[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 241 (Friday, December 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75499-75501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21320]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 13, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via e-mail to 
[email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection forms and instructions should be 
directed to Laura Waggoner, Geography Division, U.S. Census Bureau, 
Washington, DC 20233-7400. In addition, you can contact her by calling 
(301) 763-1099, or sending an e-mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau conducts the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) 
to collect and maintain information about the inventory of the legal

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boundaries for, and the legal actions affecting the boundaries of 
counties and equivalent governments, incorporated places, minor civil 
divisions, Census Areas of Alaska, Hawaiian Homelands, and federally 
recognized legal American Indian and Alaska Native areas (including the 
Alaska Native Regional Corporations). This information provides an 
accurate identification of geographic areas for the Census Bureau to 
use in conducting the decennial and economic censuses and ongoing 
surveys such as the American Community Survey (ACS). The BAS supports 
the following additional programs:
     Population Estimates Program.
     Special Census.
     Geographic Update Population Certification Program.
     Other statistical programs of the Census Bureau and the 
legislative programs of the Federal Government.
    No other Federal agency collects this data, nor is there a standard 
for collection of this information at the state level. The Census 
Bureau's BAS is a unique boundary survey providing a standard result 
for use by Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and by 
commercial, private, and public organizations. The Census Bureau 
integrates the information collected in the BAS into the MAF/TIGER 
database. The MAF component of the database is the Census Bureau's 
permanent list of addresses for individual living quarters. The TIGER 
component is a computer file that contains geographic information 
representing the position of boundaries, roads, rivers, railroads, and 
other census-required map features and attributes.
    Through the BAS, the Census Bureau asks each government official to 
provide updates to their boundaries and to review materials for their 
jurisdiction to verify the correctness of the information portrayed. 
County officials are asked to provide changes to the inventory of 
governments and their boundaries.
    The Census Bureau may enter into agreements with individual states 
to modify the list of minor civil divisions and/or incorporated places 
included in the BAS to reflect only entities with boundary changes. In 
addition, the Census Bureau includes each newly incorporated place in 
the year following notification of its incorporation. Every year, the 
BAS includes a single respondent request for the State of Alaska and 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (including status and updates for 
municipio, barrio, barrio-pueblo, and subbarrio boundaries). The State 
of Hawaii provides updates for the Hawaiian homeland boundary and 
status information.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau has developed several methods to collect 
information on status and updates for legal boundaries. These methods 
are:
     Consolidation agreements.
     Advanced response.
     Traditional paper submission.
     Digital submission.
     Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic 
Encoding Referencing (MAF/TIGER) partnership software.
     Internet (Web BAS).
    The government officials from state governments have an opportunity 
to participate in consolidation agreements to reduce the burden of 
response for their local governments. If a state government has 
legislation requiring local governments to report all legal boundary 
updates to a state agency (including a map of the annexed area), the 
state has the option to provide all the updates for their counties (and 
all associated governments within each county). The state provides the 
Census Bureau with a list of counties where the state agrees to provide 
a consolidated update of boundary changes for these counties and all 
entities within them. The Census Bureau notifies the governments within 
the counties that the state will be submitting the boundary updates for 
them and as a reminder to submit their updates to the state.
    State governments that have legislation requiring governments to 
report all legal boundary updates to a state agency will also have the 
opportunity to participate in a consolidation agreement. The state 
updates the list of minor civil divisions and/or incorporated places 
that will be surveyed to include only those entities known by the state 
as having boundary changes. The Census Bureau sends BAS materials to 
those local governments.
    If a county government has legislation requiring local governments 
to report all legal boundary updates to the county, or if the local 
governments agree that the county will provide the updates, then the 
Census Bureau will provide materials only to the county and send a 
notification to the local governments reminding them to send their 
updates to the county.
    Another method of collection is advanced response, which involves 
an announcement letter and a one-page form for the state and county 
governments who do not have a consolidation agreement. Under advanced 
response, counties, tribes and local governments indicate whether or 
not they have boundary changes to report and provide a current contact 
person. The advanced response method reduces cost and respondent burden 
through savings on materials and effort. All governments receive this 
notification with the exception of newly incorporated governments, 
governments with state or county agreements, and governments who 
participated in other Census Bureau programs such as Geographically 
Updated Population Certification Program or Special Census.
    If a government requests materials through advanced response, they 
may choose to receive these materials as a traditional paper package or 
one of three digital media types (MAF/TIGER Partnership Software, 
Digital BAS, or Web BAS).
    The traditional paper package contains large-format maps, printed 
forms and supplies to complete the survey. The respondent completes the 
BAS form and draws the boundary updates on the maps using pencils 
provided in the package.
    The MAF/TIGER Partnership Software is a method in which the 
respondent installs software on their personal computer. The Census 
Bureau provides the software and spatial data to make their boundary 
updates. The minimum requirement for this software is Windows 98, as 
well as a media burner (such as CD-ROM or DVD). The key to this 
approach--and to all the digital methods--is the correction and update 
of Census Bureau spatial data.
    Another digital response option is Digital Submission. This option 
allows the respondent to complete the BAS electronically through a 
digital file. The Census Bureau provides spatial data to update 
boundaries to their correct spatial location. The entity submits the 
updated file on electronic media, such as CD-ROM or DVD, or through 
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) on the Internet.
    The last digital response option is Web BAS. The Census Bureau 
provides the participating government with a password to access the BAS 
program through the Internet. The respondent updates both their forms 
and maps using a single Internet site.
    A BAS package includes the following items for each respondent:
    1. Introductory letter from the Director of the Census Bureau.
    2. Appropriate BAS Form(s) that contains entity-specific 
identification information.
    a. BAS-1--incorporated places.
    b. BAS-2--counties, parishes, boroughs, city and boroughs.
    c. BAS-3--minor civil divisions.
    d. BAS-4--newly incorporated places or newly activated incorporated 
places.

[[Page 75501]]

    e. BAS-5--American Indian and Alaska Native Areas.
    3. BAS Respondent Guide.
    4. Set of maps or other media showing the current boundary of the 
government.
    5. Return postage-paid envelope to submit boundary changes.
    6. Postcard to notify the Census Bureau of no changes to the 
boundary.
    7. Supplies for updating paper maps.
    A local contact from each government verifies the legal boundary, 
and then provides boundary changes and updated contact information. The 
official signs the materials, verifies the forms and returns the 
information to the Census Bureau. The key dates for governments are as 
follows:
    1. Advanced response is e-mailed, faxed or mailed to the local 
contact in September/October of each year.
    2. BAS package of materials is shipped during the month of January 
of each year.
    3. Requests to change the method of participation (i.e., paper to 
digital submission) are due February 15th of each year.
    4. Responses for inclusion in the ACS Sampling and Population 
Estimation Program tabulation are due April 1st of each year.

III. Data

    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Number: 0607-0151.
    Form Numbers: BAS-1, BAS-2, BAS-3, BAS-4, and BAS-5.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: State, county, local and tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents:

Advanced response.............................................    32,500
Packages with changes.........................................    13,000
Packages with no changes or no response.......................    12,875
 

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:

                       Estimated Time Per Response
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Advanced response........................  30 minutes
Boundary updates.........................  6 hours
No boundary updates......................  4 hours
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                          Total Hours Per Year
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                                                               Hours
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Advanced response.......................................          16,250
Packages with changes...................................          78,000
Packages with no changes or no response.................          51,500
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    Total...............................................         145,750
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    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $3,041,803.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S.C. 6.

IV. Request for Comments

    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 
(including hours and cost) 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.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: December 11, 2006.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E6-21320 Filed 12-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P