 
metropolitan areas (Phoenix, AZ and Syracuse, NY). Each neighborhood 
sample will be split into two groups, with 50 households assigned to a 
mail survey group and 50 households assigned to an in-person survey 
group. The in-person survey will be conducted in a manner that 
minimizes the differences between the two survey modes. NPS 
specifically requests comments on: (1) The practical utility of the 
information being gathered; (2) the accuracy of the burden hour 
estimate; (3) ways to enhance the

[[Page 59522]]

quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(4) ways to minimize the burden to respondents, including use of 
automated information collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.
    Automated data collection: No automated data collection will be 
used in this study.
    Description of respondents: Pre-test--adults from Atlanta, GA, 
Sacramento, CA, and Chicago, IL who are contacted by telephone and 
agree to participate in focus groups in those cities. Pilot test--adult 
residents of 16 neighborhoods in Phoenix, AZ and Syracuse, NY who live 
in owner-occupied homes.
    Estimated average number of respondents: 920 (120 for focus groups; 
800 for pilot survey).
    Estimated average number of responses: 920 (120 for focus groups; 
800 for pilot survey).
    Estimated average burden hours per response: 2.5 hours for focus 
group respondents, \1/3\ hour for pilot survey respondents.
    Frequency of response: 1 time per respondent.
    Estimated annual reporting burden: 567 hours.

    Dated: September 27, 2006.
Leonard E. Stowe,
NPS, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-8564 Filed 10-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-M0
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