[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 101 (Friday, May 25, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 29348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-10115]



[[Page 29348]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for Approval; OMB Control Number 1018-0132; Research to 
Support Outdoor Recreation Management at Lake Umbagog National Wildlife 
Refuge - Phase 2

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which 
is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the 
estimated burden and cost. This ICR is scheduled to expire on May 31, 
2007. We 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.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before June 25, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this ICR to the Desk 
Officer for the Department of the Interior at OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-
6566 (fax) or [email protected] (e-mail). Please provide a copy 
of your comments to Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 222-ARLSQ, 4401 North Fairfax 
Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail); (703) 358-2269 (fax); or [email protected] (e-mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail, fax, or e-mail (see 
ADDRESSES), or by telephone at (703) 358-2482.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0132.
    Title: Research to Support Outdoor Recreation Management at Lake 
Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge - Phase 2.
    Service Form Number(s): 3-2330 and 3-2330A.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Affected Public: Visitors to and camp/home owners near Lake Umbagog 
National Wildlife Refuge.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 500 (250 per survey).
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 500 (250 per survey).
    Estimated Time Per Response: 15 minutes for visitor survey; 20 
minutes for camp/home owner survey.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 146.
    Abstract: Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located in 
northern New Hampshire and Maine, contains significant natural and 
recreational resources. In 2006, we began a research study to gather 
information to help support application of visitor carrying capacity at 
the refuge. We conducted a survey of visitors to the refuge to 
determine relevant indicators of quality for the visitor experience. 
Indicators of quality are measurable, manageable variables that reflect 
the essence or meaning of management objectives.
    We have asked OMB to renew this information collection to include 
phase 2 of this study. During phase 2, we plan to survey visitors and 
nearby camp and home owners to identify standards of quality for 
relevant indicator variables and to determine attitudes toward 
management actions that we might use to ensure that the standards of 
quality are maintained.
    We propose to conduct two separate surveys. One survey will include 
a sample of visitors to Lake Umbagog NWR and the second survey will 
include private camp and home owners adjacent to the refuge. We will 
collect the same information during both surveys; however, we will ask 
camp and home owners for additional information about how often they 
use the refuge.
    Comments: On February 22, 2007, we published in the Federal 
Register (72 FR 8003) a notice of our intent to request that OMB 
approve this information collection. In that notice, we solicited 
comments for 60 days, ending on April 23, 2007. We received one 
comment.

    The commenter objected to the use of Lake Umbagog NWR for hunting, 
trapping, and related recreational uses. Legislation creating this and 
other units of the National Wildlife Refuge System specifically allows 
for these public uses. In addition, the National Wildlife Refuge 
Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd), which guides planning and 
management of the National Wildlife Refuge System, identifies six 
wildlife-dependent recreational uses that should be given priority and 
provides a process for ensuring that these and other activities do not 
conflict with the management purpose and goals of each refuge. The 
commenter also suggested that we use results from a nationwide survey 
about the recreational habits of citizens of the United States for 
planning at Lake Umbagog NWR instead of the proposed survey. While the 
survey mentioned by the commenter may be useful for tracking national 
recreational trends, information about appropriate use levels for 
specific indicators of quality at Lake Umbagog NWR can only be obtained 
from the proposed surveys. The information that we will collect is 
important especially at Lake Umbagog NWR. U.S. Senate Report 108-371 
notes increasing concern at this refuge over growing recreational use 
and its potential impacts on sensitive wildlife populations.
    We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
    (1) whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information;
    (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal 
identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask OMB in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it 
will be done.

    Dated: May 1, 2007
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E7-10115 Filed 5-24-07; 8:45 am]
Billing Code 4310-55-S