[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 208 (Friday, October 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62121-62122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21540]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-06-05CY]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-4766 
and send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected].
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (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 through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Written comments should be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Survey of Illness and Injury Among Backcountry Users in Yellowstone 
National Park--New--Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
    There are limited data on the risk factors for illness and injury 
among persons who travel into backcountry areas of the United States. 
The backcountry encompasses primitive or wilderness areas that lack 
most facilities and services and that are reached primarily by hiking, 
boating, or horseback. In general, backcountry users must bring in 
their own supplies (such as shelter, food, water, or water treatment 
supplies). As many as 68% to 82% of long-distance hikers and 
backpackers have reported experiencing illnesses or injuries during 
their time in the backcountry. For example, 4% to 56% have reported 
gastrointestinal illnesses and 41% to 62% have reported musculoskeletal 
injuries.
    Such a high burden of illness and injury has significant medical 
and economic implications given the increasing popularity of 
backcountry use. In 1994-95, almost 8% of Americans age 16 years and 
older (about 15 million persons) went backpacking in the previous 12 
months, which involved camping for one or more nights along a trail and 
carrying food, shelter, and utensils with them. In the same period of 
time, about 14% (or 28 million persons) camped in primitive settings 
that usually lacked restrooms, hookups, and most facilities and 
services. In fact, camping in backcountry areas increased by about 72% 
from 1982-83 to 1994-95. While people can travel in the backcountry in 
many locations and on both private and public lands, many travelers 
hike, backpack, and camp in the backcountry in national parks. In 2003, 
there were over 266 million recreational visits to national parks with 
over 1.8 million overnight stays in the backcountry. Yellowstone 
National Park alone had almost 19,690 persons visit the backcountry in 
2003, accounting for over 46,000 overnight stays.
    Because little is known about health outcomes for visitors who use 
the backcountry areas of our nation's parks, advice to park managers 
and the public is currently general in nature, based only on standard 
disease prevention principles. Furthermore, some outdoor use groups 
have recently questioned some of this standard advice, such as the 
universal need for careful filtration and disinfection of backcountry 
drinking water. This study will investigate behavioral and 
environmental risk factors that may be associated with illness and 
injury among persons who require park permits to travel into 
backcountry areas in Yellowstone National Park during the backcountry 
season from May 1-Oct. 31, 2006. The data collected will be used to 
provide an estimate of the burden of illness and injury among 
backcountry users and will also provide information about a variety of 
risk factors for illness and injury in the backcountry, including the 
risks associated with drinking untreated water from lakes and streams. 
With this information, the National Park Service (NPS) will be able to 
address

[[Page 62122]]

many of the questions raised by outdoor users and public health 
officials, and improve and strengthen evidence-based NPS guidelines for 
backcountry health and sanitation practices. To gather this 
information, consent to contact after the conclusion of the backcountry 
trip will be obtained from an estimated 7,000 backcountry users 18 
years of age or older when they present to the Yellowstone National 
Park's permit offices prior to entering the backcountry. A 
questionnaire (in either Internet-based or paper-based format) will 
then be offered to an estimated 5,600 backcountry users who consent to 
be contacted. Participants will be asked about their health (before, 
during and after backcountry travel), water consumption, water 
preparation habits, food consumption, food preparation habits, 
sanitation practices, recreational water use, animal exposure, and 
demographics.
    This study is the beginning of what will be an ongoing effort to 
improve the scientific basis of NPS recommendations and policies 
related to protecting human health in the backcountry. This effort 
seeks to begin to identify disease transmission pathways and assess 
disease and injury risks associated with specific activities, choices, 
and behaviors of backcountry visitors, such as water purification, 
sanitation practices, and hygiene. Thoroughly understanding 
transmission pathways and the interactions of agent, environment, and 
host will enable the NPS to effectively and efficiently improve visitor 
protection efforts.
    There will be no cost to or remuneration of respondents other than 
their time. Their participation is voluntary and there will be no 
penalty for non-participation.
    Estimate of Annualized Burden Table

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                                                                              Number
                                                                Number of    responses     Hrs/         Total
             Respondents                     Form name         respondents      per      response     response
                                                                            respondent  (in hours)  burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backcountry Users of Yellowstone      Consent to Further              7000           1        2/60           233
 Park.                                 Contact.
                                      Web-Based Questionnaire         5600           1       15/60          1400
                                                              --------------
                                        Total................  ...........  ..........  ..........          1633
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    Dated: October 21, 2005.
Betsey Dunaway,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-21540 Filed 10-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P 1