[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 25, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42843-42845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20442]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 
Recreation Visitor Study

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 new information collection: Arctic National 
Wildlife Refuge Recreation Visitor Study--2009.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before October 26, 
2009 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 Alan 
E. Watson, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Forest Service, 
Rocky Mountain Research Station, 790 E. Beckwith Ave., Missoula, MT 
59801.

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    Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to 406-542-4196 or by 
e-mail to: [email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at the Aldo Leopold 
Wilderness Research Institute, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research 
Station, 790 E. Beckwith Ave., Missoula, MT, during normal business 
hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to 406-542-4197 to 
facilitate entry to the building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan E. Watson, Aldo Leopold 
Wilderness Research Institute at 406-542-4197. Individuals who use 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: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Recreation Visitor Study--
2009.
    OMB Number: 0596-NEW.
    Expiration Date of Approval: This information collection will 
expire 3 years from the date of OMB approval.
    Type of Request: New.
    Abstract: The Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute in 
Missoula, Montana, works under an interagency agreement with the U.S. 
Fish & Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior to 
provide information to support management planning for public 
wilderness areas and National Wildlife Refuge. Management of specific 
refuges is directed by laws, policies, and Comprehensive Conservation 
Plans. The Wilderness Act of 1964 directs the National Wilderness 
Preservation System be managed to protect natural wilderness conditions 
and to provide outstanding opportunities for the public to find 
solitude or primitive and unconfined types of recreational experiences. 
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge contains 8 million acres of 
federally protected wilderness, the Molly Beattie Wilderness and over 
11 million acres of land and water managed for multiple values 
including subsistence, wildlife, water quality, and scenic values. The 
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is also mandated to provide recreation 
experiences to visitors under a number of laws, including the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as amended by the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, the Refuge Recreation Act, and 
the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
    To help meet Federal agencies' mandates related to recreation, 
scientists at the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute 
periodically monitor and report to managers and the public visitor use 
and user characteristics and visitor feedback on management actions on 
Federal lands. Agency personnel use the information to ensure that 
visitors' recreational activities do not harm natural resources of the 
refuge, and that recreation experiences in wilderness areas are 
protected.
    In the 2009 survey, the Agency intends to record responses of 
visitors to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the same areas as 
the survey that was conducted in 1977, prior to the area attaining 
National Wildlife Refuge and wilderness area designation status. The 
Agency intends to expand the survey to include visitor feedback 
regarding major factors that influence the experiences in the area, 
including encounters with other visitors, subsistence use, research, 
administrative use, and availability of information needed to plan 
trips. The data from this information collection would be stored at the 
Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute in Missoula, Montana. 
Scientists working at the Research Institute would conduct the data 
analysis.
    The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service would use information from this 
collection to:
    (1) Understand visitor demographics, frequency of visits, and 
residence;
    (2) Understand visitor activities, such as whether they are 
hunting, river floating, method of access, size of group, difficulty in 
finding campsites, conditions encountered, and information available 
for trip planning;
    (3) Understanding how the Agency's management of the Arctic 
National Wildlife Refuge and other potential facilitating and 
constraining factors influence a visitor's recreation experience;
    (4) Understand how to educate recreation visitors so they do not 
leave impacts from their visits; such as wildlife disturbance, damaged 
vegetation, litter, and polluted lakes and streams, and can engage in 
high quality, and safe recreational experiences; and
    (5) Provide information that may assist in revision of the Arctic 
National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan.
    Respondents would be recreation visitors to the Arctic National 
Wildlife Refuge. Visitors would be contacted as they enter or exit the 
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and would be provided with a self-
addressed, postage-pre-paid postcard that offers them alternative 
methods of response to the survey: (1) Mail the postcard to the Leopold 
Institute with a name and address to have the survey sent to them, (2) 
mail the postcard to the Leopold Institute with an electronic e-mail 
address to obtain an electronic version of the survey, or (3) use the 
Web address on the postcard to access the survey. All responses would 
be voluntary and anonymous (names would not be connected with responses 
in any way). Data collected in this information collection are not 
available from other sources and have not been collected since 1977.
    This study would only ask non-local recreation visitors, non-local, 
non-subsistence users questions about their recreation visit, their 
personal demographics relevant to provision of service and educational 
research, and factors that have influenced or are likely to influence 
their recreation visits. Survey respondents would be told that their 
responses are voluntary and would be anonymous. The survey will not 
include questions related to oil exploration or development in the 
boundaries of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 20 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: Individuals who use government facilities and 
services.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 900.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: Once.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 300 hours.
    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 additional 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.


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    Dated: August 13, 2009.
William J. Lange,
Acting Deputy Chief, Research & Development.
[FR Doc. E9-20442 Filed 8-24-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P