[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27553-27554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10411]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


60-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of 
Information; Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: Department of the 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 
and 5 CFR part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the 
National Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a reinstatement, 
with change, of a previously approved collection for which approval has 
expired (OMB 1024-0216).

DATES: Public comments on this Information Collection Request (ICR) 
will be accepted on or before July 14, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send Comments To: Jennifer Hoger Russell, Park Studies Unit, 
College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, P.O. Box 44139, 
Moscow, ID 83844-1139; Phone: (208) 885-4806; Fax (208) 885-4261, e-
mail: [email protected]. Also, you may send comments to Leonard Stowe, 
NPS Information Collection Clearance Officer, 1849 C St., NW., (2605), 
Washington, DC 20240, or by e-mail at [email protected]. All 
responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request 
for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. All comments 
will become a matter of public record.
    To Request a Draft of Proposed Collection of Information Contact: 
Jennifer Hoger Russell, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural 
Resources, University of Idaho, P.O. Box 44139, Moscow, ID 83844-1139; 
Phone: 208/885-4806; Fax: 208/885-4261, e-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. James Gramann, NPS Social Science 
Program, 1201 ``Eye'' St., Washington, D.C. 20005; or via phone 202/
513-7189; or via e-mail at [email protected]. You are 
entitled to a copy of the entire ICR package free of charge.

[[Page 27554]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: National Park Service Visitor Survey 
Card.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: 1024-0216.
    Expiration Date: To be requested.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously 
approved collection for which approval has expired.
    Description of Need: The National Park Service Act of 1916, 38 Stat 
535, 16 U.S.C. 1, et seq., requires that the NPS preserve national 
parks for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. At 
the field level, this means resource preservation, public education, 
facility maintenance and operation, and physical developments as are 
necessary for public use, health, and safety. Other Federal rules 
(National Environmental Policy Act, 1969 and NPS Management Policies) 
require visitor use data in the impact assessment of development on 
users and resources as part of each park's general management plan. The 
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 (Pub. L. 103-62) 
requires that the NPS develop goals to improve program effectiveness 
and public accountability and to measure performance related to these 
goals. The Visitor Survey Card (VSC) Project measures performance 
toward those goals through a short visitor survey card. The project is 
an element of the NPS Strategic Plan and the Department of the Interior 
(DOT) Strategic Plan.
    The NPS has used the VSC to conduct surveys at approximately 330 
National Park System units annually since 1998. The purpose of the VSC 
is to measure visitors' opinions about park facilities, services, and 
recreational opportunities in each park unit and Systemwide. This 
effort is required by GPRA and other NPS and DOT strategic planning 
efforts. Data from the proposed survey is needed to assess performance 
regarding NPS GPRA goals IIa1 and IIb1. The relevant NPS GPRA goals 
state:

    II. Provide for the public enjoyment and visitor experience of 
parks; IIa1. 95% of park visitors are satisfied with appropriate 
park facilities, services, and recreational opportunities; IIb1. 86% 
of park visitors understand and appreciate the significance of the 
park they are visiting.

    In addition, the survey collects data to support the DOI Strategic 
Plan goal on visitor satisfaction with the value for entrance fees paid 
to access public lands managed by the DOI. NPS performance on all goals 
measured in this study will contribute to DOI Department-wide 
performance reports. Results of the VSC will also be used by park 
managers to improve visitor services at the approximately 330 units of 
the National Park System where the survey is administered.
    The VSC is a component of the Visitors Services Project, which is 
funded by the NPS through a cooperative agreement with the Park Studies 
Unit at the University of Idaho. In 1998, the NPS received clearance 
for the Visitor Survey Card (OMB 1024-0216). When that three-
year clearance expired on May 31, 2001, a new clearance was acquired 
under the Programmatic Approval for NPS-Sponsored Public Surveys (1024-
0224, NPS 01-003). Clearance was again acquired in 2005 under 
the Programmatic Approval for NPS-Sponsored Public Surveys (10240224, 
NPS 05-004). This request is another extension of the on-going 
study.
    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 
mail-back surveys and on-site drop-off surveys using locked collection 
boxes. No automated data collection will take place.
    Description of respondents: Visitors to approximately 330 NPS 
units.
    Estimated average number of respondents: 132,000 respondents 
(95,000 non-respondents and 37,000 respondents).
    Estimated average number of responses: 132,000 responses (95,000 
non-responses and 37,000 responses).
    Estimated average time burden per respondent: 1 minute for non-
respondents and 3 minutes for respondents.
    Frequency of Response: 1 time per respondent.
    Estimated total annual reporting burden: 3,433 hours.

    Dated: May 5, 2008.
Leonard E. Stowe,
NPS, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-10411 Filed 5-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-53-M