[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8114-8115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3837]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Request for Comments; Recreation 
Marketing Surveys for Coconino and Pacific Northwest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service announces its intention to request an extension of a 
currently approved information collection. This collected information 
enables the Forest Service to keep apprised of the recreational 
experiences most desired by visitors to National Forest System lands. 
The information also will help the agency develop a user fee system 
that will be most compatible with the demands visitors place on 
recreational sites and facilities. These fees supplement agency funding 
to help maintain the recreational sites experiencing the most visitor 
traffic. Adult visitors will be selected at random from two study 
areas, the Sedona District of the Coconino National Forest in Arizona 
and the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service in Oregon and 
Washington.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before April 17, 
2000.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be addressed to: Daniel W. McCollum, 
Rocky Mountain Research Station, 2150 Centre Ave., Building A, Suite 
350, Forest Service, USDA, Fort Collins, CO 80526-1891.
    Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to (970) 295-5959 or 
by e-mail to dmccollu/[email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at the offices of the 
Rocky Mountain Research Station, Research Work Unit RM-4851, 2150 
Centre Ave., Building A, Suite 350, Fort Collins, Colorado. Visitors 
are urged to call ahead to facilitate entrance into the offices.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel W. McCollum, Rocky Mountain 
Research Station, at (970) 295-5962.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The types of and demand for outdoor recreational opportunities on 
public lands has increased in recent years. Funding often has been 
insufficient to meet the increased demand for recreational 
opportunities and, at the same time, protect the natural resources from 
overuse and degradation. In 1996, the U.S. Congress authorized the 
Recreation Fee Demonstration Program to allow ``new user fees'' to be 
collected by four Federal agencies at 100 locations. The purpose of the 
new user fees is to see if funding provided by the fees would address 
the problem of insufficient funding for recreational site maintenance 
and protection of natural resources. User fees are payments visitors 
must provide in order to utilize certain recreational amenities and 
sites on National Forest System lands.
    The Forest Service is now seeking reactions from recreational 
visitors whose visit was or is contingent upon paying a fee to utilize 
a recreational amenity or site. This survey focuses on two sites: (1) 
The Sedona District of the Coconino National Forest in Arizona and (2) 
the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service in Oregon and 
Washington. Responses of individuals who will visit these two sites for 
recreational experiences in the spring and summer of 2000 will be 
compared with responses obtained from recreational visitors to these 
sites in the fall and winter of 1999. Information will be collected in 
2001, 2002, and 2003 to see how well the ``new user fees'' are meeting 
the objective of providing supplemental funding for maintenance of 
recreational amenities and sites, as well as natural resource 
protection.
    This information collection also seeks to estimate the effects that 
user fees will have on the future numbers of visitors to National 
Forest System lands and how fees will influence the recreational 
experiences individuals will choose.

Description of Information Collection

    Title: Recreation Marketing Surveys for Coconino and Pacific 
Northwest.
    OMB Number: 0596-0149.
    Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 1999.
    Type of Request: Extension of a previously approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: Forest Service employees and cooperating University of 
Montana

[[Page 8115]]

and Arizona State University researchers, who are specialists in 
economics, marketing, outdoor recreation, and statistics, will collect 
the information and analyze it to learn what current recreational 
visitors and potential recreational visitors desire in terms of 
recreational experiences. The data also will enable the agency to 
design a method for payment of fees, which will supplement agency 
funding and help the agency meet the demands for recreational 
experiences in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
    This information will be collected for two case studies: (1) the 
Sedona District of the Coconino National Forest in Arizona, and (2) the 
Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service in Oregon and 
Washington. The purpose of the Coconino study will be to evaluate the 
success of a new recreational fee demonstration project. The purpose of 
the Pacific Northwest Region study is to consider the public's 
perception of the feasibility of consolidating the 18 to 20 recreation 
fee demonstration sites into a Region-wide pass (the entire Pacific 
Northwest Region that includes all of Oregon and all of Washington) or 
into two State-wide passes (one for Oregon and one for Washington) that 
would be good at all the sites within the Region or within a single 
State. The other aspect of the study is to gain the public's perception 
of the feasibility of modifying the fee structure so the fees charged 
are the same for identical or similar amenities or experiences at 
different recreational sites. Both cases will be part of the Recreation 
Fee Demonstration Program authorized by the 1966 Recreation Fee 
Demonstration Program to evaluate the role of fees in providing 
recreational opportunities on the public lands.
    For the Coconino National Forest case study, Forest Service 
personnel will work with Arizona State University personnel, and for 
the Pacific Northwest Region case study, Forest Service personnel will 
work with University of Montana personnel to conduct on-site, face-to-
face interviews. Respondents will answer questions that include where 
they live, their planned length of visit, their planned primary 
recreational activity, whether the area provided them an opportunity 
for a satisfactory recreational experience, how satisfied they are with 
the area, their age, race, ethnic background, and their annual income.
    Respondents also will be asked to complete an optional mail-back 
survey containing additional questions, such as whether they would like 
to have restroom facilities at the site, if restrooms were at the site, 
whether they were clean, if they would like to have directional signs, 
geographical maps, the extent to which their visit met their 
expectations, if they accept that fees will be charged for various 
recreational activities, their preferred method of paying their fees, 
if they consider the fee amounts charged to be fair.
    Data gathered in this information collection is not available from 
other sources.
    Estimate of annual burden: 30 minutes.
    Type of respondents: Individuals visiting the Sedona District of 
the Coconino National Forest in Arizona and Pacific Northwest Region of 
the Forest Service in Oregon and Washington.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 2500.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 1,250 hours.

Comment Is Invited

    The agency invites comments on the following: (a) Whether the 
information proposed for the collection is appropriate for the stated 
purposes and the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Use of Comments

    All comments, including name and address when provided, will become 
a matter of public record. Comments received in response to this notice 
will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management 
and Budget approval.

    Dated: February 10, 2000.
Robert Lewis, Jr.,
Deputy Chief for Research & Development.
[FR Doc. 00-3837 Filed 2-16-00; 8:45 am]
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