[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 178 (Tuesday, September 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 49367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24647]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


60 Day Notice of Intent To Request Clearance for Collection of 
Information; Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: Big Thicket National Preserve, National Park Service, 
Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service proposes to conduct visitor surveys 
to assess the social and visual impacts of oil and gas activities 
within Big Thicket National Preserve (Preserve). The overall project 
goals are: (1) to provide critical decision-making information that is 
currently fragmented and/or loosely organized for the purposes of 
evaluating impacts of oil and gas exploration and development on 
federal lands throughout the United States, and particularly within the 
Preserve; (2) to identify the critical variables and their relative 
importance in affecting standards of performance for oil and gas 
activities within the Preserve; (3) to illustrate how social and visual 
impacts can be assessed and incorporated into management decisions 
under alternative operational procedures affecting oil and gas 
activities within the Preserve; and (4) to adapt standard methodologies 
for assessing user perceptions, visitor behavior, and landscape 
attributes (including policy capture evaluations) that can be 
incorporated in environmental impact statements addressing oil and gas 
operations on federal lands. Such information would be incorporated in 
the forthcoming Draft Oil and Gas Management Plan/Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Preserve.
    Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR 
Part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the National Park 
Service (NPS) is soliciting comments on the need for gathering 
information in the proposed surveys. The NPS further requests 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.

DATES: Public comments will be accepted on or before November 16, 1998.

SEND COMMENTS TO: Rick Strahan, Division of Resources Management, Big 
Thicket National Preserve, 3785 Milam Street, Beaumont, Texas 77701; 
phone: 409/839-2689, ext. 224; fax: 409/839-2599.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Strahan, phone: 409/839-2689, 
ext. 224; fax: 409/839-2599; e-mail: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Big Thicket National Preserve Visitor Trip Fact Sheet.
    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 
regarding changes in visual perception and social acceptance as 
alternative activities associated with oil and gas operations are 
considered. Such information would be incorporated in the forthcoming 
Draft Oil and Gas Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Preserve.
    Automated data collection: Surveys will be both mailed to 
respondents and administered at selected areas by NPS personnel and 
Michigan State University faculty and students trained in survey 
administration. Collection of data in the field will occur during peak 
visitation periods (June-August) and off-peak visitation periods 
(September-December). Automated collection of data is limited to survey 
by mail.
    Description of respondents: To achieve a statistically valid 
survey, surveys must be completed and received from approximately 491 
trail users, 334 boaters, and 525 hunters who use the Preserve.
    Estimated average number of respondents: 1350.
    Estimated average number of responses: Each respondent will respond 
only once, therefore the number of responses will be the same as the 
number of respondents.
    Estimated average burden hour per response: 20 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: one time per respondent.
    Estimated annual reporting burden: 450 hours.
Betsy Chittenden,
Acting Information Collection Clearance Officer, WASO Administrative 
Program Center, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 98-24647 Filed 9-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M