Information Collection; Environmental Justice and the Urban Forest in Atlanta, GA, 76810 [2013-30152]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 244 (Thursday, December 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 76810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30152]


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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 244 / Thursday, December 19, 2013 / 
Notices

[[Page 76810]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Environmental Justice and the Urban 
Forest in Atlanta, GA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and 
organizations on the new information collection, Environmental Justice 
and the Urban Forest in Atlanta, GA.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before February 18, 
2014 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 
Cassandra Johnson Gaither, Forestry Sciences Lab, 320 Green St., 
Athens, GA 30602. Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to 706-
559-4266 or by email to: cjohnson09@fs.fed.us.
    The public may inspect comments received at Forestry Sciences Lab, 
320 Green St., Athens, GA 30602 during normal business hours. Visitors 
are encouraged to call ahead to 706-559-4270 to facilitate entry to the 
building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cassandra Johnson Gaither, U.S. Forest 
Service, Southern Research Station, 706-559-4270. Individuals who use 
telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 
including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Environmental Justice and the Urban Forest in Atlanta, GA
    OMB Number: 0596-NEW
    Type of Request: New
    Abstract: This information collection records data on the attitude 
and engagement of Atlanta city residents as it relates to the Atlanta 
urban forest. The information collected serves several purposes 
beginning with the provision of data. This data will be used to support 
the participation of U.S. Forest Service Region 8 in the interagency, 
Green Infrastructure Community of Practice initiative (GI COP). GI COP 
is a public agency collaboration, partnered with others, that advocate 
to increase the amount of green space in cities across the country. The 
collected data will be used to help achieve the Region 8, Regional 
Urban Forester, goals as related to the GI COP effort. Another purpose 
of this information collection is to support the U.S. Forest Service 
Strategic Goal  6, through the GI COP, which directs the 
agency to engage urban America with Forest Service Programs. Action 
items are implemented, related to Strategic Goal 6, and used 
``to develop partnerships with nontraditional partners to engage urban 
and underserved audiences''. The final purpose of this information 
collection is to incorporate the President Obama America's Great 
Outdoors Initiative (AGO), Recommendation 6.4, which stresses the need 
to connect urban residents with community green spaces http://americasgreatoutdoors.gov/files/2011/02/AGO-Report-With-All-Appendices-3-1-11.pdf.
    The AGO recommendation requires the federal government to find 
innovative ways to engage urban residents, with both public and private 
green space, in cities through the elimination of barriers to 
engagement. A better understanding of the constraints to citizen 
engagement is one of the methods being used to comply with the AGO.
    This information collection addresses environmental justice from 
the perspective of urban trees; and how this resource may contribute to 
environmental justice in a given community or neighborhood. Most 
existing studies of environmental justice focus solely on environmental 
threats. A better account of environmental justice would include an 
assessment of the cumulative impact of both environmental burdens and 
environmental services. In cities, this would include the counts for 
both the number of hazardous facilities and the number of city parks 
and green spaces, for instance. Another component of environmental 
justice is human interest and advocacy for environmental quality. This 
information collection gathers data on people's interest in, and their 
understanding of, city trees in Atlanta. This dimension of 
environmental justice will be combined with data on environmental 
threats, and data on the physical remediation of pollutants via urban 
vegetation to produce a more complete assessment of environmental 
justice in Atlanta neighborhoods.
    Type of Respondents: Individuals and Households
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 1,236
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.5
    Estimate of Burden per response: 1 to 15 minutes
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 199 hours
    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: December 11, 2013.
Daina D. Apple,
Senior Staff to the Deputy Chief, U. S. Forest Service Research and 
Development.
[FR Doc. 2013-30152 Filed 12-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P