[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 122 (Thursday, June 25, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34662-34663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16830]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


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

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, National Park Service; Sequoia and 
Kings Canyon National Parks.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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ABSTRACT: The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing in 1998 to 
conduct a survey of community residents in one gateway community near 
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks to refine those issues related 
to fire management and associated smoke that are most important to 
people who live there. This information collection will support ongoing 
fire management planning at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. 
Study packages that include the proposed survey questionnaires for 
these three proposed park studies have 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 NPS 
invites public comment on these three proposed information collection 
requests (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 the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    The NPS goal in conducting this survey is to obtain park neighbors' 
perceptions of the existing fire management program and its effect on 
residents, the community, and the ecosystem. Results of the survey will 
assist NPS fire managers in their management decisions by providing 
information about the knowledge, needs and desires of the affected 
publics living in the community that is closest to the two parks. The 
intended effect of this information collection is to better inform park 
managers about issues important to park neighbors, to assist them in 
developing citizen education and involvement programs, and to help them 
formulate fire management decision making criteria for fires in the 
parks.
    There were no public comments received as a result of publishing in 
the Federal Register a 60-day notice of intention to request clearance 
of information collection for this survey.

DATES: Public comments will be accepted on or before July 27, 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 20530; and also to: William 
Kaage, Fire Management Officer, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National 
Parks, Three Rivers, California 93271-9700, phone: 209-565-3160.
    The OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information 
collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure maximum 
consideration, OMB should receive public comments on or before July 27, 
1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE STUDY PACKAGES SUBMITTED FOR 
OMB REVIEW, CONTACT: William Kaage, Fire Management Officer, Sequoia 
and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California 93271-9700, 
phone: 209-565-3160; e-mail: <[email protected]>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Fire Management Planning Survey at Sequoia and Kings Canyon 
National Parks.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: To be requested.
    Expiration date: To be requested.
    Type of request: Request for new clearance.
    Description of need: The National Park Service needs information 
concerning perceptions of residents who live near Sequoia and Kings 
Canyon National Parks regarding forest fire, fire ecology, regional 
fire management history and the effects of fire management practices on 
their community and the ecosystem. The proposed information to be 
collected from park neighbors is not available from existing records, 
sources, or observations either regularly or comprehensively.
    Automated data collection: At the present time, there is no 
automated way to gather this information, since it includes asking 
gateway community residents about their perceptions of fire management 
in the region.
    Description of Respondents: A sample of adult householders living 
in one gateway community near Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
    Estimated average number of respondents: Each respondent will 
respond only one time, so the number

[[Page 34663]]

of responses will be the same as the number of respondents.
    Estimated average burden hours per response: 25 minutes.
    Frequency of response: 1 time per respondent.
    Estimated annual reporting burden: The total burden for 1998 will 
be approximately 210 hours.
Diane M. Cooke,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, WASO Administrative Program 
Center, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 98-16830 Filed 6-24-98; 8:45 am]
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