[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 164 (Friday, August 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49704-49705]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19429]


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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 proposed new 
collection of information (1024-xxxx).

DATES: Public comments will be accepted on the proposed Information 
Collection Request (ICR) on or before October 21, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Tatjana Rosen, School of Forestry and 
Environmental Studies, Yale University, 205 Prospect Street, New Haven, 
CT 06511; or via e-mail at [email protected]. Also, you may send 
comments to Leonard E. Stowe, NPS Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, 1849 C St., NW., (2605), Washington, DC 20240; or via 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: 
Tatjana Rosen, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale 
University, 205 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511; or via e-mail at 
[email protected].

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Economic Study of Roadside Bear 
Viewing in Yellowstone National Park.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: To be requested.
    Expiration Date: To be requested.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Description of Need: Yellowstone National Park (YNP) now attempts 
to enhance opportunities for roadside bear viewing by leaving bears in 
proximity of park roads and devoting resources to managing ``bear 
jams'' (traffic jams created by visitors stopping to view the bears) 
and their associated challenges. Three questions arise with respect to 
this policy. First, what economic value does the opportunity to view 
bears near roads in YNP have to the visitors themselves; second, what 
are visitors' perceptions about the current roadside bear management 
policy; and third, what impact does the policy to allow bears to remain 
in roadside locations have on YNP visitation rates and on visitors' 
broader views of bears, other wildlife, and other natural resources.
    To explore these questions, YNP is planning to use a mail-back 
questionnaire designed to systematically collect data from visitors in 
the following areas: Visit and individual characteristics, importance 
of different natural resources to the trip, acceptability of different 
wildlife management practices for roadside bear viewing, effects of 
management policy changes on the decision to return to the park 
(including regional economic impact) and perspectives on roadside bear 
viewing. The information acquired will help determine the effectiveness 
of current bear roadside management practices and--if the results so 
show--provide a credible basis to seek additional funds to manage 
roadside bears. The Bear Management Office in YNP has collected data on 
``bear jams'' reported in the park since 2000, including the number of 
personnel hours spent by park staff in order to keep bear jams safe and 
visitors satisfied. Currently there are more ``bear jams'' than park 
rangers to manage them and several visitors and ``bear enthusiasts'' 
have expressed some level of concern about that situation.
    The results of the survey will help define the costs and benefits 
associated with the current roadside bear management policy in YNP. In 
addition, it will provide park managers and others with important, 
accurate information about the YNP visitor population in general, as 
well as visitor and trip

[[Page 49705]]

characteristics of those who specifically view bears on roadsides in 
the park. The importance of visitation specifically tied to roadside 
bear viewing in the park will be examined. The NPS's goal in conducting 
this survey is to evaluate the importance and economic effects of 
roadside bear viewing. The obligation to respond is voluntary.
    Automated data collection: This information will be collected via 
mail-back surveys no automated data collection will take place.
    Description of respondents: Visitors to Yellowstone National Park.
    Estimated average number of respondents: 1000 (800 respondents and 
200 non-respondents).
    Estimated average number of responses: 1000 (800 responses and 200 
non-responses).
    Estimated average burden hours per response: 21 minutes per 
respondent and 1 minute per non-respondent.
    Frequency of response: 1 time per respondent and non-respondent.
    Estimated annual reporting burden: 283 hours.
    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.

     Dated: August 7, 2008.
Leonard E. Stowe,
NPS, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
 [FR Doc. E8-19429 Filed 8-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-M