[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67655-67656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33728]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


60-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of 
Information--Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and 11 Units 
of the National Park System.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Cooperative Park Studies Unit of the University of 
Minnesota is proposing to conduct five projects at up to eleven parks 
during FY 98:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Estimated                  
                NPS unit                      number         Estimated  
                                             responses     burden hours 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Hopewell Culture National Historical                                
 Park...................................             800             270
(2) Canyonlands National Park, Green and                                
 Colorado Rivers........................           1,200             600
(3) Voyageurs National Park.............             600             300
(4) Perry's Victory & International                                     
 Peace Memorial.........................             400             135
(5) Great Plains Prairie Cluster parks,                                 
 including:                                                             
    Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.             250              85
    Effigy Mounds National Monument.....             250              85
    Homestead National Monument of                                      
     America............................             250              85
    Mount Rushmore National Memorial....             250              85
    Pipestone National Monument.........             250              85
    Scotts Bluff National Monument......             250              85
    Wilson's Creek National Battlefield.             250              85
                                         -------------------------------
        Totals..........................           4,750           1,900
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR 
Part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the National Park 
Service is soliciting comments on the need for gathering the 
information in the proposed visitor studies listed above. The NPS is 
also asking for comments on the practical utility of the information 
being gathered; the accuracy of the burden hour estimate; ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and ways to minimize the burden to respondents, including 
use of automated information collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.
    The NPS goal in conducting these surveys generally is to identify 
characteristics, use patterns, perceptions, preferences and opinions of 
visitors about management and services in these parks. Each project 
will have a slightly different focus. Project 1, Hopewell Culture 
National Historical Park, also will involve a survey mailed to 
community members to identify characteristics, perceptions and 
attitudes of people who do not visit the park. This information will 
help the park be more responsive to, and better serve, the local 
community. Projects 2 and 3, the Green and Colorado Rivers in 
Canyonlands National Park and park-wide in Voyageurs National Park, 
will obtain visitor reactions to managing conflicting uses, management 
strategies used in the parks, and definitions of standards for quality 
visitor experiences on both the Green and Colorado Rivers that flow 
through Canyonlands NP. Project 4, Perry's Victory and International 
Peace Memorial, will obtain vistor reactions to recent changes made in 
park management based on past research in the park. Project 5, Great 
Plains Prairie Cluster parks, will ask visitors to provide information 
that will contribute to the development of protocols for future 
monitoring to identify trends. Results of all the surveys at all of the 
parks will be used by NPS managers in their ongoing planning and 
management activities to improve vistor services, protect park 
resources, and better serve the park's current and future visitors.

DATES: Public comments will be accepted on or before February 27, 1998.
    Send Comments To: Dr. David W. Lime, Senior Research Associate, 
Cooperative Park Studies Unit, College of Natural Resources, 115 Green 
Hall, University of Minnesota, 55108, phone: 612-624-2250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David W. Lime. Voice: 612-624-2250, 
Fax: 612-625-5212, Email: <[email protected]>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Visitor and Related Surveys at up to 11 Parks.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: To be requested.

[[Page 67656]]

    Expiration Date: To be requested.
    Type of Request: Request for new clearance.
    Description of Need: NPS needs information concerning park visitor 
demographics and visitor opinions about the services that the National 
Park Service provides. For Project (1), Hopewell Culture National 
Historical Park Visitor and Community Survey, NPS also needs 
information about the perceptions of people who do not visit the park 
to help the park be more responsive to community needs. For Projects 
2&3, Canyonlands National Park (Green and Colorado Rivers) Visitor 
Study, and Voyageurs National Park Visitor Study, NPS also needs 
information about visitor perceptions of standards for achieving 
quality visitor experiences. For Project 4, Perry's Victory and 
International Peace Memorial Visitor Study, NPS also needs information 
about how visitors are reacting to changes made in park management 
based on past research in the park. For Project 5, Great Plains Prairie 
Cluster Visitor Studies at 7 parks, NPS also needs information about 
visitor perceptions of standards for achieving quality visitor 
experiences. The information proposed to be collected from visitors in 
these parks and from community residents to meet these needs is not 
available from existing records, sources, or observations.
    Automated Data Collection: At the present time, there is no 
automated way to gather this information, since it includes asking 
visitors to react to management and services at the parks they are 
visiting. The intrusion on visitors is minimized by contacting them 
only once during their visit to the park.
    Description of Respondents: Project 1: A sample of visitors to the 
park and a sample of individuals from Ross County, Ohio. Projects 2&3: 
A sample of visitors on the Green and Colorado Rivers and at Voyageurs 
National Park. Projects 4&5: A sample of visitors to each park.
    Estimated Average Number of Respondents: Project 1: 400 visitors 
contacted at the park and 400 residents of Ross county. Projects 2&3: 
600 at each location. Project 4: 400. Project 5: 250 at each park.
    Estimated Average Number of Responses: Each respondent will respond 
only one time, so the number of responses will be the same as the 
number of respondents.
    Estimated Average Burden Hours Per Response: Projects 1, 4, and 5: 
20 minutes. Projects 2&3: 30 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: 1 time per respondent.
    Estimated Annual Reporting Burden: Project 1: 270 hours. Projects 
2&3: 900 hours. Project 4: 135 hours. Project 5: 85 hours at each park 
for a total of 595 hours.
Diane M. Cooke,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, WASO Administrative Program 
Center, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 97-33728 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M