[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 9 (Monday, January 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2212-2213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-368]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 9 / Monday, January 14, 2008 /
Notices
[[Page 2212]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Perceptions of Risk, Trust,
Responsibility, and Management Preferences Among Fire-Prone Communities
in the Western United States
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 extension with revision of a currently approved
information collection, Perceptions of Risk, Trust, Responsibility, and
Management Preferences among Fire-Prone Communities in the Western
United States.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before March 14, 2008
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
Patricia L. Winter, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 4955 Canyon Crest Drive, Riverside, CA
92507.
Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to 951-680-1501 or by
e-mail to: [email protected].
The public may inspect comments received at Building One Reception,
4955 Canyon Crest Drive, Riverside, CA 92507, during normal business
hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to (951) 680-1500 to
facilitate entry to the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia L. Winter, Pacific Southwest
Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 951-
680-1557. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf
(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: Perceptions of Risk, Trust, Responsibility, and Management
Preferences among Fire-Prone Communities in the Western United States.
OMB Number: 0596-0186.
Expiration Date of Current Approval: July 31, 2008.
Type of Request: Extension with revision of a currently approved
collection.
Abstract: The purpose of this survey is to determine the
perceptions of risk, trust, responsibility, and management preferences
among individuals residing in fire-prone communities in the Western
United States.
Forest Service and university researchers will contact community
residents within or adjacent to national forests in the Western United
States. Through those contacts, researchers will evaluate concerns
about fire and fire risk; knowledge about fire; values focused on fire
management; trust, objectives, and alternatives for fire management;
personal experiences with fire; stressors associated with fire and fire
risk; responsibility and accomplishments for fire management; sources
of concern about fire; future orientation; and socio-demographics.
The results will help researchers improve the ability to provide
information to natural resource managers on public perceptions of fire
and fire management. To gather the information, residents within, or
adjacent to, national forests in the Western United States will be
contacted through mailed or e-mail correspondence or by telephone
inviting their participation in a focus group study. Willing or
interested parties will contact the researcher and be scheduled into
sessions in their community. Those agreeing to participate will be
involved in a focus group discussion and complete a self-administered
survey.
A Forest Service researcher and analyst/technicians will collect
and analyze the information with the assistance of a cooperating
university researcher. Both researchers are experts in applied social
psychology and survey research.
Participants will first complete a questionnaire focused on the
individual's concern about fire, knowledge about fire, values
similarity with the Forest Service, trust, objectives for fire
management, personal experience with fire, stressors of fire and fire
risk, responsibility for risk reduction, accomplishment of risk
reduction, sources of concern about fire, future orientation, and
sociodemographics. Participants (age 18 or older) residing in the
selected communities are then invited via mail, e-mail, or telephone to
participate in a discussion on the following topics: objectives,
values, and concerns in fire management; alternatives for accomplishing
objectives; values/goals and trust; and information needs and
interests. When possible, multiple sessions will be held in each
community to accommodate as many participants as are interested.
Responses will be voluntary and anonymous.
Responses will be used to evaluate the values linked to fire and
fire management among forest community residents, personal experiences
with fire and how participants have addressed fire risk, perceived
responsibility and accomplishments in addressing fire risk, and
personal characteristics that might influence these responses. The data
collected will assist researchers in determining public perception and
expectations regarding fire management and risk, as well as providing
information on how residents address these issues. Such data is
valuable to forest resource managers, who use the information when
selecting long and short-term fire management strategies, and in
developing public information strategies on fire and fire management.
Without this information, managers will have to rely on the scant
information otherwise available on current and changing public views
regarding fire and fire management, and the anecdotal information
collected through direct experiences with the public regarding impacts
of fire and fire risk. The intent is to share the collected data with
other researchers studying fire management, and other natural resource
management values and objectives.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 2.3 hours.
Type of Respondents: Respondents are community residents in various
locations within or adjacent to national forests in the Western United
States.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 200.
[[Page 2213]]
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 460.
Comment is Invited:
Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this collection of information
is 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: January 3, 2008.
Ann M. Bartuska,
Deputy Chief for Research & Development.
[FR Doc. E8-368 Filed 1-11-08; 8:45 am]
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