[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 87 (Friday, May 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26556-26557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4258]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO-830-1820-XP-CRES]


Proposed Information Collection--National Landscape Conservation 
System

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION:  Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) NLCS survey will provide 
us with social science input to support planning for facilities, 
programs, services, and interpretive exhibits. The BLM anticipates that 
the information we collect could lead to revisions in processes, 
policies, and improvement in serving the American public. The study 
will use the surveys to: (1) Better understand the needs and desires of 
the public; and (2) respond to those needs and desires accordingly.

DATES: You must submit your comments to BLM at the address below on or 
before July 5, 2006. BLM will not necessarily consider any comments 
received after the above date.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to: Regulatory Affairs Group (WO-630), 
Eastern States Office, 7450 Boston Blvd., Springfield, Virginia 22153.
    You may send comments via Internet to: [email protected]. Please include ``ATTN: 1004-XXXX'' and your name 
and address with your comments.
    You may deliver comments to the Bureau of Land Management, 
Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.
    Comments will be available for public review at the L Street 
address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.) Monday 
through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may contact Tony Mayfield, Bureau 
of Land Management, Business and Fiscal Resources, Division of 
Evaluations, on (202) 452-5166. Persons who use a telecommunication 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) on 1-800-877-8330, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to 
contact Mr. Mayfield.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320.12(a), BLM 
must provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning a 
proposed collection of information to solicit comments on: (1) The 
practical utility of the information being gathered; (2) the accuracy 
of the burden hour estimate; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden to respondents, including use of automated 
information collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Interior's Department-wide Customer and Citizen-Centered Service 
Policy admonishes its bureaus and offices to consult and communicate 
with customers to integrate their feedback into our programs and 
business processes in order to improve our service to them. Executive 
Order (E.O.) 12862 (September 11, 1993) aimed at ``ensuring the Federal 
Government provides the highest quality service possible to the 
American people'' fortifies our mandate by the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Administration to provide ``citizen-centered 
government.''
    Title: BLM National Landscape Conservation System Survey.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    OMB Control Number: TBD.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Description of Need: BLM will request approval of an information 
collection of NLCS surveys so that we may better fulfill our 
responsibilities to provide excellence in government by proactively 
consulting with those we serve to identify opportunities to improve our 
information, services, and products to better meeting their needs. 
These surveys will be used to answer certain questions on: Travel 
choices and factors that influence decisions that individuals make 
prior to, during, or following their trips to NLCS area, such as use of 
overnight accommodations, trip route, trip origin, trip destination(s), 
payment of entrance/user fees, ability to obtain tickets, and length of 
trip. Also, there will be questions about the types of recreation 
activities that individuals participate in during their visits to NLCS 
areas. These activities vary depending on the type of resource, but 
examples include picnicking, camping, driving for pleasure, rafting, 
biking, angling, canoeing, horseback riding, visiting cultural/
historical sites, swimming, studying nature, taking photographs, and 
historical re-enactments. Also, there will be questions about 
individual perceptions of the natural, social, and cultural 
environments in the NLCS areas that they visit. This includes 
perceptions of the values and benefits of the areas, observations about 
overall experiences, interactions with other customers, natural 
resources, cultural resources, or BLM employees. Lastly, there will be 
questions about individual opinions on the management of NLCS areas 
(including attitudes toward alternative management actions and 
policies), and natural, cultural, and social aspects of NLCS.
    Automated data collection: At this time, we will not be gathering 
information in an automated way.
    Description of Respondents: This proposal seeks approval to collect 
information from BLM customers visiting areas within the NLCS, which 
includes National Monuments, National Science and Historical Trails, 
Wilderness Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and Wilderness Study Areas. 
Participating offices in 2006 include BLM Wyoming and BLM Oregon 
management of the natural, cultural, and social aspects of NLCS.
    Estimated average number of respondents: 1800.
    Estimated average number of responses: 1260.
    Estimated average burden hours per response: 20 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: 1 time per respondent.
    Estimated Annual reporting burden: 420.
    BLM will summarize all responses to this notice and include them in 
the request for OMB approval. All

[[Page 26557]]

comments will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: April 28, 2006.
Ted R. Hudson,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-4258 Filed 5-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M