[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 33 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8338-8340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3123]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Request for Comments; Hispanic 
Perceptions and Uses of the Urban Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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

[[Page 8339]]

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and 
organizations regarding the new information collection entitled, 
``Hispanic Perceptions and Uses of the Urban Forest.''

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before April 19, 
2005, 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 
Cassandra Johnson, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Forest Service, USDA, 
320 Green St., Athens, GA 30602-2044.
    Comments also may be submitted to Cassandra Johnson via facsimile 
to (706) 559-4266 or by e-mail to [email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at the Forestry Sciences 
Laboratory, Forest Service, USDA, 320 Green St., Athens, Georgia, 
during normal business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to 
(706) 559-4222 to facilitate entry to the building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cassandra Johnson, Forestry Sciences 
Laboratory, at (706) 559-4270. 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:
    Title: Hispanic Perceptions and Uses of the Urban Forest.
    OMB Number: 0596-New.
    Expiration Date of Approval: N/A.
    Type of Request: New.
    Abstract: Within the past 20 years, Hispanics have either 
immigrated or migrated to the southeastern United States, excluding 
Florida, in unprecedented numbers. In the 10-year period from 1990 to 
2000, the Hispanic population of Hall County in northeast Georgia 
increased by almost 5 times, from 4 percent in 1990 to 19.6 percent in 
2000. Recent studies have examined Hispanic employment, housing, and 
education in parts of the South where Hispanics are relatively new 
arrivals; however, there are virtually no investigations of Hispanic 
interactions with urban green spaces in this area.
    Hispanic use of outdoor environments in the South is an important 
consideration for the Forest Service because of the impact of a growing 
population on the region's finite natural resources. Urbanization, 
propelled by an increase in the population, is one of the most 
significant contributors to forest fragmentation in the South. 
Relatively little is known about how Hispanics, one of the largest 
growing groups, perceive and use urban and community forests.
    Federal statutes which authorize this information collection 
include the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990; 
Executive Order 12898 (1994) relating to environmental justice; and the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
    The study area for this information collection is located within 
the city of Gainesville, Georgia. Gainesville has a population of 
approximately 25,000 and is located in Hall County with a population of 
156,000 in northeast Georgia. In 2000, Hispanics accounted for about 20 
percent of the Hall County population and 33 percent of Gainesville's 
population. The population of interest for this information collection 
is Hispanic residents who live within Census Tract 11, located within 
the city of Gainesville. This area encompasses 3.70 square miles. 
Residential areas in Census Tract 11 include apartment complexes and 
single family homes.
    The total population for Census Tract 11 is 9,170, of which 6,307 
are Hispanic. This census tract was chosen because of the high 
proportion (68.8 percent) of Hispanic residents. The proportion of 
Hispanics over 18 in the census tract is 64 percent. Fifty-eight 
percent of the residents are foreign-born. The majority of the foreign-
born population within this census tract came to the United States 
between 1990 and 2000. Census Tract 11 contains 5 census Block Groups. 
The proportion of Hispanics in each of these block groups ranges from 
35 to 84 percent.
    This study will provide both basic and applied research for the 
Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry program. Results will 
enable the Forest Service to better understand the types of tree 
coverage and green spaces preferred by recent Hispanic immigrants and 
migrants to Gainesville, Georgia. Little information exists on the 
environmental preferences of racial and ethnic minorities in urban 
areas regarding preferences for tree coverage, layout, and design. 
Urban foresters have made specific requests for information about 
urban, ethnic populations in Georgia and how urban forests are 
perceived.
    The proposed study relates to the Forest Service's national Urban 
and Community Forestry program (U&CF) which focuses on community 
involvement with the urban forest. The U&CF program provides funding 
for community cost-share grants, state technical assistance, the 
National Urban and Community Forest grants (NUCFAC), and Tree City USA 
(Pub. L. 101-624, Title XII, Section 1219; Walker, 2003). The Forest 
Service recognizes that research is an important component of urban and 
community forestry. Research focusing on public perception and use of 
urban forests provides a vital link between urban constituents and 
communities and the Forest Service. Research questions focus on:
    1. The perceptions Hispanics have of trees and other green space 
outside their homes;
    2. The kinds of trees Hispanics prefer, such as oak, pine, 
sycamore;
    3. The ways Hispanics use yard space; and
    4. The perceptions Hispanics have of trees and other green space in 
their neighborhoods.
    Urban and community forest advocates nationwide have established 
the following goals with respect to increasing involvement of ethnic 
and racial minorities and underserved populations in Urban and 
Community Forestry programs:
     Educate minority sectors in the care and stewardship of 
urban forests where they live, work, and play.
     Create a strong network of minority communities, non-
profit organizations, Federal agencies, and private industries to 
better target the needs of these communities.
     Provide educational and career opportunity information to 
low income and chronically disadvantaged groups in the area of urban 
and community forestry.
     Discuss and document strategies by which urban and 
community forestry programs can increase the quality of life in 
minority communities.
    The first phase of the data collection will involve interviews with 
a key community contact from the Hispanic community in Gainesville. A 
graduate student from the University of Georgia Department of Geography 
will work with Forest Service research personnel to interview this 
individual. The key contact will be familiar with the lifestyle, 
socioeconomic, employment, and educational status of Hispanics in 
Gainesville.
    The second phase of the data collection will involve a random 
sample of Hispanic residents from Census Tract 11. This data collection 
consists of one-on-one, face-to-face interviews with randomly selected 
Hispanic residents from Census Tract 11. Residents 18 and over will be 
asked to respond to the survey. The interviews will take place at the 
respondent's home or at a location

[[Page 8340]]

agreed upon by the interviewer and the respondent.
    A list of potential respondent addresses and telephone numbers will 
be purchased from Survey Sampling, Inc. located in Fairfield, 
Connecticut. The key community contact will publicize the information 
collection through his or her contacts in the community and via word of 
mouth.
    Interviewers will send letters to potential respondents explaining 
the survey and the dates on which the interviewer will conduct field 
interviews. Follow-up phone calls will be made to help ensure potential 
respondents are aware of the information collection and the dates on 
which the interviewer will conduct the survey. The survey instrument 
will be translated into Spanish. Respondents will have a choice of 
responding in Spanish or English. The graduate student interviewer is 
fluent in both English and Spanish.
    The number of respondents comprising the sample size is based on an 
estimate of the Hispanic population in Gainesville. Based on census 
figures, we know that approximately 64 percent of the population is 
comprised of Hispanics 18 years of age or older. The sample size 
calculation assumes a 5 percent margin of error and the 95 percent 
confidence level. Sample size is based on the following equation:

n = 4P*Q/.0025

Where n = sample size, P = proportion of population with the 
characteristic, i.e., percent Hispanic; Q = proportion of population 
without the characteristic, i.e., not Hispanic. The sample size is 
calculated at 368 (n = 4*.64*.36/.0025). The resulting calculation is 
rounded down to 300 because of logistical limitations associated with 
collecting door-to-door interviews.
    Forest Service managers would use this information to develop 
outreach strategies designed to encourage greater Hispanic 
participation in urban forest stewardship. Specifically, this involves 
developing programs to promote volunteerism and community 
participation. In cooperation with state forestry agencies and 
municipal parks agencies, the Forest Service will provide technical 
advice to communities to ensure that urban green projects are 
environmentally feasible.
    Tabulation and analysis of the quantitative data will be performed 
by researchers with the Forest Service in Athens, Georgia, and the 
University of Georgia geography department. Statistical analyses 
include means difference tests, Chi-square tests, and multivariate 
regression. Journal articles will be drafted to report the more 
significant methodological or theoretical findings.
    If the information proposed herein is not collected, data 
concerning Hispanic perception and use of the urban forest will not be 
available to the Forest Service. The resources specified in this 
proposal are not federally managed. However, federal resources and 
programs provide partial support for their continuance.
    The agency is committed to encouraging more participation in tree 
stewardship by urban communities, including minority and ethnically 
diverse populations. In order to achieve this goal, the agency must 
have better information on how specific groups interact with the urban 
forest.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 15 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: Hispanic residents in Gainesville, Georgia.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 300.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 75 hours.
    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.

Use of Comments

    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 requesting 
Office of Management and Budget approval.

    Dated: January 25, 2005.
Ann M. Bartuska,
Deputy Chief for Research & Development.
[FR Doc. 05-3123 Filed 2-17-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P