Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Economic Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems, 52894 [2019-21489]

Agencies

• Geological Survey
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 52894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21489]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GWXXRB000AP8100; OMB Control Number 1028-0107/Renew]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Economic 
Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration of Degraded, 
Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are proposing to renew an information 
collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
November 4, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget's Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior by email at [email protected]; or 
via facsimile to (202) 395-5806. Please provide a copy of your comments 
to U.S. Geological Survey, Information Collections Officer, 12201 
Sunrise Valley Drive MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1028-
0107 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Rudy Schuster by email at [email protected], 
or by telephone at 970.226.9165. You may also view the ICR at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and 
continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact 
of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information 
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired 
format.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
June 11, 2019 (84 FR 27154). No comments were received.
    We are again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is 
described below. We are especially interested in public comment 
addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the 
proper functions of the USGS; (2) will this information be processed 
and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 
(4) how might the USGS enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (5) how might the USGS minimize the 
burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use 
of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. 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 us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    Abstract: Federal investments in ecosystem restoration restore 
injured natural resources and improve the health and resiliency of 
terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. These investments also 
generate business activity and create jobs. The Economic Impacts of 
Ecosystem Restoration project aims to increase the availability of 
information on the costs and activities associated with ecosystem 
restoration and to gauge the economic effects of these investments to 
local economies. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and 
the DOI Office of Policy Analysis are conducting this information 
collection at the request of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment 
(NRDA) Restoration Program. The NRDA Restoration Program is weighing 
the pros and cons of collecting restoration cost data as part of 
contractor reporting requirements for restoration projects associated 
with NRDA cases. The collection described under this request is 
designed to refine potential expenditure questions prior to developing 
contractor reporting requirements. The project comprises a series of 
case studies that quantify the economic impacts of restoration 
projects. The case studies include examples of collaboratively funded 
and managed projects to restore a wide range of degraded, damaged, or 
destroyed ecosystems. Project methods include the collection of primary 
expenditure data and economic input/output modeling. Results from the 
first phase of case studies are available in a 2016 USGS report 
entitled, ``Estimating the economic impacts of ecosystem restoration--
methods and case studies.'' This second phase of case studies aims to 
refine the survey methods and to develop and test a Web-based data 
collection form that would enable broader collection of project 
expenditure data.
    Title of Collection: Economic Contribution of Federal Investments 
in Restoration of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems.
    OMB Control Number: 1028-0107.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Restoration project managers working 
on selected case study restoration projects; this includes project 
managers from state and local government, non-profits, and the private 
sector.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 6.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 6.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: 120 minutes.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 12 hours.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: There are no ``non-hour 
cost'' burdens associated with this collection of information.
    An agency 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.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq).

Rudolph Schuster,
Social and Economic Science Branch Chief, Fort Collins Science Center 
Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-21489 Filed 10-2-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P