Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Information Collection; Economic Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems, 70751-70752 [2011-29425]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 15, 2011 / Notices 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 OMB in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it will be done. Dated: November 7, 2011. Tina A. Campbell, Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2011–29386 Filed 11–14–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P TAMWG. The meeting will include discussion of the following topics: • Key questions for Restoration Program guidance and assessment, • Channel rehabilitation program review and planning, • Gravel augmentation program, • Watersheds work program, • TRRP budget update, • Hatchery practices review, • Fish marking, • Executive Director’s report, • Trinity Management Council Chair’s report, and • Designated Federal Officer topics. Completion of the agenda is dependent on the amount of time each item takes. The meeting could end early if the agenda has been completed. Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R8–FHC–2011–N237; FXFR1334088TWG0W4] Dated: November 8, 2011. Randy A. Brown, Deputy Field Supervisor, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, Arcata, CA. [FR Doc. 2011–29420 Filed 11–14–11; 8:45 am] DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BILLING CODE 4310–55–P Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group AGENCY: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. Notice of meeting. Geological Survey ACTION: [GX12RB00CMF2400] The Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) affords stakeholders the opportunity to give policy, management, and technical input concerning Trinity River (California) restoration efforts to the Trinity Management Council (TMC). The TMC interprets and recommends policy, coordinates and reviews management actions, and provides organizational budget oversight. This notice announces a TAMWG meeting, which is open to the public. DATES: TAMWG will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, December 9, 2011. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Trinity County Library, 351 Main Street, Weaverville, CA 96093. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meeting Information: Randy A. Brown, TAMWG Designated Federal Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521; telephone: (707) 822–7201. Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) Information: Robin Schrock, Executive Director, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 1300, 1313 South Main Street, Weaverville, CA 96093; telephone: (530) 623–1800; email: rschrock@usbr.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), this notice announces a meeting of the mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:06 Nov 14, 2011 Jkt 226001 Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Information Collection; Economic Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior. ACTION: Notice; request for comments for a new information collection. AGENCY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. We 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. DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC we must receive them on or before January 17, 2012. ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments on this IC to Shari Baloch, Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 70751 Drive mail stop 807 (mail) or smbaloch@usgs.gov (email). Please reference IC 1028–NEW (ECFIRA) in the subject line. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Lynne Koontz, U.S. Geological Survey, 2150–C Centre Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526 (mail); koontzl@usgs.gov (email); or: (970) 226–9384 (phone). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract Under the American Restoration and Recovery Act (ARRA) (Pub. L. 111–5) and via U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) management agencies, restoration projects to mitigate environmental damages and to improve the health and resiliency of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems are currently in progress. Federal investments in ecosystem restoration and monitoring protect Federal trusts, ensure public health and safety, and preserve and enhance essential ecosystem services; furthermore, these investments create jobs. An emphasis on quantifying the relationship between job creation and investments in ecological restoration is evident in the goals of the ARRA, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack’s emphasis on tying management actions to rural jobs (Farm Service Agency Office of Communications, 2010), and Interior Secretary Salazar’s annual report on the Department’s economic contribution to the Nation’s economy (Department of the Interior, 2009). The need to better understand the connection between restoring the health and productivity of ecosystems and the resulting economic benefits to local communities is also illustrated in a recent report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which calls on the federal government to better prioritize the approximately $10 billion it spends each year on ecological restoration and biodiversity preservation. Though a few small, localized studies have been carried out to measure jobs created or supported by investments in certain types of ecosystem restoration, they are not useful at a national scale due to regional variations and variations in study methods and objectives. Without data on the proportion of restoration costs typically spent on labor, equipment, supplies and other expenditures, the economic contribution generated by federal investments in restoration cannot be estimated. The USGS plans to conduct a nationwide telephone survey to elicit expenditure pattern information from contractors that conduct restoration E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM 15NON1 70752 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 15, 2011 / Notices work for the DOI and the USDA. The objective of this survey is to estimate the economic job and income contribution current and proposed restoration activities generate in surrounding communities. Collection of these data is necessary to improve agency decision making on individual restoration projects, to prioritize spending across restoration projects, and to meet internal guidelines for credible economic analysis. This notice will cover the development and pretesting of the final survey instrument. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES II. Data OMB Number: 1028–New. Title: Economic Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems. Type of Request: This is a new collection. Affected Public: DOI and USDA restoration contractors registered on the Federal Procurement Data System. Respondent Obligation: Voluntary. Frequency of Collection: One time only. Estimated Total Number of Annual Respondents: 7,500. Estimated Total Annual Responses: 6,000. Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,500 hours. Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’ Burden: We have not identified any ‘‘non-hour cost’’ burdens associated with this collection of information. III. Request for Comments Comments are invited on: (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, including the practical utility of the information being gathered; (2) the accuracy of the burden hour estimate for this collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden to respondents, including use of automated information techniques or other forms of information technology. Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this IC. 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. VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:06 Nov 14, 2011 Jkt 226001 While you can ask OMB in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it will be done. Dated: October 20, 2011. Ione Taylor, Associate Director, Energy and Minerals, and Environmental Health Programs. [FR Doc. 2011–29425 Filed 11–14–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4311–AM–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Indian Affairs Deadline for Submitting Completed Applications To Begin Participation in the Tribal Self-Governance Program in Fiscal Year 2013 or Calendar Year 2013 Office of Self-Governance, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Application Deadline. AGENCY: In this notice, the Office of Self-Governance (OSG) establishes a March 1, 2012, deadline for Indian tribes/consortia to submit completed applications to begin participation in the tribal self-governance program in fiscal year 2013 or calendar year 2013. DATES: Completed application packages must be received by the Director, Office of Self-Governance, by March 1, 2012. ADDRESSES: Application packages for inclusion in the applicant pool should be sent to Sharee M. Freeman, Director, Office of Self-Governance, Department of the Interior, Mail Stop 355–G–SIB, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20240. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Kenneth D. Reinfeld, Office of SelfGovernance, Telephone (202) 208–5734. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Tribal Self-Governance Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103–413), as amended by the Fiscal Year 1997 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (Pub. L. 104–208), the Director, Office of Self-Governance may select up to 50 additional participating tribes/consortia per year for the tribal self-governance program, and negotiate and enter into a written funding agreement with each participating tribe. The Act mandates that the Secretary submit copies of the funding agreements at least 90 days before the proposed effective date to the appropriate committees of the Congress and to the other tribes that are served by the same Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) agency as the tribe that is a party to the funding agreement. Initial negotiations with a tribe/consortium located in a region and/or agency which has not SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 previously been involved with selfgovernance negotiations, will take approximately 2 months from start to finish. Agreements for an October 1 to September 30 funding year need to be signed and submitted by July 1. Agreements for a January 1 to December 31 funding year need to be signed and submitted by October 1. Purpose of Notice The regulations at 25 CFR 1000.10 to 1000.31 will be used to govern the application and selection process for tribes/consortia to begin their participation in the tribal selfgovernance program in fiscal year 2013 and calendar year 2013. Applicants should be guided by the requirements in these subparts in preparing their applications. Copies of these subparts may be obtained from the information contact person identified in this notice. Tribes/consortia wishing to be considered for participation in the tribal self-governance program in fiscal year 2013 or calendar year 2013 must respond to this notice, except for those tribes/consortia which are: (1) Currently involved in negotiations with the Department; or (2) one of the 105 tribal entities with signed agreements. Information Collection This information collection is authorized by OMB Control Number 1076–0143, Tribal Self-Governance Program, which expires November 30, 2012. Dated: November 1, 2011. Donald E. Laverdure, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs. [FR Doc. 2011–29390 Filed 11–14–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–W8–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CACA 51793, LLCA9300000, L54100000] Notice of Realty Action: Conveyance of Federally Owned Mineral Interests in Kern County, CA Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of realty action. AGENCY: The surface owner, George Sullivan, filed an application on April 5, 2010 for the conveyance of the federally-owned mineral interests of a 10.98 acre tract of land in Kern County, California. Publication of this notice temporarily segregates the mineral interests in the land covered by the application from appropriation under SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM 15NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 220 (Tuesday, November 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70751-70752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29425]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX12RB00CMF2400]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Information 
Collection; Economic Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration 
of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments for a new information collection.

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

SUMMARY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) 
described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take 
this opportunity to comment on this IC. We 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.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC 
we must receive them on or before January 17, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments on this IC to Shari Baloch, 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 
Sunrise Valley Drive mail stop 807 (mail) or smbaloch@usgs.gov (email). 
Please reference IC 1028-NEW (ECFIRA) in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Lynne Koontz, U.S. Geological 
Survey, 2150-C Centre Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526 (mail); 
koontzl@usgs.gov (email); or: (970) 226-9384 (phone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Under the American Restoration and Recovery Act (ARRA) (Pub. L. 
111-5) and via U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) management agencies, restoration 
projects to mitigate environmental damages and to improve the health 
and resiliency of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems are 
currently in progress. Federal investments in ecosystem restoration and 
monitoring protect Federal trusts, ensure public health and safety, and 
preserve and enhance essential ecosystem services; furthermore, these 
investments create jobs. An emphasis on quantifying the relationship 
between job creation and investments in ecological restoration is 
evident in the goals of the ARRA, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack's 
emphasis on tying management actions to rural jobs (Farm Service Agency 
Office of Communications, 2010), and Interior Secretary Salazar's 
annual report on the Department's economic contribution to the Nation's 
economy (Department of the Interior, 2009). The need to better 
understand the connection between restoring the health and productivity 
of ecosystems and the resulting economic benefits to local communities 
is also illustrated in a recent report by the President's Council of 
Advisors on Science and Technology, which calls on the federal 
government to better prioritize the approximately $10 billion it spends 
each year on ecological restoration and biodiversity preservation. 
Though a few small, localized studies have been carried out to measure 
jobs created or supported by investments in certain types of ecosystem 
restoration, they are not useful at a national scale due to regional 
variations and variations in study methods and objectives. Without data 
on the proportion of restoration costs typically spent on labor, 
equipment, supplies and other expenditures, the economic contribution 
generated by federal investments in restoration cannot be estimated.
    The USGS plans to conduct a nationwide telephone survey to elicit 
expenditure pattern information from contractors that conduct 
restoration

[[Page 70752]]

work for the DOI and the USDA. The objective of this survey is to 
estimate the economic job and income contribution current and proposed 
restoration activities generate in surrounding communities. Collection 
of these data is necessary to improve agency decision making on 
individual restoration projects, to prioritize spending across 
restoration projects, and to meet internal guidelines for credible 
economic analysis. This notice will cover the development and 
pretesting of the final survey instrument.

II. Data

    OMB Number: 1028-New.
    Title: Economic Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration 
of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems.
    Type of Request: This is a new collection.
    Affected Public: DOI and USDA restoration contractors registered on 
the Federal Procurement Data System.
    Respondent Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time only.
    Estimated Total Number of Annual Respondents: 7,500.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 6,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,500 hours.

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have not identified any ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with this 
collection of information.

III. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether or not the collection of 
information is necessary, including the practical utility of the 
information being gathered; (2) the accuracy of the burden hour 
estimate for this collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(4) ways to minimize the burden to respondents, including use of 
automated information techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice 
are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each 
comment in our request to OMB to approve this IC. 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 OMB in your comment 
to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, 
we cannot guarantee that it will be done.

    Dated: October 20, 2011.
 Ione Taylor,
Associate Director, Energy and Minerals, and Environmental Health 
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2011-29425 Filed 11-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4311-AM-P
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