Information Collection; Secure Rural Schools Act, 25233-25234 [2019-11402]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 105 (Friday, May 31, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25233-25234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11402]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Secure Rural Schools Act

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 extension of the information collection, Secure 
Rural Schools Act.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before July 30, 2019 
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 
Leanne Veldhuis, National Secure Rural Schools Program Coordinator, 
USDA Forest Service, Washington Office--Yates Building, 1400 
Independence Avenue, Mailstop #1158, Washington, DC 20250; all comments 
should identify OMB 0596-0220.
    The public may inspect comments received at website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/pts/countyfunds/certification.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leanne Veldhuis, National Secure Rural 
Schools Program Coordinator, by phone at 202-649-1177 or via email at 
[email protected].
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through 
Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Secure Rural Schools Act.
    OMB Number: 0596-0220.
    Expiration Date of Approval: August 31, 2019.
    Type of Request: Extension.
    Abstract: The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000 (the Act) (16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), as reauthorized in 
Public Law 115-141, requires the appropriate official of a county that 
receives funds under Title III of the Act to submit to the appropriate 
Secretary an annual certification that the funds expended have been 
used as authorized.
    The appropriate official of each participating county will be 
requested to report the amount of Title III funds expended in the 
applicable year in these categories as specified in the Act:
    (1) To carry out authorized activities under the Firewise 
Communities Program;
    (2) To reimburse the participating county for search and rescue and 
other emergency services, including firefighting and law enforcement 
patrols;
    (3) To cover training costs and equipment purchases directly 
related to the emergency service described in paragraph (2); and
    (4) To develop and carry out community wildfire protection plans.
    The information collection will identify the participating county, 
the year in which the expenditures were made, the name, title, and 
signature of the certifying official; and the date of the 
certification. The certification will include a statement that all 
expenditures were for uses authorized under the Act and that the 
proposed uses were published and had a 60-day comment period and were 
submitted to the appropriate Secure Rural Schools Act resource advisory 
committee(s), if any, as described in Section 302(b) of the Act.
    Beginning with the certification due on February 1, 2019, the 
information collection also will request the county to certify the 
amount of Title III funds received since October of 2008 that has not 
been obligated as of September 30th of the previous year. This 
collection is necessary in the certification due on February 1, 2022, 
to determine the amount of Title III funds that must be returned to the 
United States Treasury under section 304(b) of the Act. Collection of 
this information in 2019 is consistent with a recent audit of county 
uses of Title III funds by the Government Accountability Office (https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-775). A county's procedure for and 
documentation of its obligation of Title III funds should be consistent 
with its procedures to obligate funds from other Federal sources.
    In summary, the February 1, 2019, information collection will 
certify Title III funds expended in calendar year 2018, and the amount 
of Title III funds not obligated as of September 30, 2018. The February 
1, 2020, information collection will certify Title III funds expended 
in calendar year 2019 and the amount of Title III funds not obligated 
as of September 30, 2019.
    The determination of who is the appropriate certifying official is 
at the discretion of the county and borough and will vary depending on 
county or borough organization. For unorganized boroughs in Alaska and 
for participating counties in Vermont, a state official may provide the 
information.
    The information will be collected in the form of conventional 
correspondence such as a letter and, at the respondent's option, 
attached tables or similar graphic display. The Forest Service provides 
an optional form for the convenience of respondents. At the 
respondent's discretion, the information may be submitted by hard copy 
and/or electronically scanned and included as an attachment to 
electronic mail.
    Under the Act, the first response was required by February 1, 2010 
for funds expended in 2009. Responses are required by February 1st of 
the following year each year Title III funds are expended. The Act 
requires Title III funds to be obligated by September 30, 2021, or be 
returned to the U.S. Treasury; therefore, the funds are likely to be 
expended or returned in 2021 and the final certification of 
expenditures could be made by February 1, 2022.
    The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management 
are also authorized to participate in this information collection 
because the Bureau of Land Management administers Federal lands in 
western

[[Page 25234]]

Oregon covered by the Act. The information will be reviewed by the 
appropriate Secretary, or designee, to verify that participating 
counties have certified that funds were expended as authorized in the 
Act and to identify amounts not obligated by September 30th of the 
previous year. The information also may be used by the Department of 
the Interior because it is relevant to its Payments in Lieu of Taxes 
(PILT) program.
    Estimate of Annual Burden per Respondent: The estimated time 
required for each respondent to collect, prepare and submit the 
information is 24 hours each year, including an estimated 20 hours for 
collection and four hours for preparation and submission.
    Type of Respondents: Respondents are county officials.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 344 county officials are 
expected to respond each year.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: The Act 
requires only one response for each participating county for each year 
expenditures are made, except that sixteen counties in western Oregon 
will respond separately to the Department of the Interior and the 
Department of Agriculture.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The estimated time 
required for all respondents (344 counties) to collect, prepare, and 
submit the information is 8,256 hours each year.

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 request for Office of 
Management and Budget approval.

    Dated: May 14, 2019.
Victoria Christiansen,
Chief, Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-11402 Filed 5-30-19; 8:45 am]
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