[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 205 (Monday, October 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 63260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27176]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


60-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of 
Information: Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Glacier 
National Park.

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to conduct 
research regarding the potential socio-economic impacts associated with 
reconstruction of Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. One 
component of this work is a proposal to conduct two surveys.
    The Potential Visitor Survey will be conducted among potential 
visitors to Glacier National park. Potential visitors are those that 
have expressed interest in visiting Glacier National Park by making 
contact with a tourism development office managed or funded by the 
State of Montana. Survey respondents will be asked contingent behavior 
questions regarding travel to Glacier National Park if travel were 
hampered on Going-to-the-Sun Road. The survey will be conducted by 
telephone, mail or email, depending on data availability from the 
tourism development offices.
    The Local Business Survey will be conducted among businesses in a 
local area (three counties in Montana plus a portion of Alberta, 
Canada) that are directly or indirectly impacted by tourism. Survey 
respondents will be asked questions regarding the seasonality of their 
business activity and employment, the impact of tourism and Glacier 
National Park on their business activity, potential socio-economic 
impacts, and mitigation strategies. The survey will be conducted by 
mail.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Estimated numbers of
                                                 -----------------------
                                                               Responses
                                                    Burden       hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Potential Visitor Survey........................         400          67
Local Business Survey...........................       1,500         375
                                                 -----------------------
    Total.......................................       1,900         442
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    Under the 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 the 
information in the proposed surveys. The NPS is also asking for 
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.
    The NPS goal in conducting these surveys is to help describe and 
quantify potential socio-economic impacts of reconstruction 
alternatives for Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

DATES: Public comments will be accepted on or before December 22, 2000.
    Send Comments To: Fred Babb, Project Management, Glacier National 
Park, P.O. Box 128; West Glacier, MT 59936. [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Townsend, Coley/Forrest, Inc., 
1635 Blake Street, Suite 200; Denver, CO 80202. 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Socio-Economic Impact Analysis of Going-to-the-Sun Road.
    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 to 
assess the potential socio-economic impacts of reconstruction 
alternatives for Going-to-the-Sun Road. Direct responses from potential 
visitors and from local businesses will provide quality information 
upon which to develop reliable analyses.
    Automated Data Collection: At the present time, there is no 
automated way to gather this information because it involves 
communicating with the individual potential visitors and business 
owners.
    Description of Respondents: Potential Visitor Survey: Potential 
visitors to Glacier National Park who have expressed interest through a 
tourism development office in the State of Montana. Local Business 
Survey: owners and managers of tourism-related businesses in Flathead, 
Glacier, and Lake counties of Montana plus a portion of Alberta, 
Canada. Tourism-related businesses will be identified by standard 
industrial classification code.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 400 (Potential Visitor Survey); 
1,500 (Local Business Survey).
    Estimated Number of Responses: Each respondent will respond one 
time only. The estimated number of responses is the same as the 
estimated number of respondents.
    Estimated Average Burden Hours Per Response: 10 minutes (Potential 
Visitor Survey); 15 minutes (Local Business Survey).
    Frequency of Response: 1 time per respondent.
    Estimated Annual Reporting Hours: 67 hours (Potential Visitor 
Survey); 375 hours (Local Business Survey).

    Dated: October 18, 2000.
Leonard E. Stowe,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, WASO, Administrative Program 
Center, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 00-27176 Filed 10-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M