[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49306-49307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-4206]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Emergency Approval of a New Information Collection; 30-
Day Notice of Intent To Request an Extension for the Collection of 
Information; Interagency Access Pass Application Process

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 5 
CFR Part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National 
Park Service (NPS) has requested and received emergency approval on the 
collection of information; Interagency Access Pass Application Process 
(OMB 1024-0252). The NPS invites public comments on the 
extension of this currently approved collection.

DATES: Public comments on this Information Collection Request (ICR) 
will be accepted on or before September 27, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior (OMB 1024-0252), Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, by fax at 202/395-6566, or by 
electronic mail at [email protected]. Please also send a copy of 
your comments to Brandon Flint, NPS, WASO Recreation Fee Program 
Office, 1849 C St., NW., (2608), Washington, DC 20240; or by e-mail at 
[email protected], or by fax at 202/371-2401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brandon Flint, NPS, WASO Recreation 
Fee Program Office, 1849 C St., NW., (2608) Washington, DC 20240; 
phone: 202/513-7096; e-mail: [email protected], or by fax at 202/
371-2401.
    Comments Received on the 60-Day Federal Register Notice: The NPS 
published the 60-Day Federal Register Notice to solicit comments on 
this ICR on May 25, 2007 (Vol. 72, pages 29351-29352). The comment 
period ended on July 24, 2007. There were no public comments received 
as a result of publishing this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: The Interagency Access Pass Application Process.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: 1024-0252.
    Expiration Date: 10/31/2007.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Description of Need: The currently approved information collection 
responds to The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) which 
requires the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of the 
Interior, to make the America the Beautiful--The National Parks and 
Federal Recreational Lands Pass available, for free, to any United 
States citizen or person domiciled in the United States who has been 
medically determined to be permanently disabled for purposes of section 
7(20)(B)(i) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
705(20)(B)(i)). The Act further requires that the applicant provide 
adequate proof of the disability and such citizenship or residency. The 
Act specifies that the Pass shall be valid for the lifetime of the pass 
holder. The America the Beautiful--The National Parks and Federal 
Recreational Lands Access Pass (Interagency Access Pass) was created to 
meet the requirements of the FLREA. An Interagency Access Pass is a 
free, lifetime permit that is issued without charge by the Bureau of 
Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service, United States Forest Service, and the National Park Service to 
citizens or persons who are domiciled (permanent residents) in the 
United States, regardless of age, and who have a medical determination 
and

[[Page 49307]]

documentation of permanent disability. Furthermore, the Pass is to be 
non-transferable and entitles the permittee and any person accompanying 
him in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle, or alternatively, the 
permittee and 3 adults to enter with him where entry to the area is by 
any means other than private, non-commercial vehicle. The Pass must be 
signed by the holder.
    In order to issue the Interagency Access Pass only to persons who 
have been medically determined to be permanently disabled, in 
accordance with the FLREA direction and in order to clarify, simplify, 
and to provide uniform guidance for the public on the process for 
obtaining the Interagancy Access Pass, the Secretaries of Agriculture 
and Interior established eligibility and required documentation 
guidelines for issuing the Interagency Access Pass and published them 
within the America the Beautiful--The National Parks and Federal 
Recreational Lands Pass Standard Operating Procedures. The procedures 
require the individual to appear in person and sign the Pass in the 
presence of the issuing agency officer. Acceptable documentation to 
verify that the individual had been medically determined to have a 
permanent disability has been identified and includes:
    A statement signed by a licensed physician attesting that the 
applicant has a permanent physical, mental, or sensory impairment that 
substantially limits one or more major life activities, and stating the 
nature of the impairment; or
    A document issued by a Federal agency, such as the Veteran's 
Administration, which attests that the applicant has been medically 
determined to be eligible to receive Federal benefits as a result of 
blindness or permanent disability. Other acceptable Federal agency 
documents include proof of receipt of Social Security Disability Income 
(SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI); or
    A document issued by a State agency such as the vocational 
rehabilitation agency, which attests that the applicant has been 
medically determined to be eligible to receive vocational 
rehabilitation agency benefits or services as a result of medically 
determined blindness or permanent disability. Showing a State motor 
vehicle department disability sticker, license plate or hang tag is not 
acceptable documentation;
    Information available to the general public through agency websites 
and publications will inform potential Pass applicants of the 
documentation requirements. However, there are instances where 
applicants learn about the Pass when arriving at a recreation site and 
do not have the required documentation available. For those instances, 
a fourth option is made available at recreation sites. If a person 
claims eligibility for the Access Pass but cannot produce any of the 
documentation outlined, that person must read, sign, and date the 
Statement of Disability Form in the presence of the officer issuing the 
Pass. If the applicant cannot read and/or sign, someone else may read, 
date, and sign the statement on his/her behalf in the applicant's 
presence, and the presence of the officer issuing the Pass. The 
Interagency Access Pass replaces the Golden Access Passport that was 
established in 1980 by an amendment to the Land and Water Conservation 
Fund Act (L&WCFA) of 1965. Previously issued Golden Access Passports 
will remain valid for the lifetime of the Passport holder. The 
requested information and Statement of Disability have been collected 
and used since the creation of the Golden Access Passport in 1980 to 
verify that the individual had been medically determined to have a 
permanent disability for the issuance of the Golden Access Passport 
under OMB control number 0596-0173, under the authority of the L&WCFA.
    Comments are invited 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. 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 us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Description of respondents: United States citizens or persons 
domiciled in the United States who have been medically determined to be 
permanently disabled for the purposes of section 7(20)(B)(i) of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 705(20)(B)(i)).
    Estimated average number of respondents: 73,400 per year.
    Estimated average number of responses: 73,400 per year.
    Estimated average time burden per respondent: 5 minutes.
    Frequency of response: Once per respondent.
    Estimated total annual reporting burden: 6117 hours.

    Dated: August 1, 2007.
Leonard E. Stowe,
NPS, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-4206 Filed 8-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-M