[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 230 (Friday, November 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67750-67752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5889]


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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 Interior, National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3507 et seq.) and 5 CFR Part 1320, Reporting and 
Recordkeeping Requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites 
public comments on a revision of a currently approved collection (OMB 
1024-0038).

DATES: Public comments on this Information Collection Request (ICR) 
will be accepted on or before December 31, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior (OMB 1024-0038), 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 John W. Renaud, Project Coordinator, Historic 
Preservation Grants, Heritage Assistance Programs, NPS, 1849 C St., NW. 
(2256), Washington, DC 20240; or via fax at 202/371-1961; or via e-mail 
at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John W. Renaud, Project coordinator, 
Historic Preservation Grants, Heritage Assistance Programs, NPS, 1849 C 
St., NW. (2256), Washington, DC 20240; or via fax at 202/371-1961; or 
via e-mail at [email protected], or via telephone at 202/354-2066. 
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 comment on this ICR in the 
Federal Register on August 1, 2007 (Vol. 72, No. 147, Pages 42106-
42108). The comment period closed on October 1, 2007. The NPS received 
no comments as a result of the publication of this 60-Day Federal 
Register Notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Procedures for State, Tribal, and Local Government Historic 
Preservation Programs; 36 CFR part 61.
    Bureau Form Number(s): None.
    OMB Number: 1024-0038.
    Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 2007.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Description of Need: This set of information collections has an 
impact on State, tribal, and local governments that wish to participate 
formally in the National Historic Preservation Partnership (NHPP) 
Program, and State and tribal governments that wish to apply for 
Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grants. The NPS uses the information 
collections to ensure compliance with the National Historic 
Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) as well as the 
government-wide grant requirements that OMB has issued and the 
Department of the Interior implements through 43 CFR part 12. This 
information collection also produces performance data that NPS uses to 
assess its progress in meeting goals set in Departmental and NPS 
strategic plans created pursuant to the 1993 Government Performance and 
Results Act, as amended. This request for OMB approval includes local 
government burden for information collections associated with various 
aspects of the Certified Local Government (CLG) program; State 
government burden for information collections related to the CLG 
program, the program-specific aspects of the HPF grants to States, 
maintenance of a State inventory of historic and prehistoric 
properties, tracking State Historic preservation Office historic 
preservation consultation with Federal agencies, reporting on other 
State historic preservation accomplishments, and the State role in the 
State Program Review Process; and tribal government burden for 
information collections related to the program-specific aspects of HPF 
grants to THPOs.
    This request includes information collections related to HPF grants 
to States and to Tribal Historic Preservation Officers/Offices (THPOs). 
NPS is seeking the revision to reflect the increased number of partners 
participating in the NHPP and consequently in the previously approved 
information collections. In addition, a revision is needed because some 
information collections had not been recognized as such during 
preparation for earlier OMB approvals. Section 101(b) of the National 
Historic Preservation Act, as amended, (16 U.S.C. 470a(b)) specifies 
the role of States in the NHPP program. Section 101(c), section 103(c), 
and section 301 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 470a(c), 16 U.S.C. 470c(c), and 
16 U.S.C. 470w) specify the role of local governments in the NHPP 
program. Section 101(d) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 470a(d)) specifies the 
role of tribes in the NHPP program. Section 108 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 
470h) created the HPF to support activities that carry out the purposes 
of the Act. Section 101(e)(1) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 470a(e)) directs 
the Secretary of the Interior through the NPS to ``administer a program 
of matching grants to the States for the purposes of carrying out'' the 
Act. Similarly, sections 101(d) and 101(e) of the Act direct a program 
of grants to THPOs for carrying out their responsibilities under the 
Act. Each year Congress directs NPS to use part of the annual 
appropriation from the HPF for the State grant program and the tribal 
grant program. The purpose of both the HPF State grants program and the 
HPF THPO grants program is to assist States and tribes in carrying out 
their statutory role in the national historic preservation program. HPF 
grants to States and THPOs are program grants; i.e., each State/THPO 
selects its own HPF-eligible activities and projects. Each HPF grant to 
a State/THPO has two years of fund availability. At the end of the 
first year, NPS employs a ``Use or Lose'' policy to ensure efficient 
and effective use of the grant funds. All 59 States, territories, and 
the District of Columbia participate in the NHPP program. Almost 1,600 
local governments have become Certified Local Governments (CLGs) in 
order to participate in the NHPP program. Approximately 54 local 
governments become CLGs each year. Fifty-seven federally-recognized 
tribes have joined formally the NHPP and have established Tribal 
Historic Preservation Officers and tribal historic preservation 
offices. Typically, each year five to seven tribes join the 
partnership. NPS developed the information collections associated with 
36 CFR Part 61 in consultation with State, Tribal, and local government 
partners. The obligation to respond is required to provide information 
to

[[Page 67751]]

evaluate whether or not State, tribal, and local governments meet 
minimum standards and requirements for participation in the NHPP 
program; and to meet government-wide requirements for Federal grant 
programs.
    Comments are invited on: (1) 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, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.
    Automated data collection: NPS has made available to States for 
completion on-line all of the forms for the HPF State Grants program.
    Frequency of collection: Annually.
    Description of respondents: State, tribal, and local governments 
that wish to participate formally in the National Historic Preservation 
partnership Program and who wish to apply for Historic Preservation 
fund grant assistance.
    Estimated average number of respondents/record keepers: The net 
number of partners participating in this set of information collections 
annually is 59 States, territories, and the District of Columbia, 57 
Tribes, and 1,554 CLGs.
    Estimated average number of responses: NPS estimates that there are 
35,927 responses per year. This is the gross number of responses for 
all of the elements included in this set of information collections.
    Estimated average number of State HPF grant-related applicant 
responses: 58 per year.
    Estimated average gross number of State HPF grant-related grantee 
responses: 407 per year.
    Estimated average gross number of State HPF grant-related responses 
for successful Applicants/Grantees: 465 per year.
    Estimate average number of THPO HPF grant-related Applicant 
responses: 57 per year.
    Estimate average gross number of THPO HPF grant-related grantee 
responses: 143 per year.
    Estimated average gross number of THPO HPF application plus grant-
related responses: 200 per year.
    Estimated average number of State and local CLG program related 
responses per State/CLG: 44 per year.
    Estimated average gross number State and local CLG program related 
responses for all States/CLGs: 2,936 per year.
    Estimated average minimum number of State inventory responses per 
State: 78 per year.
    Estimated average gross minimum number of State inventory responses 
for all States: 4,602 per year.
    Estimated average minimum number of State consultation on Federal 
project responses per State: 445 per year.
    Estimated average gross minimum number of State consultation of 
Federal projects responses for all States: 26,255 per year.
    Estimated average number of other State performance reports per 
State: 1 per year.
    Estimated average gross number of other State performance reports 
for all States: 25 per year.
    Estimated average minimum number of State Program Reviews per 
State: 1 per year.
    Estimated average gross minimum number of State Program Reviews for 
all States: 14 per year.
    Estimated average gross number of responses for all non-grant 
collections: 33,793 per year.
    Estimated average time burden per respondent: NPS estimates that 
the total public (State plus local) burden for the Certified Local 
Government (CLG) program averages 36 hours per CLG for the 
certification, monitoring, and evaluation of each CLG and 45 minutes 
for reporting of other CLG accomplishments. NPS estimates that the 
total public (State) burden averages 10 minutes per Federal agency 
project tracked, 45 minutes per inventory record, 2 hours per reporting 
on other State accomplishments, and 90 hours per State Program Review. 
NPS estimates that the total public burden for collections not directly 
tied to grants is 129 hours per respondent. NPS estimates that the 
public burden for the HPF-supported State grant program collections of 
information will average 12 hours per application and 17 hours per 
grant per year for all of the grant-related collections. The combined 
total public burden for the HPF State grant program-related information 
collections would average 29 hours per successful applicant/grantee. 
NPS estimates that the total public burden for the HPF THPO grant 
program-related information collections would average 14 hours per 
successful applicant/grantee. These burden estimates are a one-year 
average for the two-year grants. The combined total public burden for 
the 36 CFR part 61-related information collections would average 133 
hours per partner. These estimates of burden include time for reviewing 
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of 
information.
    Estimated average burden hours per State HPF grant-related 
Applicant response: 12 hours.
    Estimated average burden hours per State HPF grant-related Grantee 
response: 17 hours.
    Estimated total annual average burden hours per State HPF grant-
related respondent: 29 hours.
    Estimated total annual average burden hours for all State HPF 
grant-related responses: 1,541 hours.
    Estimated average annual burden hours per THPO HPF grant-related 
Applicant/Grantee for all responses: 14 hours.
    Estimated total annual average burden hours for all THPO HPF grant-
related respondents: 781 hours.
    Estimated average burden hours in the CLG program per response: 12 
hours.
    Estimated average burden hours in the State inventory program per 
response: 40 minutes.
    Estimated average burden hours in the Federal agency consultation 
tracking program per response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated average burden hours in other performance reporting per 
response: 3 hours.
    Estimated average burden hours in the State Program Review program 
per response: 90 hours.
    Estimated average annual burden hours per partner for all non 
grant-related responses: 710 hours.
    Estimated Annual Burden on all Respondents for all non grant-
related responses: 33,606 hours.
    Frequency of response: The frequency of response varies depending 
upon the activity. In the CLG program, States and local governments 
participate once for the certification process, once per year for the 
monitoring of each CLG, once every four years for the evaluation of 
each CLG, and once a year on a voluntary basis for other performance 
reporting. Each State adds property records to its inventory and tracks 
the progress of consultation with Federal agencies as the information 
becomes available. Each State reports once a year on a voluntary basis 
for other performance reporting. The National

[[Page 67752]]

Historic Preservation Act requires that each State undergo a State 
Program Review every four years. For the program-specific aspects of 
the HPF grants to State program, the estimated number of responses 
includes a ``Cumulative Products Table'' of projected performance in 
summary format, an ``Organization Chart'' showing the availability of 
appropriately qualified staff, and a (major) ``Anticipated Activities 
List''. During the grant cycle, grantees seek NPS approval once for a 
subgrant (via a project notification) and associated final project 
report. Each year, every State submits an ``End of Year Report'' that 
includes the Cumulative Products Table (which compares actual to 
proposed performance), a ``Sources of Nonfederal Matching Share 
Report,'' a ``Project/Activity Database Report,'' an ``Unexpended 
Carryover Funds Table and Carryover Statement,'' and a ``Significant 
Preservation Accomplishments Summary.'' For the program-specific 
aspects of the HPF grants to THPOs program, the estimated number of 
responses includes a grant application scope of work, a ``Grants 
Product Summary Table,'' an unexpended funds carry-over statement, and 
a ``THPO Annual Report'' (a narrative summary of important 
accomplishments).
    Estimated total annual burden: NPS estimates that the estimated 
combined annual burden on all respondents for all responses will be 
35,927 hours.

    Dated: November 27, 2007.
Leonard E. Stowe,
NPS, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-5889 Filed 11-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-M