[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 213 (Monday, November 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62490-62492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5465]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


30-Day Notice of Submission to the Office of Management and 
Budget; Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 
CFR Part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National 
Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a proposed new collection 
of information (OMB 1024-XXXX).

DATES: Public comments on this Information Collection Request (ICR) 
will be accepted on or before December 5, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior (OMB 1024- XXXX), 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 Dr. Michael Patterson, Department of Society and 
Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59801; Phone: 406/
243-6614; e-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. James Gramann, NPS Social Science 
Program, 1201 Eye St., Washington, DC 20005; or via phone 202/513-7189; 
or via e-mail [email protected]. You are entitled to a 
copy of the entire ICR package free-of-charge.
    Comments Received on the 60-Day Federal Register Notice: The NPS 
published a 60-Day Notice to solicit public comments on this ICR in the 
Federal Register on April 24, 2007 (Vol. 72, No. 78, Page 20363-20364). 
The comment period closed on June 25, 2007. After multiple 
notifications to stakeholders requesting comments, the NPS received one 
comment as a result of the publication of this 60-Day Federal Register 
Notice.
    We received on public comment on the proposed visitor study in 
Yellowstone National Park (YNP). The comment, from a representative of 
the Wyoming State Snowmobile Association, raised concerns related to 
four aspects of the research design: (1) The possible disruption of 
visitor experiences through asking them to respond to an on-site 
survey, (2) the adequacy of the sample size, (3) the appropriateness/
practical utility of gathering information on visitor perceptions about 
their experiences and park management, and (4) the appropriateness of 
gathering information on guides' perspectives about the snowcoach/
snowmobile guide-only policy.
    The comments were addressed in a reply letter. The following is a 
synopsis of the response to each of the proposed concerns: (1) The 
methods used in this study are well-established in the research 
community and every effort has been made to ensure that visitors are 
not disrupted in any significant way. (2) The sample sizes are large 
enough to address the research needs and will allow for a small 
standard error of 5%. (3) The goal of the proposed study is 
to

[[Page 62491]]

assess visitor perceptions about the appropriateness and acceptability 
of YNP's stewardship of bison, management of human-wildlife 
interactions witnessed during their experiences, and YNP soundscapes. 
Thus this information will have important practical utility for park 
managers: it can help managers understand visitor experiences, 
visitors' values, how experiences and values are related to support/
opposition for management policies, what visitors think about NPS 
stewardship, and how to design interpretation/education efforts. (4) 
The guides represent a constituency with whom YNP interacts, who are 
impacted by management policies, and who have a wealth of experience 
and information about winter use given the time they spend in YNP. 
Information about guides' perceptions are therefore another important 
source of input for understanding winter use.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Winter Visitor Experiences in Yellowstone National Park.
    Bureau Form Number(s): None.
    OMB Number: To be requested.
    Expiration Date: To be requested.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Description of Need: This study will provide the NPS and park 
managers with critical information on winter visitor experiences of 
Yellowstone National Park. The purpose of this research is to assist 
Park managers in identifying efficient, salient and effective 
dimensions of the visitor experience for applications in monitoring 
efforts. Those monitoring efforts can then be tailored to the 
evaluation of NPS policy and management actions. Recent changes to 
Yellowstone National Park's winter use policy have driven a need for 
social scientific research on winter visitor experiences in the park. 
This research has three components: (1) The role of the natural 
soundscape in visitor experiences, (2) visitor perceptions of human-
wildlife interactions, and (3) snowcoach and snowmobile guides' 
perceptions of the effectiveness of the guide-only policy.

1. The Role of the Natural Soundscape in Visitor Experiences

    Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has requested research into visitor 
experiences of natural sounds. The recent changes in winter use 
motorized access in YNP require snowmobiles in the park to use clean 
and quiet technology. These changes have led to the need to better 
understand the role of natural sounds in the winter visitor experience. 
The purpose of this study is to provide park managers with specific 
information on visitor perceptions of the experience of the natural 
soundscape and on visitor willingness to support management actions 
that affect the natural soundscape in Yellowstone National Park. The 
purpose of the interview approach for soundscape research is to obtain 
an in depth understanding of visitor experiences of the natural 
soundscape and to better understand the context within which soundscape 
policies affect the visitor experience.
    Previous research in Yellowstone National Park has documented the 
existence of differing values held among visitors for the park itself. 
Strong relationships between perceived park values and visitor 
willingness to support park management activities have been previously 
documented. The research proposed for the next winter use season will 
build on this knowledge, expanding it to include the natural soundscape 
resource, providing the park with information on the status of visitor 
perceptions of park values, visitor perceptions of the importance of 
natural sounds to their experience, and visitors' willingness to 
support management actions affecting the natural soundscape. In 
addition to the in-depth interviews, an on-site questionnaire will be 
utilized for this portion of the soundscape research.

2. Visitor Perceptions of Human-Wildlife Interactions

    This study seeks to provide park managers with specific information 
on visitor perceptions of wildlife interactions that occur in 
Yellowstone National Park. The recent changes in winter use policy 
require the snowmobile experience to be guided, which leads to 
different types of visitor wildlife interactions. YNP has requested 
research exploring how winter visitors appraise the human-bison 
interactions they observe during their visit. The primary goals are to 
explore snowcoach and snowmobile passengers' appraisals of the human-
bison interactions they witness during their visits, to analyze 
situational and visitor characteristics that might influence those 
appraisals, and to explore visitors' judgments about when consequences 
of winter use for bison are serious enough to warrant management 
intervention regulating these interactions.

3. The Effectiveness of the Guide-Only Policy in Yellowstone National 
Park: The Perspective of Snowcoach and Snowmobile Guides

    Recent winter use plans at Yellowstone National Park have required 
that each snowmobile comply with best available technology, that all 
groups be guided, and that the total number of daily winter visitors be 
capped. These restrictions were implemented to reduce impacts to 
wildlife, improve compliance with winter use rules, reduce visitor 
conflict, and address visitor carrying capacity. This study will look 
at the effectiveness of these managerial interventions through the eyes 
of the professional guides. Many guides have been working in the park 
on a daily basis for year; thus, they offer a unique perspective on how 
the conditions in the park have changed and what seems to be working 
best within the new winter use system. Interviews, to be conducted 
during the winter use season, will rely on an open ended, in-depth 
process.
    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.
    Automated data collection: This information will be collected via 
in-person interviews and surveys. No automated data collection will 
take place.
    Frequency of collection: Once.
    Description of respondents: Components 1 and 2: Visitors stopping 
at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Old Faithful Geyser on 20 days 
during the 2007-2008 winter use season. Component 3: Snowmobile and 
snowcoach guides in Yellowstone National Park.
    Estimated average number of respondents: Component 1: 445 (400 
respondents for on-site survey and 45 respondents for interviews). 
Component 2: 400. Component 3: 30. Non-respondents: 92 (component 1: 
45, component 2: 40, and component 3: 7).
    Estimated average number of responses: Component 1: 445 (400 
responses for on-site survey and 45 responses for interviews). 
Component 2:

[[Page 62492]]

400. Component 3: 30. Non-responses: 92 (component 1: 45, component 2: 
40, and component 3: 7).
    Estimated average time burden per respondent: Component 1: 15 
minutes for on-site survey and 30 minutes for interview. Component 2: 
20 minutes. Component 3: 20 minutes. Non-respondents: 1 minute.
    Frequency of Response: 1 time per respondent.
    Estimated total annual reporting burden: 268 hours.

    Dated: October 30, 2007.
Leonard E. Stowe,
NPS, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-5465 Filed 11-2-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-M