[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6248-6249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2843]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Request for Comments; Annual Wildfire 
Summary Report

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service announces its intention to reinstate, without change, a 
previously approved information collection, for which approval has 
expired. The collected information enables the Forest Service to 
provide timely, substantive information to Congress about the 
effectiveness of State and local fire fighting agencies, when the 
agencies request annual funding for the Forest Service State and 
Private Forestry Cooperative Fire Program. This program supplements the 
funding of State and local fire fighting efforts.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before April 12, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to Jim 
Shell, Fire and Aviation Management, MAIL STOP 1107, State and Private 
Forestry, Forest Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20250.
    Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to (202) 205-1494 or 
by e-mail to [email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at the Office of the 
Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry, Forest Service, USDA, 2nd 
Floor SW., Yates Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington DC. 
Visitors are urged to call ahead to (202) 205-1494 to facilitate 
entrance into the building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Shell, Fire and Aviation 
Management, State and Private Forestry, (202) 205-1494. Individuals who 
use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a day, every 
day of the year, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 requires the Forest 
Service to collect information about wildfire suppression efforts by 
State and local fire fighting agencies to ensure that Congress has 
adequate information to implement its oversight responsibilities and to 
provide accountability for expenditures and activities under the Act. 
The Forest Service works cooperatively with State and local fire 
fighting agencies and provides supplemental funding to these agencies 
to support their fire suppression efforts through the Forest Service 
State and Private Forestry Cooperative Fire Program. State and local 
fire agencies are the first line of defense against fires that threaten 
non-Federal property and resources and that might spread to Federal 
lands.
    State Foresters use the form, FS-3100-8, Annual Wildfire Summary 
Report, to compile information from their State and local fire agencies 
in response to a request for this information from the Forest Service.
    The Forest Service would be unable to assess the effectiveness of 
the State and Private Forestry Cooperative Fire Program if the 
information provided on form, FS-3100-8, were not collected.

Description of Information Collection

    The following describes the information collection to be retained.
    Title: FS-3100-8, Annual Wildfire Summary Report.
    OMB Number: 0596-0025.
    Date of Expiration: May 31, 2003.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement.
    Abstract: Forest Service State and Private Forestry Cooperative 
Fire

[[Page 6249]]

Program managers will evaluate the collected information to determine 
whether Cooperative Fire program funds provided to the State and local 
fire fighting agencies by the Forest Service have been used to improve 
their fire suppression capabilities. The Forest Service will share the 
results of the data with Congress when requesting annual funding for 
the Program. The collected information also will enable the Forest 
Service to share with the public the importance and value of the State 
and Private Forestry Cooperative Fire Program.
    Forest Service employees will not collect the information directly, 
but will request the information from State Foresters, who will collect 
the information from their own State fire fighting agencies, and from 
local fire fighting agencies, such as volunteer fire departments. The 
information collected for the Annual Wildfire Summary Report will 
include the number of acres protected; the number of fires to which the 
State or local fire fighting agencies responded within the fiscal year; 
the sizes of the fires in acres; and the causes of the fires, such as 
lightening, campfire, or arson. Data gathered in this information 
collection are not available from other sources.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 30 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: State Foresters.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 50.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 25 hours.

Comment Is Invited

    Comment is invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the stated purposes and the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical or scientific 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 received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will become a matter of public record and 
will be available for public inspection and copying. Comments will be 
summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and 
Budget approval.

    Dated: February 4, 2004.
Robin L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry.
[FR Doc. 04-2843 Filed 2-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P