[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 183 (Friday, September 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54424-54425]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21920]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. 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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[[Page 54425]]

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 Land Remote 
Sensing Education, Outreach and Research Program (NLRSEORP) and 
describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and 
cost.

DATES: Submit written comments by October 20, 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 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, USGS Information 
Collection 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, NLRSEORP in the subject 
line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: To request additional 
information concerning this ICR, contact Thomas Cecere by mail at U.S. 
Geological Survey, MS 517 National Center, Reston, VA 20192 or by 
telephone at (703) 648-5551.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: National Land Remote Sensing Education, Outreach and 
Research Program (NLRSEORP).
    OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.
    Abstract: The Land Remote Sensing Education, Outreach and Research 
Program (NLRSEORP) is an effort that involves the development of a U.S. 
national consortium in building the capability to receive, process and 
archive remotely sensed data for the purpose of providing access to 
university and State organizations in a ready to use form, and to 
expand the science of remote sensing through education, research/
applications development and outreach in areas such as environmental 
monitoring, climate change research, natural resource management and 
disaster analysis. Respondents are submitting proposals to acquire 
funding for a National (U.S.) program to promote the uses of space-
based land remote sensing data and technologies through education and 
outreach at the State and local level and through university based and 
collaborative research projects. The information collected will ensure 
that sufficient and relevant information is available to evaluate and 
select a proposal for funding. A panel of USGS geography program 
managers and scientists will review each proposal to evaluate the 
technical merit, requirements, and priorities identified in the 
program's call for proposals.
    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.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Non-profit organizations.
    Respondent Obligation: Voluntary (necessary to receive benefits).
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: We expect to 
receive approximately 10 proposals during the grant application 
process. We anticipate issuing 1 grant per year. The program is open to 
non-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Responses: Approximately 10 applications and 2 
reports per year.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Based on comments received 
during the FR Notice 60 day comment period, we estimate that the burden 
will be 24 hours per applicant and 10 hours per grantee. We expect to 
receive approximately 10 applications per year, taking each applicant 
approximately 24 hours to complete, totaling 240 burden hours. We 
anticipate awarding one (1) grant per year. The grantee will be 
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 10 hours to complete and submit both reports.
    Annual Burden Hours: 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; and you are not 
required to respond to, 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 April 
29, 2008, we published a Federal Register notice (73 FR 23268) 
announcing our intent to submit this information collection to OMB for 
approval. In that notice we solicited public comments for 60 days, 
ending on June 30, 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 view, we cannot guarantee that it 
will be done.
    USGS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Phadrea D. Ponds, 
970-226-9445.

    Dated: September 11, 2008.
Bruce Quirk,
Program Coordinator, Land Remote Sensing Program, U.S. Geological 
Survey.
[FR Doc. E8-21920 Filed 9-18-08; 8:45 am]
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