[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 155 (Monday, August 11, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46638-46639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-18448]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submitted for Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a new information collection.

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is inviting comments on collection of 
information that we have sent to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. The Information Collection Request (ICR) 
concerns the paperwork requirements for the National Spatial Data 
Infrastructure, Cooperative Agreements Program (NSDI CAP) and describes 
the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before September 10, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Please submit comments on this information collection 
directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior via e-mail [[email protected]]; or 
fax (202) 395-6566; and identify your submission as 1028-NEW. Please 
also submit a copy of your comments to Phadrea Ponds, U.S.G.S. 
Information Collections Clearance Officer, 2150-C Center Avenue, Fort 
Collins, CO 80525 (mail); (970) 226-9230 (fax); or [email protected] (e-
mail). Please reference Information Collection 1028-NEW, NSDI CAP in 
the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: To request additional 
information concerning this ICR, contact Brigitta Urban-Mathieux, by 
mail NSDI CAP Coordinator, Federal Geographic Data Committee, U.S. 
Geological Survey, MS 590 National Center, Reston, VA 20192 or by 
telephone at (703) 648-5175.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Spatial Data Infrastructure Cooperative Agreements 
Program (NSDI CAP).
    OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.
    Abstract: To date, the NSDI CAP awards have created collaborations 
at all levels of government, developed an understanding of geospatial 
information in organizations and disciplines new to the NSDI, provided 
seed money to enable geospatial organizations to participate in the 
national effort to implement the NSDI, promoted the development of 
standardized metadata in hundreds of organizations, and funded numerous 
implementations of OGC Web Mapping Services and Web Feature Services. 
The program is open to State, local and tribal governments, academia, 
and commercial and non-profit organizations and provides small seed 
grants to initiate sustainable on-going NSDI implementations. The 
program emphasizes partnerships, collaboration and the leveraging of 
geospatial resources in achieving its goals. Since the funding level is 
limited, organizations must compete to be awarded funds. Respondents 
are submitting proposals to acquire funding for projects to help build 
the infrastructure necessary for the geospatial data community to 
effectively discover, access, share, manage, and use digital geographic 
data.
    The NSDI consists of the technologies, policies, organizations, and 
people necessary to promote cost-effective production, and the ready 
availability and greater utilization of geospatial data among a variety 
of sectors, disciplines, and communities. Specific NSDI areas of 
emphasis include: metadata documentation, clearinghouse establishment, 
framework development, standards implementation, and geographic 
information system (GIS) organizational coordination.
    This notice concerns the collection of information that is 
sufficient and relevant to evaluate and select proposals for funding. 
We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR Part 2), and under regulations at 30 
CFR 250.197, ``Data and information to be made available to the public 
or for limited inspection.'' Responses are voluntary. No questions of a 
``sensitive'' nature are asked. We intend to release the project 
abstracts and primary investigators for awarded/funded projects only.

[[Page 46639]]

    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Private sector; State, local, and tribal 
governments; Academia; Non-profit organizations.
    Respondent Obligation: Voluntary (necessary to receive benefits).
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: We expect to 
receive approximately 80 proposals during the grant application 
process. We anticipate issuing 25 grants per year. The program is open 
to State, local and tribal governments, academia, and commercial and 
non-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Responses: Approximately 80 applications and 50 
reports per year.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Based on comments received 
during the FR Notice 60 day comment period, we have adjusted our 
original burden request by 7 hours from 18 to 25 hours per respondent. 
We expect to receive approximately 80 applications, taking each 
applicant approximately 25 hours to complete, totaling 2,000 burden 
hours. We anticipate awarding an average of 25 grants per year. The 25 
award recipients are required to submit 2 reports: an interim 6 months 
after the start of the project and a final report on or before 90 
working days after the expiration of the agreement. We estimate that it 
will take approximately 5 hours to complete and submit the reports 
totaling 250 hours. Therefore, the annual burden for report preparation 
is 250 hours. We estimate that the total burden for this collection 
will be 2,250 hours.
    Annual Burden Hours: 2,250.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have not identified any ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with this 
collection of information.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated 
to respond.
    Comments: To comply with the public consultation process, on 
November 21, 2007, we published a Federal Register notice (72 FR 65592) 
announcing our intent to submit this information collection to OMB for 
approval. In that notice we solicited public comments for 60 days, 
ending on January 22, 2008. We did not receive any public comments in 
response to the notice.
    We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information;
    (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.
    Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice 
are a matter of public record. 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 OMB in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that it will be done.
    USGS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Phadrea D. Ponds 
970-226-9445.

    Dated: August 5, 2008.
Steve Hammond,
Deputy Chief, Science Information and Education Office.
 [FR Doc. E8-18448 Filed 8-8-08; 8:45 am]
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