Information Collection; Request for Comment; Visitor Permit and Visitor Registration Card, 65166-65167 [2012-26246]
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65166
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 77, No. 207
Thursday, October 25, 2012
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Request for
Comment; Visitor Permit and Visitor
Registration Card
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice; request for comment.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service is seeking comments
from all interested individuals and
organizations on the extension with no
revision of a currently approved
information collection, 0596–0019
(Visitor Permit and Visitor Registration
Card).
DATES: Comments must be received in
writing on or before December 24, 2012
to be assured of consideration.
Comments received after that date will
be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this
notice should be addressed to
Wilderness Program Manager; USDA
Forest Service, Wilderness and Wild
and Scenic River Staff; 1601 N. Kent
Street, Arlington, VA 22209.
Comments also may be submitted via
email to: sboutcher@fs.fed.us.
The public may inspect comments
received at the Office of the Director,
Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River
Staff, 1601 N. Kent Street, Arlington, VA
during normal business hours. Visitors
are encouraged to call ahead to 202–
205–9530 to facilitate entry to the
building.
SUMMARY:
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steven Boutcher, Wilderness and Wild
and Scenic River Staff at 802 656–1718
or sboutcher@fs.fed.us. Individuals who
use telecommunication devices for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339
twenty-four hours a day, every day of
the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
12:06 Oct 24, 2012
Jkt 229001
Title: Request for Comment; Visitor
Permit and Visitor Registration Card.
OMB Number: 0596–0019.
Expiration Date of Approval: 05/31/
2013.
Type of Request: Extension with No
Revision.
Abstract: The Organic Administration
Act (16 U.S.C. 473), the Wilderness Act
(16 U.S.C. 1131), and Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1271) require the
Forest Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture manage the forests to benefit
both land and people. The information
collected from the Visitor’s Permit (FS–
2300–30) and Visitor Registration Card
(FS–2300–32) help the Forest Service
ensure that visitors’ use of National
Forest System lands is in the public
interest and is compatible with the
mission of the Agency. Information will
be collected from National Forest
System land visitors, who will be asked
to describe the location of their visit and
their estimated duration of use.
The Visitor’s Permit, Form FS–2300–
3, is required for visitors to enter many
special management areas on National
Forest System Lands, including
Wilderness Areas, Wild and Scenic
Rivers, and restricted off-road vehicle
areas. The permit is only used where
public use levels must be managed and
monitored to prevent resource damage,
to preserve the quality of the
experience, or to maintain public safety.
The personal contact generated by
issuance of the permit results in
improved visitor education and
information about proper camping
techniques, fire prevention, safety, and
sanitation. The information collected
from the Visitor’s Permit may also be
used to respond to indicators or
standards in a Forest Plan or Wilderness
Management Plan. The Visitor’s Permit
captures the visitor’s name and address,
area to be visited, dates of visit, length
of stay, method of travel, number of
people, number of dogs and number of
pack and saddle stock (that is, the
number of animals either carrying
people or their gear) in the group. The
Visitor’s Permit is usually issued by
Forest Service employees at an office
location. Visitors may obtain the permit
in person or call ahead and provide the
required information over the phone.
The information collection does not
involve the use of automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques.
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
The Visitor Registration Card, Form
FS–2300–32, is a voluntary registration
card, which provides Forest Service
managers with an inexpensive means of
gathering visitor use information
required by management plans, without
imposing mandatory visitor permit
regulations. Moreover, the information
collected can be used to respond to
indicators or standards in a Forest Plan
or Wilderness Management Plan
without requiring a mandatory permit
system to gather and record the data.
Use of the Visitor Registration Card is
one of the most efficient means of
collecting data from visitors. It allows
the Forest Service to collect data in
remote locations, where it is not feasible
to have permanent staffing. The Visitor
Registration Card is normally made
available at un-staffed entry locations
such as trailheads, and is completed by
the visitor without Forest Service
assistance. The Visitor Registration Card
provides information from wilderness
and special management area visitors
including name and address, area to be
visited, dates of visit, length of stay,
method of travel, number of people,
number of dogs, number of pack and
saddle stock (that is, the number of
animals either carrying people or their
gear) in the group, and number of
watercraft or vehicles. The information
is collected once from visitors during
their visit and later gathered by Forest
Service employees who then analyze the
information.
The use of these two forms allows
managers to identify heavily used areas,
to prepare restoration, and to monitor
plans that reflect where use is occurring,
and in extreme cases, to develop plans
to move forest users to lesser impacted
areas. They also provide managers and
search and rescue personnel with
information useful in locating lost forest
visitors. The inability to use these forms
could result in overuse and site
deterioration in some environmentally
sensitive areas. Furthermore, without
these forms, the Forest Service would be
required to undertake special studies to
collect use data and could be pressed to
make management decisions based on
insufficient or inaccurate data. The
information collected will not be shared
with other organizations inside or
outside the government.
Please note the Forest Service is
exploring the possibility of merging the
burden associated with this OMB
E:\FR\FM\25OCN1.SGM
25OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 207 / Thursday, October 25, 2012 / Notices
control number, 0596–0019, into the
extension with revision Information
Collection Request for OMB 0596–0106,
Recreation Administration Permit and
Fee Envelope, currently under OMB
review.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 3 minutes
(FS–2300–30), 3 minutes (FS–2300–32).
Type of Respondents: Individuals and
groups requesting use of National Forest
System Wilderness and special
management areas.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 517,500 respondents.
Estimated Annual Number of
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 25,875 hours.
Comment Is Invited: Comment is
invited on: (1) Whether this collection
of information is necessary for the stated
purposes and the proper performance of
the functions of the Agency, including
whether the information will have
practical or scientific utility; (2) the
accuracy of the Agency’s estimate of the
burden of the collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (4) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology.
All comments received in response to
this notice, including names and
addresses when provided, will be a
matter of public record. Comments will
be summarized and included in the
submission request toward Office of
Management and Budget approval.
Dated: October 15, 2012.
˜
James M. Pena,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest
System.
[FR Doc. 2012–26246 Filed 10–24–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Blacksmith Ecological Restoration
Project, Eldorado National Forest,
Placer and El Dorado Counties, CA
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with
ACTION:
The USDA, Forest Service,
Eldorado National Forest will prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for a proposal to treat
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
12:06 Oct 24, 2012
Jkt 229001
approximately 6,970 acres of National
Forest System land. The purpose of the
project is to: (1) Protect, increase and
perpetuate old forest ecosystem habitat
components and conserve their
associated wildlife species; (2)
strategically reduce fuel loads to modify
landscape fire behavior; (3) restore a
composition of tree species and size
classes that are likely to be more
sustainable into the future; (4) improve
access and reduce resource damage
through improvements to the forest
transportation system; and (5) treat
hazardous fuels and implement forest
health improvements in a cost-effective
manner to ensure sufficient treatments
occur to meet project objectives and to
support the retention of local industrial
infrastructure. The project area is
situated on the Georgetown Ranger
District northeast of Georgetown, CA in
the vicinity of Ralston Ridge and
Nevada Point Ridge, between the
Middle Fork of the American River and
the Rubicon River. The focus of each
treatment is based on the desired quality
of each treatment area after management
rather than the quantity or quality of the
products removed from each area. The
Proposed Action consists of commercial
and non-commercial tree thinning with
follow-up tractor piling or mastication;
mastication of select, existing
plantations with a follow-up treatment
of herbicides to reduce brush
competition and fuel buildup; the
planting of conifers in expanded canopy
gaps with a follow-up treatment of
herbicide; prescribed burning, and
associated roadwork.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis should be received by
November 30, 2012. The draft
environmental impact statement is
expected March 2013 and the final
environmental impact statement is
expected October 2013.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
7600 Wentworth Springs Rd.,
Georgetown, CA 95634 Attention:
Blacksmith Ecological Restoration
Project. Comments may also be sent via
email to comments-pacificsouthwesteldorado-georgetown@fs.fed.us, or via
facsimile to 530–333–5522.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dana Walsh, Project Leader, Georgetown
Ranger District, 7600 Wentworth
Springs Rd., Georgetown, CA 95634, or
by telephone at 530–333–4312.
Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern
Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65167
Purpose and Need for Action
(1) Protect, increase and perpetuate
old forest ecosystem habitat components
and conserve their associated wildlife
species.
(2) Strategically reduce fuel loads to
modify landscape fire behavior.
(3) Restore a composition of tree
species and size classes that are likely
to be more sustainable into the future.
(4) Improve access and reduce
resource damage through improvements
to the forest transportation system.
(5) Treat hazardous fuels and
implement forest health improvements
in a cost-effective manner to ensure
sufficient treatments occur to meet
project objectives and to support the
retention of local industrial
infrastructure.
Proposed Action
The Proposed Action includes a
combination of fuels reduction and
forest health improvement actions
designed to move stands toward the
Desired Future Condition for the land
allocation described in the Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (FSEIS) for the Sierra Nevada
Forest Plan Amendment dated 1/21/
2004 on approximately 6,968 acres of
National Forest System land on the
Eldorado National Forest in Placer
County and El Dorado Counties,
California. The Proposed Action has
been developed based on collaborative
efforts during project development, and
activities have been selected and
designed based on a desire to balance
treatment needs with the potential risks
of treatments to occupancy and
reproduction in individual California
spotted owl territories.
• Approximately 2,519 acres are
proposed for mechanical thinning with
the cutting and removal of select
commercial and non-commercial size
trees using a combination of variable
density thinning and thinning from
below to maintain or increase withinstand heterogeneity while reducing
ladder fuels in strategic locations and
where machinery can effectively and
efficiently achieve project objectives.
Commercial timber removed from this
project would be scaled or weighed for
payment purposes.
Thinning would be performed using a
combination of ground based and
skyline systems. Ground based whole
tree logging system would be used to
thin approximately 2,462 acres on
slopes generally less than 35%. A
skyline system would be used to thin
approximately 57 acres of treatment
units with slopes generally greater than
35%. Units identified for thinning using
E:\FR\FM\25OCN1.SGM
25OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 207 (Thursday, October 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65166-65167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26246]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 207 / Thursday, October 25, 2012 /
Notices
[[Page 65166]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Request for Comment; Visitor Permit and
Visitor Registration Card
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and
organizations on the extension with no revision of a currently approved
information collection, 0596-0019 (Visitor Permit and Visitor
Registration Card).
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before December 24,
2012 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date
will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to
Wilderness Program Manager; USDA Forest Service, Wilderness and Wild
and Scenic River Staff; 1601 N. Kent Street, Arlington, VA 22209.
Comments also may be submitted via email to: sboutcher@fs.fed.us.
The public may inspect comments received at the Office of the
Director, Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River Staff, 1601 N. Kent
Street, Arlington, VA during normal business hours. Visitors are
encouraged to call ahead to 202-205-9530 to facilitate entry to the
building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Boutcher, Wilderness and Wild
and Scenic River Staff at 802 656-1718 or sboutcher@fs.fed.us.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four
hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Request for Comment; Visitor Permit and Visitor Registration
Card.
OMB Number: 0596-0019.
Expiration Date of Approval: 05/31/2013.
Type of Request: Extension with No Revision.
Abstract: The Organic Administration Act (16 U.S.C. 473), the
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131), and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16
U.S.C. 1271) require the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
manage the forests to benefit both land and people. The information
collected from the Visitor's Permit (FS-2300-30) and Visitor
Registration Card (FS-2300-32) help the Forest Service ensure that
visitors' use of National Forest System lands is in the public interest
and is compatible with the mission of the Agency. Information will be
collected from National Forest System land visitors, who will be asked
to describe the location of their visit and their estimated duration of
use.
The Visitor's Permit, Form FS-2300-3, is required for visitors to
enter many special management areas on National Forest System Lands,
including Wilderness Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and restricted off-
road vehicle areas. The permit is only used where public use levels
must be managed and monitored to prevent resource damage, to preserve
the quality of the experience, or to maintain public safety. The
personal contact generated by issuance of the permit results in
improved visitor education and information about proper camping
techniques, fire prevention, safety, and sanitation. The information
collected from the Visitor's Permit may also be used to respond to
indicators or standards in a Forest Plan or Wilderness Management Plan.
The Visitor's Permit captures the visitor's name and address, area to
be visited, dates of visit, length of stay, method of travel, number of
people, number of dogs and number of pack and saddle stock (that is,
the number of animals either carrying people or their gear) in the
group. The Visitor's Permit is usually issued by Forest Service
employees at an office location. Visitors may obtain the permit in
person or call ahead and provide the required information over the
phone. The information collection does not involve the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques.
The Visitor Registration Card, Form FS-2300-32, is a voluntary
registration card, which provides Forest Service managers with an
inexpensive means of gathering visitor use information required by
management plans, without imposing mandatory visitor permit
regulations. Moreover, the information collected can be used to respond
to indicators or standards in a Forest Plan or Wilderness Management
Plan without requiring a mandatory permit system to gather and record
the data. Use of the Visitor Registration Card is one of the most
efficient means of collecting data from visitors. It allows the Forest
Service to collect data in remote locations, where it is not feasible
to have permanent staffing. The Visitor Registration Card is normally
made available at un-staffed entry locations such as trailheads, and is
completed by the visitor without Forest Service assistance. The Visitor
Registration Card provides information from wilderness and special
management area visitors including name and address, area to be
visited, dates of visit, length of stay, method of travel, number of
people, number of dogs, number of pack and saddle stock (that is, the
number of animals either carrying people or their gear) in the group,
and number of watercraft or vehicles. The information is collected once
from visitors during their visit and later gathered by Forest Service
employees who then analyze the information.
The use of these two forms allows managers to identify heavily used
areas, to prepare restoration, and to monitor plans that reflect where
use is occurring, and in extreme cases, to develop plans to move forest
users to lesser impacted areas. They also provide managers and search
and rescue personnel with information useful in locating lost forest
visitors. The inability to use these forms could result in overuse and
site deterioration in some environmentally sensitive areas.
Furthermore, without these forms, the Forest Service would be required
to undertake special studies to collect use data and could be pressed
to make management decisions based on insufficient or inaccurate data.
The information collected will not be shared with other organizations
inside or outside the government.
Please note the Forest Service is exploring the possibility of
merging the burden associated with this OMB
[[Page 65167]]
control number, 0596-0019, into the extension with revision Information
Collection Request for OMB 0596-0106, Recreation Administration Permit
and Fee Envelope, currently under OMB review.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 3 minutes (FS-2300-30), 3 minutes (FS-
2300-32).
Type of Respondents: Individuals and groups requesting use of
National Forest System Wilderness and special management areas.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 517,500 respondents.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 25,875 hours.
Comment Is Invited: Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this
collection of information is necessary for the stated purposes and the
proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether
the information will have practical or scientific utility; (2) the
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on respondents, including the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
All comments received in response to this notice, including names
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record.
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission request
toward Office of Management and Budget approval.
Dated: October 15, 2012.
James M. Pe[ntilde]a,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2012-26246 Filed 10-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
