[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 96 (Thursday, May 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28910-28912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-7530]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA 2006-24802]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments 
for New Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to 
request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a new 
information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal 
Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by July 17, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number 
2006-24802 to the Docket Clerk, via the following methods:
     Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL-
401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions concerning the NHCBP 
program, please contact Dr. Edgar P. Small, Office of Bridge 
Technology, HIBT-30, at (202) 366-4622, FAX (202) 366-3077, or e-mail 
[email protected]; and Mr. Everett Mattias, Office of Bridge 
Technology, HIBT-30, at (202) 366-6712, FAX (202) 366-3077, or e-mail 
[email protected]. For legal questions, please contact Mr. Robert 
Black, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-1359, 
[email protected]; Federal Highway Administration, Department 
of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. 
Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t. Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program.
    OMB Control Number: None Assigned.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Respondents: The 50 State DOTs, Puerto Rico and the District of 
Columbia.
    Background: Covered bridges are unique structures embodying 
character, functionality and historical prominence. The National 
Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program has been established to 
find comprehensive and proven means of maintaining the ability of these 
vestiges of our bridge-building heritage to continue to serve current 
and future generations. The program was originally established under 
section 1224 of TEA-21 and continued under section 1804 of SAFETEA-LU. 
The legislation authorizes $10 million annually to be appropriated for 
each fiscal year between FY 2006 and FY 2009. The program is 
established to provide grants to States for rehabilitation, repair and 
preservation of historic covered bridges and to enable the Secretary of 
Transportation to perform research and initiate education programs on 
historic covered bridges.
    Projects eligible for grants include rehabilitation and repair 
together with preservation through: Installation of fire protection 
systems, including a fireproofing or fire detection system and 
sprinklers, installation of a system to prevent vandalism and arson, or 
relocation of a bridge to a preservation site. The statute requires 
that, to the maximum extent practicable, grant projects are carried out 
in the most historically appropriate manner, preserve the existing 
structure of the historic covered bridge, and provide for the 
replacement of wooden components with wooden components, unless the use 
of wood is impracticable for safety reasons.
    Research and education activities include the collection and 
dissemination of information on historic covered bridges; conducting 
educational programs relating to the history and construction 
techniques of historic covered bridges; conducting research on the 
history of historic covered bridges; and conducting research on, and 
study techniques for, protecting historic covered bridges from rot, 
fire, natural disasters, or weight-related damage.

Guidelines and Administration

    To administer this program for fiscal years 2006 through 2009, the 
FHWA will collect information necessary to evaluate and rank projects. 
The information collection was developed considering public input \1\ 
and is intended to only address the project funding allotted through 
the program. Research funding will be administered separately through 
the FHWA Office of Infrastructure Research and Development (R&D) at the 
Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center, who will also administer the 
research and education activities. The FHWA Office of Bridge Technology 
will administer the grant program to assist the States in their efforts 
to rehabilitate, repair or preserve the Nation's historic covered 
bridges, which are listed or eligible for listing on the National 
Register of Historic Places. The FHWA will award grants based on 
applications received and funds available through accompanying 
appropriations legislation.
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    \1\ Implementation Guidance for the National Historic Covered 
Bridge Preservation Program, August 23, 2000; 65 FR 51401.
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Information Proposed for Collection

    Information recommended under TEA-21 and proposed for the current 
program includes the following:
     State's Priority Ranking;
     National Bridge Inventory (NBI) Structure Number;
     Bridge Name;
     Description of Location;
     Congressional District and Representative;
     Year Built;
     Whether the structure is on or eligible for listing on the 
National Register of Historic Places and description of the qualities 
that qualify the bridge for the National Register;

[[Page 28911]]

     Structure description (e.g., number of spans, length, 
width, design type, description of decking, beams/stringers, sides and 
roof, wood species, wood preservation system in use, builder, traffic 
carried, etc.);
     General plan and elevation;
     Description of previous repair work (description, year, 
etc.);
     Description of proposed work including wood preservative 
system, fire protection, vandalism and arson prevention systems to be 
used;
     Indication of whether the State has a historic bridge 
inventory/management plan accepted by the State Historic Preservation 
Officer (SHPO). A programmatic agreement for historic bridges with the 
SHPO, FHWA and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) may 
substitute;
     Description of whether the SHPO has reviewed and certified 
this project is warranted in accordance with the SHPO's statewide 
historic preservation plan; how it benefits statewide preservation 
efforts; how it enhances cultural tourism or enhances the history/
economic development of the community; and other benefits upon 
successful completion of this project;
     Amount of State or local government matching funds or 
other resources (donated materials or labor may qualify);
     A statement addressing when the project is complete, will 
the bridge meet the current State or AASHTO standards for the roadway 
classification that it carries;
     Plan for documentation of the bridge and the work 
performed;
     Scheduled start and completion date for the project (month 
and year); and
     Contact information for the State DOT, Local Agency (if 
applicable), FHWA Division Office, and State Historic Preservation 
Officer.
    As indicated above, the FHWA has developed a template for the 
application and the application may be made based on this template 
provided by the FHWA including this information. This template is 
available through the FHWA Division Offices and through the FHWA Office 
of Bridge Technology and is available at the following URL: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/022803a.htm#application. The template is not 
required but rather is provided for convenience of the applicants.

Burden Hours for Information Collection

    Burden hour's estimates and discussions are provided for each item 
presented and required within the application submittal process.
     State's Priority Ranking; 30 minutes.
     The priority ranking will be performed by the submitting 
agency. Given that a small number of applications will be submitted by 
an individual State, the prioritization process will be limited and 30 
minutes is conservatively assumed to include any potential discussion.
     NBI Structure Number; 5 minutes.
    [cir] Projects submitted must be legally defined as a `bridge' and 
must be located on a public road. With this constraint, each structure 
will already have an NBI Structure Number assigned.
     Bridge Name; 5 minutes.
    [cir] A description of the bridge may be included in the NBI 
database; however, this may or may not be the commonly referenced name 
used locally. A burden of 5 minutes is assumed to permit the applicant 
to review the NBI record and any additional documentation to isolate 
the common bridge name.
     Description of Location; 10 minutes.
    [cir] The location is already included in the NBI database. A 
burden of 10 minutes is provided assuming that the applicant will 
elaborate on the location information.
     Congressional District and Representative; 5 minutes.
    [cir] The location of the bridge will be known from the information 
in the NBI database. A 5-minute burden is specified assuming that the 
applicant will have to cross reference the location with Congressional 
district maps. This time would be negligible if the State has employed 
a GIS system including the infrastructure information and the political 
boundaries.
     Year Built; 5 minutes.
    [cir] The year built is already recorded in the National Bridge 
Inventory
     Whether the structure is on or eligible for listing on the 
National Register of Historic Places and description of the qualities 
that qualify the bridge for the National Register. 15 minutes.
    [cir] The NBI record indicated whether the structure is located on 
or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The 15-minute 
burden is assumed to allow the applicant to describe the qualities that 
qualify the bridge for the National Register.
     Structure description (e.g., number of spans, length, 
width, design type, description of decking, beams/stringers, sides and 
roof, wood species, wood preservation system in use, builder, traffic 
carried, etc.); 15 minutes.
    [cir] Most of this information will be included within the NBI 
database or on the inspection reports. 15 minutes is assumed for the 
applicant to synthesize information.
     General plan and elevation; 5 minutes.
    [cir] This information is available for structures that have been 
placed on the National Register of Historic Places or for those, which 
are eligible and have applications complete. This information is also 
available for projects that have completed conceptual and preliminary 
engineering and design.
     Description of previous repair work (description, year, 
etc.); 15 minutes.
    [cir] This information is available from bridge inspection reports 
and bridge files located within the State Transportation Agency. Time 
estimated is intended for synthesis of information from other sources.
     Description of proposed work including wood preservative 
system, fire protection, vandalism and arson prevention systems to be 
used; 15 minutes.
    [cir] This information will be established by the need when 
identified and the details will be identified through the conceptual 
and preliminary engineering process, which is done independently. A 15-
minute burden is assumed to synthesize the existing information.
     Indication of whether the State has a historic bridge 
inventory/management plan accepted by the State Historic Preservation 
Officer (SHPO). A programmatic agreement for historic bridges with the 
SHPO, FHWA and the Advisory Counsel on Historic Preservation (ACHP) may 
substitute; 5 minutes.
    [cir] This item is readily obtained through contact with the State 
Historic Preservation Officer.
     Description of whether the SHPO has reviewed and certified 
this project is warranted in accordance with the SHPO's statewide 
historic preservation plan; how it benefits statewide preservation 
efforts; how it enhances cultural tourism or enhances the history/
economic development of the community; and other benefits upon 
successful completion of this project; 45 minutes.
    [cir] This information is readily obtained through contact with the 
State Historic Preservation Officer. A total of 45 minutes includes 
time for the State Historic Preservation Officer to review the project, 
in relation to the statewide preservation efforts, to articulate the 
benefits, and to document the findings.
     Amount of State or local government matching funds or 
other resources (donated materials or labor may qualify); 5 minutes.

[[Page 28912]]

    [cir] A nominal amount of time is required to document the matching 
funds and amounts.
     When the project is complete, will the bridge meet the 
current State or AASHTO standards for the roadway classification that 
it carries; 5 minutes.
    [cir] A nominal amount of time is required to ascertain and 
identify whether the bridge will meet the standards for the roadway 
classification as any exception to the standard will be identified 
through the preliminary engineering process and already documented.
     Plan for documentation of the bridge and the work 
performed; 15 minutes.
    [cir] A plan for documentation is encouraged. Typically, each State 
Transportation Agency will already have a process in place to document 
work performed. Applicants are encouraged to identify any additional 
requirements warranted for these historical structures and to 
articulate the overall plan within the application.
     Scheduled start and completion date for the project (month 
and year); 5 minutes.
    [cir] This will be determined through other processes that are 
performed independent of this program, including preliminary 
engineering and the STIP process. The available information must be 
synthesized on the application, which takes a nominal amount of time.
     Contact information for the State DOT, Local Agency (if 
applicable), FHWA Division Office, and State Historic Preservation 
Officer; 5 minutes.
     This requires providing a list of contacts and involves a 
nominal amount of time.
    The total amount of time estimated to complete the application is 
3\1/2\ hours. It is estimated that FHWA will receive 30 reports giving 
us a total of 105 burden hours.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed 
collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of 
estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, 
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that 
burdens could be minimized, including use of electronic technology, 
without reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency 
will summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB's 
clearance of this information collection.

    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

James R. Kabel,
Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
 [FR Doc. E6-7530 Filed 5-17-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P