[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
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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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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