[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 109 (Monday, June 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31785-31786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12813]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Perceptions of Risk, Trust, 
Responsibility, and Management Preferences Among Fire-Prone Communities 
on the San Bernardino National Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and 
organizations on the new information collection, Perceptions of Risk, 
Trust, and Responsibility, and Management Preferences Among Fire-Prone 
Communities on the San Bernardino National Forest.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before August 6, 
2004, to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to 
Patricia L. Winter, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, 
USDA, 4955 Canyon Crest Drive, Riverside, CA 92507.
    Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to (909) 680-1501 or 
by e-mail to: [email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at 4955 Canyon Crest 
Drive, Riverside, CA 92507; building one reception during normal 
business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to (909) 680-1500 
to facilitate entry to the building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia L. Winter, Pacific Southwest 
Research Station, USDA FS, (909) 680-1557.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Perceptions of Risk, Trust, Responsibility, and Management 
Preferences Among Fire-Prone Communities on the San Bernardino National 
Forest.
    OMB Number: 0596-New.
    Expiration Date of Approval: N/A.
    Type of Request: New.
    Abstract: Forest Service and university researchers will contact 
community residents within or adjacent to the San Bernardino National 
Forest. Through those contacts they will evaluate concern about fire 
and fire risk, knowledge about fire, values focused on fire management, 
trust, objectives and alternatives for fire management, personal 
experiences with fire, stressors associated with fire and fire risk, 
responsibility and accomplishments for fire management, future 
orientation, and sociodemographics. The results will help the 
researchers improve their ability to provide information to natural 
resource managers on public perceptions of fire and fire management. To 
gather the information, residents in four communities within or 
adjacent to the San Bernardino National Forest will be contacted 
through mailed correspondence, inviting their participation in a focus 
group study. Willing or interested parties will contact the researcher 
to be scheduled into one of two sessions in their community. Those 
agreeing to participate will be involved in a focus group discussion 
and will complete a self-administered survey.

[[Page 31786]]

    The information will be collected and analyzed by a Forest Service 
researcher and analyst/technicians, and a researcher at a cooperating 
university. Both researchers are experts in applied social psychology 
and survey research.
    1. Participants will first complete a questionnaire focused on 
concern about fire, knowledge about fire, values similarity with the 
Forest Service, trust, objectives for fire management, personal 
experience with fire, stressors of fire and fire risk, responsibility 
for risk reduction, accomplishment of risk reduction, future 
orientation, and sociodemographics. Then, participants will be guided 
through a discussion on the following topics: objectives/values and 
concerns in fire management, alternatives for accomplishing objectives, 
values/goals and trust, and information needs and interests.
    2. All residents age 18 or older residing in the 4 selected 
communities will be invited to participate. Invitation will arrive by 
mail. Two sessions will be held in each community in order to 
accommodate as many participants as possible. Responses will be 
voluntary and confidential.
    3. Responses will be used to evaluate the values linked to fire and 
fire management among forest community residents, their personal 
experiences with fire and how they have addressed fire risk, perceived 
responsibility and accomplishments in addressing fire risk, and 
personal characteristics that might influence these responses. The 
information should shed light on residents' perceptions and 
expectations for fire management and on the role of fire risk and how 
they address it in their lives. Results will be provided to resource 
managers on the forest who can use the information to help them 
determine the role of public opinion in selection of fire management 
strategies (long- and short-term) as well as in forming information 
that can be provided to various publics about fire and fire management.
    Without the proposed information collection managers will have to 
rely on the scant information available on public views regarding fire 
and fire management, and the anecdotal information collected through 
their direct experiences with publics regarding impacts of fire and 
fire risk. This information will help the researchers supply 
information to natural resource managers and can also be shared with 
other researchers who are focusing their own work on natural resource 
management values and objectives, as well as fire management 
specifically.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The average annual burden estimated per 
respondent is 120 minutes, and with an estimated 50 participants from 
each of 4 communities, the annual burden is 400 hours. An additional 66 
hours is added to the burden for scheduling of participants into 
sessions. Total is 466 hours.
    Type of Respondents: Respondents will be community residents 
residing within the selected locations within or adjacent to the San 
Bernardino National Forest.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: Two hundred participants 
are expected in the focus group and survey portions of the study. As 
many as 800 individuals may be involved in the contacts for scheduling 
and invitation purposes.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: A maximum of 
two responses per year per respondent are expected. One for the 
scheduling into a session and one for participation.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The annual burden on 
respondents that is estimated for this information collection is 466 
hours.

Comment Is Invited

    Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this 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; (2) the accuracy of the agency's 
estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (4) 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.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission request 
toward Office of Management and Budget approval.

    Dated: May 28, 2004.
Ann M. Bartuska,
Deputy Chief for Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 04-12813 Filed 6-4-04; 8:45 am]
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