[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16823-16824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8912]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Submission of Study Package to Office of Management and Budget, 
Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: Department of the Interior; National Park Service; Allegheny 
Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Colonial National Historical 
Park, Everglades National Park, Frederick Douglass National Historic 
Site, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National 
Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, Independence National 
Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Sitka National Historical 
Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Yellowstone National 
Park, Yosemite National Park.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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ABSTRACT: The National Park Service and 13 units of the National Park 
System (Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Colonial 
National Historical Park, Everglades National Park, Frederick Douglass 
National Historic Site, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden 
Gate National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, Independence 
National Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Sitka National 
Historical Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Yellowstone 
National Park, Yosemite National Park) propose to conduct visitor 
surveys to assess visitor reactions to new, demonstration visitor fee 
programs. The results will be used by the National Park Service, 
Department of the Interior, and the Congress to evaluate the trial fee 
programs. A Paperwork Reduction Act submission that includes the 
proposed questionnaire for these surveys has been submitted to the 
Office of Management and Budget for review.

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
and 5 CFR Part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the 
National Park Service invites comments on the proposed information 
collection request (ICR). Comments are invited on: (1) the need for the 
information including whether the information has practical utility; 
(2) the accuracy of the reporting burden estimate; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on 
respondents, including use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

[[Page 16824]]

    The purpose of the ICR is to obtain in 13 national park units 
information about visitors and their reactions to types of new visitor 
fee programs being conducted on a trial basis in many units of the 
National Park System of the United States. The 13 national park units 
will represent a cross section of the parks in the National Park 
System. Results of this survey will be used by the National Park 
Service, the Department of the Interior, and the Congress to evaluate 
the trial fee programs.
    There were no public comments received as a result of publishing in 
the Federal Register a 60 day notice of intention to request clearance 
for this ICR.

dates: Public comments will be accepted May 6, 1998.
    Send Comments to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of 
OMB, Attention Desk Officer for the Interior Department, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503; and also to: John W. 
Duffield, Ph.D., Department of Economics, University of Montana, 
Missoula, MT 59812.

For further information of a copy of the ICR Submitted to OMB, Contact: 
John Duffield, 406-728-9510.
Supplementary Information:
    Title: Evaluation of the National Park Service Fee Demonstration 
Program.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: To be assigned.
    Expiration Date: To be assigned.
    Type of Request: Request for new clearance.
    Description of Need: The National Park Service needs information 
about visitors and their reactions to new visitor fee programs being 
conducted on a trial basis in many units of the National Park System of 
the United States. The results of this 13 national park unit survey 
will be used by the National Park Service, the Department of the 
Interior, and the Congress to evaluate the trial fee programs.
    Automated Data Collection: At the present time, there is no 
automated way to gather this information, since it includes asking 
visitors to react to fees and aspects of park management 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: Samples from each of the 13 parks of 
the individuals who visit that park.
    Estimated Average Number of Respondents: 4,200 total (300 at each 
of 10 parks, 400 at each of the remaining 3 parks).
    Frequency of Response: One time per respondent.
    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: 12 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Reporting Burden: The total for all parks is 
estimated to be 840 hours.
Diane M. Cooke,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, WASO Administrative Program 
Center, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 98-8912 Filed 4-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M