Agency Information Collection Activities; Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit, 73776-73777 [2022-26140]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 230 (Thursday, December 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73776-73777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26140]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-VRP-WS-NPS0034514; PPWOWMADL3, PPMPSAS1Y.TD0000 (222); OMB 
Control Number 1024-0022]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Backcountry/Wilderness 
Use Permit

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we, the 
National Park Service (NPS) are proposing to revise a previously 
approved information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 30, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) by mail to Phadrea Ponds, NPS Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive (MS-242), Reston, Virginia 20192; 
or to [email protected] (email). Please reference Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1024-0022 in the subject 
line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Roger Semler, Chief, Wilderness Stewardship 
Division at [email protected] (email). Please reference OMB Control 
Number 1024-0022 in the subject line of your comments. Individuals in 
the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a 
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United 
States should use the relay services offered within their country to 
make international calls to the point of contact in the United States. 
You may also view the ICR at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA and 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require approval under the 
PRA.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies 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.
    We are especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 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) How the agency might minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    Comments that you submit 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 ICR. 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: The Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit is an extension of 
the NPS statutory authority and responsibility to protect the park 
areas it administers and to manage the public use thereof (54 U.S.C. 
100101, 100751, and 320102). In 1976, the NPS initiated a backcountry 
registration system by the regulations codified in 36 CFR 1.5, 1.6, and 
2.10. The NPS regulations codified in 36 CFR parts 1 through 7, 12, and 
13 are designated to implement statutory mandates that provide for 
resource protection and public enjoyment. The registration system aims 
to provide users access to backcountry and wilderness areas of national 
parks while enhancing the protection of natural and cultural resources 
by using better management practices by the park management. Data 
collected through the registration process serves as an important 
resource that informs backcountry/wilderness management and stewardship 
planning, decision-making, and operations, and provides a means of 
disseminating public safety and outdoor ethics messages regarding 
backcountry/wilderness travel and camping along with continuing 
opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation. Permitting 
enhances the ability of the NPS to educate users on potential hazards, 
search and rescue efforts, and resource protection. The objectives of 
the permit system carried out by park managers are to ensure:
    (1) Requests by backcountry users are evaluated by park managers 
per applicable statutes and NPS regulations.
    (2) The use of consistent standards and permitting criteria 
throughout the agency.
    (3) To the extent possible, the use of a single and efficient 
permitting document, NPS Forms 10-404 Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit 
Application and 10-404A Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Hangtag, are 
used to provide access to NPS backcountry areas, including areas that 
require a reservation to enter where use limits are imposed per other 
NPS regulations. The 10-404AK Alaska Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit 
Application, is used within Alaskan park units, Denali National Park 
and Preserve and Glacier Bay National Park

[[Page 73777]]

and Preserve, due to unique, park-specific requirements like the 
additional permitted methods of travel as regulated by ANILCA Section 
1110(a).
    We are proposing to add a new form 10-404C Backcountry/Wilderness 
Use Permit Application for Climbing to this collection. This form will 
address the need for a separate permitting system for climbing in the 
backcountry and use the of fixed anchors. This form would include 
fields specific to climbing carried over from the currently approved 
form 10-404 Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Application and 
additional fields for the use of fixed anchors while climbing.
    Title of Collection: Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit, 36 CFR 1.5, 
1.6, and 2.10.
    OMB Control Number: 1024-0022.
    Form Number: NPS Forms 10-404 Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit 
Application, 10-404A Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Hangtag, 10-
404AK Alaska Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Application, and New 10-
404C Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Application for Climbing.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals, private sector, and 
state, local, or tribal government entities applying to use backcountry 
and wilderness areas within units of the national park system.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 351,121.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 351,121.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 5 minutes to 8 
minutes depending on the activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 39,116.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor nor is a person 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.).

Phadrea Ponds,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-26140 Filed 11-30-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P