[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 211 (Thursday, November 1, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61857-61858]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21515]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Prince William Sound User Experience 
Survey

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and 
organizations on the new information collection: Prince William Sound 
User Experience Survey.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before December 31, 
2007 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to Sara 
Boario or Aaron Poe, Glacier Ranger District, Chugach National Forest, 
Forest Service, USDA, P.O. Box 129 Forest Station Road, Girdwood, AK 
99587
    Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to (907) 783-2094 or 
by e-mail to: [email protected] and [email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at Glacier Ranger 
District, 145 Forest Station Road, Girdwood, Alaska, during normal 
business hours; 0800-1700 Monday through Friday. Visitors are 
encouraged to call ahead to (907) 783-3242 to facilitate entry to the 
building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara Boario and Aaron Poe at (907) 
783-3242. Individuals who use TDD may call the Federal Relay Service 
(FRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, 
including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Prince William Sound User Experience Survey.
    OMB Number: 0596-New.
    Type of Request: New.
    Abstract: In 1989, Prince William Sound (PWS), the heart of the 
Chugach National Forest (CNF), was severely impacted by the Exxon 
Valdez Oil Spill (EVOS). In the aftermath of the spill, federal and 
state trustees were awarded criminal and civil restitution funds to 
help with the recovery (and the evaluation of the recovery) of injured 
resources and human services, including the recreation/tourism service 
(still listed as ``recovering''). For the current list of injured 
resources and human services, please visit the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 
Trustee Council: http://www.evostc.state.ak.us/Publications/injuredresources.cfm.
    The CNF, as the major land-owning federal trustee in PWS, is 
required and committed to playing an important role in the recovery 
process. One area that has received less attention by researchers in 
the past, and is of critical importance to the CNF managers today, is 
the distribution, behavior and experience of human users throughout the 
PWS and its impact on EVOS injured resources and human services. Human 
use in the PWS is increasing, and there is growing concern that 
increased competition and rapid growth in commercial and independent 
human use may be threatening EVOS injured resources and human services.
    The Prince William Sound User Experience Survey, along with an 
associated recreation behavior simulation (funded by EVOS federal 
criminal restitution dollars) will add critical depth to the few 
existing PWS human use studies by describing the exact nature of user-
resource experiences in the PWS, and evaluating the potential for 
conflict among user groups and displacement due to lingering oil.
    Both user experience and conflicts between user groups have 
significant implications for injured resources and human services 
recovery. This information is required to make predictions about 
changing dynamics of human use distribution and intensity. Such 
predictive power is needed to gain an understanding of the spatial and 
temporal patterns of recreation/tourism human use relative to EVOS 
impacted resources and services. The results will inform recovery and 
restoration activities which have been undertaken by both the EVOS 
trustees and local resource managers relative to current and projected 
levels of human use. It also provides an excellent opportunity to 
assess the recovery of the recreation/tourism human service, injured 
and redistributed by the EVOS and still listed as ``recovering'' by the 
Trustee Council, and whether or how CNF managers can further enhance 
its recovery.
    PWS recreation users will be contacted at harbors in three 
communities: Whittier, Cordova, and Valdez prior to embarking on their 
trips. They will be asked to complete a questionnaire during their trip 
and return it in a self-addressed and stamped envelope. The information 
will be collected by Forest Service employees and contractors for the 
University of Arizona.
    Data collection efforts will consist of a mapped description (trip 
diary) of the trip completed; the numbers and types of encounters 
respondents had with other users during the trip; and user perceptions 
about experiences relative to expectations prior to the trip. 
Additionally, limited categorical information will be collected about 
the mode of transportation and preferred recreation activity in the 
PWS.
    This information will be used to characterize recreation users to 
the area, as well as experiences of individuals regarding encounters 
with other human uses. The data will be used by managers to determine 
use patterns for the PWS, giving decision makers insight into the 
recovery of injured resources and human services, which were 
redistributed around the PWS in the aftermath of EVOS. This data will 
provide managers with the ability to protect and restore EVOS injured 
resources and human services during a time of increasing human use in 
the PWS.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 20 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: Individuals.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 500.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: One.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 167 hours.
    Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this collection of information 
is

[[Page 61858]]

necessary for the stated purposes and the proper performance of the 
functions of the agency, including whether the information will have 
practical or scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's 
estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (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, including the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the request for Office of 
Management and Budget approval.

    Dated: October 25, 2007.
C.L. Newman, Jr.,
Acting Deputy Chief, NFS.
[FR Doc. E7-21515 Filed 10-31-07; 8:45 am]
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