[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15758-15759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3017]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Submission to Office of Management and Budget; 
Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 36 
CFR part 51, subpart J, regarding the Assignment or Encumbrance of 
Concession Contracts, the National Park Service (NPS) invites comments 
on a currently approved collection of information (OMB Control 
 1024-0126).
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has up to 60 days to 
approve or disapprove the NPS request to renew this information 
collection, but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure maximum 
consideration, OMB should receive public comments within 30 days of the 
date on which this notice is published in the Federal Register.

DATES: Please submit your comments on the proposed Information 
Collection Request (ICR) by April 28, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Please submit your comments directly to the Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior, (OMB 1024-0126) Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, by fax at 202/395-6566, or by 
e-mail at [email protected]. Please also send a copy of your 
comments to Ms. Jo A. Pendry, Concession Program Manager, National Park 
Service, 1849 C Street, NW. (2410), Washington, DC 20240, or by e-mail 
to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J. A. Pendry, Phone: 202-513-7156, 
fax: 202-371-6662, or at the address above. You are entitled to a copy 
of the entire ICR package free-of-charge.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Proposed Sale of Concession Operations.
    OMB Control Number: 1024-0126.
    Expiration Date of Approval: February 28, 2006.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Description of Need: The National Park Service (NPS) authorizes 
private business known as concessioners to provide necessary and 
appropriate visitor facilities and services in areas of the National 
Park System. Concession authorizations may be assigned, sold, 
transferred, or encumbered by the concessioner subject to prior written 
approval of the NPS. The NPS requires that certain information be 
submitted for review prior to the consummation of any sale, transfer, 
assignment, or encumbrance. 16 U.S.C. 5957 provides that no concession 
contract or leasehold surrender interest may be transferred, assigned, 
sold or otherwise conveyed or pledged by a concessioner without prior 
written notification to, and approval by, the Secretary. Regulations at 
36 CFR part 51, subpart J, regarding the Assignment or Encumbrance of 
Concession Contracts, require that certain information be submitted for 
review by the NPS prior to the consummation of any sale, transfer, 
assignment, or encumbrance. The information requested is used to 
determine whether or not the proposed transaction will result in an 
adverse impact on the protection, conservation, or preservation of the 
resources of the unit of the National Park System, decreased services 
to the public, the lack of a reasonable opportunity for profit over the 
remaining term of the authorization, or rates in excess of approved 
rates to the public. In addition, pursuant to the regulations at 36 CFR 
part 51, the value of rights for intangible assets such as the 
concession contract, right of preference in renewal, user days, or low 
fees, belongs to the Government.
    If any portion of the purchase price is attributable either 
directly or indirectly to such assets, the transaction may not be 
approved. the amount and type of information to be submitted varies 
with the type and complexity of the proposed transaction. Without such 
information, the NPS would be unable to determine whether approval of 
the proposed transaction would be adequate.
    NPS has submitted a request to OMB to renew approval of the 
collection of information in 36 CFR part 51, subpart J, regarding the 
Assignment or Encumbrance of Concession Contracts. NPS is requesting a 
3-year term of approval for this information collection activity.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this 
collection of information is 1024-0126, and is identified in 36 CFR 
51.104.
    The National Park Service published the 60-day Federal Register 
notice to solicit comments on this proposed information collection on 
December 13, 2005 on pages 73793-73794. There were no public comments 
received.

[[Page 15759]]

    Estimate of Burden: Approximately 80 hours per response.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Approximately 20.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1600 hours.
    Non-Hour Cost Burden: Approximately $250 per response for copying 
costs.
    A list of information required to be submitted with a request for 
sale, assignment, transfer or encumbrance of a concession authorization 
is set forth at 36 CFR part 51, subpart J.
    Send comments on (1) the need for this collection; (2) the accuracy 
of the agency's burden estimates; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the collection; and (4) ways to minimize the 
burden, including the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology; or any other aspect of this collection 
to the Office of Management and Budget at the above address. Please 
also send a copy of your comments to the NPS. Please refer to OMB 
control number 1024-0126 in all correspondence.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent 
allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would 
withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. 
If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state 
this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not 
consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: February 28, 2006.
Leonard E. Stowe,
NPS Information Collection Clearance Officer, Washington Administrative 
Program Center.
[FR Doc. 06-3017 Filed 3-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-53-M