[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 14 (Thursday, January 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3343-3344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1458]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
[WO-830-1030-2-241A]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management, Interior, and United States Forest
Service, Agriculture.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest
Service are soliciting comments concerning the proposed three-year
joint collection of information that would conduct surveys of the
public in each of their users groups.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 23, 1998
to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to John Kerwyn Keith, Management Systems
Group, Business and Fiscal Resources Directorate, Bureau of Land
Management, 1849 C Street, NW, Room LS1000, Washington, DC 20240 (fax:
202-452-5171, email: [email protected]).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John Kerwyn Keith at 202-452-5159.
NATURE OF COMMENTS: We specifically request your comments on the
proposed collection in the following areas:
(1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the
proper functioning of BLM and the Forest Service;
(2) The accuracy of our estimates of the burden of collecting the
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used;
(3) The quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected;
and
(4) How to minimize the burden of collecting the information on
those who are to respond, including using the appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical or other forms of information technology.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Methodology
IV. Requests for Comments
I. Background
The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (Pub. L. No.
103-62) sets out to ``improve Federal program effectiveness and public
accountability by promoting a new focus on results, service quality,
and customer satisfaction'' (Section 2, b, 3). In order to fulfill this
responsibility, the BLM and the Forest Service must collect data from
their respective user groups to (1) better understand the needs and
desires of the public and (2) respond to those needs and desires
accordingly.
This course of action is fortified by Executive Order No. 12862,
signed by the President on September 11, 1993, aimed at ``ensuring the
Federal government provides the highest quality service possible to the
American people.'' The Order discusses surveys as a means for
determining the kinds and qualities of services desired by the Federal
Government's customers and for determining satisfaction levels for
existing services. These voluntary customer surveys will be used to
ascertain customer satisfaction with the BLM and Forest Service in
terms of services and products. Respondents will be individuals and
organizations that are the recipients of the BLM and Forest Service's
services and products. Previous customer surveys have provided useful
information to the BLM and Forest Service for assessing how well we
deliver our services and products and for making improvements. The
results are used internally and summaries are provided to the Office of
Management and Budget on an annual basis and are used to satisfy the
requirements and spirit of Executive Order No. 12862.
Continuing to work collectively on issues that pertain to the
outside public, the BLM and Forest Service anticipate performing all of
their customer surveys under one three-year clearance. Where
applicable, similar questions will be asked in the surveys of the two
agencies, thus allowing better bench marking between the agencies.
II. Current Actions
The request to OMB will be for a three-year clearance to conduct
customer surveys in the BLM and the
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Forest Service. During the past clearance cycle the BLM conducted 17
customer surveys and the Forest Service conducted 9 surveys by
telephone and mail. (Examples of previously conducted customer surveys
are available upon request.) Our planned activities in the next three
fiscal years reflect our increased emphasis on and expansion of these
activities.
III. Methodology
The BLM and Forest Service survey customers in the following
general categories: (1) Use requiring authorization; (2) state and
private forestry; (3) timber sales; (4) wild horse and burro; (5)
research; (6) law enforcement; (7) fire and aviation; (8) wildlife and
fisheries; (9) recreation; (10) information [general, land, title, and
technology-based]; (11) pilot programs; (12) stakeholders and partners;
and (13) state and local governments.
A stratified sampling technique is employed for categories 1
through 8; categories 9 and 10 use intercept surveys; and a general
sampling technique is employed for categories 11 through 13. The
randomized sample pulled from the databases will include an estimated
1200 persons unless the population is less than 1200, at which point
the entire user population will be surveyed. An 80% response rate goal
has been set; for this reason, whenever possible telephone surveys are
chosen over mail surveys.
Parallel to this effort, comment cards will be solicited from all
of the above groups on an intercept basis--accompanying transaction
performed with the agencies.
The questionnaires are developed with the help of focus groups from
around the country. We ask questions in the following general areas:
(1) Program specific (i.e., processing permits, recordation of mining
claims, facilities and access to public land for recreation); (2)
service delivery; (3) management practices; (4) resource protection;
(5) rules, regulations, and policies; (6) communication with the
public; (7) overall satisfaction; and (8) general demographics.
IV. Requests for Comments
Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment
on the actions discussed in items II & III. The following guidelines
are provided to assist you in responding.
General Issues
A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary, taking into
account its accuracy, adequacy, and reliability, and the agency's
ability to process the information it collects in a useful and timely
fashion?
B. What enhancements can the BLM and Forest Service make to the
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected?
As a Potential Respondent
A. The average public reporting burden for a customer survey is
estimated to be .25 hours per response (13,000 respondents per year
x 15 minutes per response =3250 hours annually). For comment cards, the
average public reporting burden is estimated to be 3 minutes per
response (30,000 respondents per year x 3 minutes per response =1500
hours annually). Burden includes the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or
provide the information including: (1) Reviewing instructions; (2)
developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems
for purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing,
maintaining, disclosing, and providing information; (3) adjusting the
existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and
requirements; (4) training personnel to respond to a collection of
information; (5) searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing
the collection of information; and (7) transmitting or otherwise
disclosing the information.
Please comment on (1) the accuracy of our estimate and (2) how the
agencies could minimize the burden of the collection information,
including the use of automated collection techniques.
B. The BLM and Forest Service estimate that respondents will incur
no additional costs for reporting other than the time required to
complete the collection. What is the estimated (1) total dollar amount
annualized for capital and start-up costs and (2) recurring annual
dollar amount of operation and maintenance and purchase of services
costs associated with this data collection? The estimates should take
into account the costs associated with generating, maintaining, and
disclosing or providing information.
C. Do you know of any other Federal, State, or local agency that
collects similar data? If you do, specify the agency, collection
element (s), and the methods of collection.
As a Potential User
Are there any alternative sources of data and do you use them? If
so, what are their deficiencies and/or strengths?
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the survey. They
also will become a matter of public record.
Dated: January 15, 1998.
Carole Smith,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Officer.
Dated: January 8, 1998.
William Delaney,
U.S. Forest Service, Management Improvement.
[FR Doc. 98-1458 Filed 1-21-98; 8:45 am]
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