[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 176 (Monday, September 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46967-46968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22024]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection: Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
Determination Act of 2000

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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, ``Secure Rural Schools 
Act, County Certification of Title III Expenditures.''

DATES: Comments must be received at the address below in writing on or 
before November 13, 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 Rick 
Alexander, Secure Rural Schools Act National Program Manager, USFS, 
10600 N.E. 51st Circle, Vancouver, WA 98682. Comments also may be 
submitted via facsimile to 360-891-5045 or by e-mail to: [email protected]. The public may inspect comments received on 
the World Wide Web at http://www.fs.fed.us/srs/title-III.shtml.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Alexander, phone (360) 891-5162 
or e-mail at: [email protected]. Individuals who use 
telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Secure Rural Schools Act, County Certification of Title III 
Expenditures.
    OMB Number: 0596--NEW.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from OMB approval date.
    Type of Request: New.
    Abstract: The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000 (the Act), as reauthorized in Public Law 110-343 requires 
the appropriate official of a county that receives funds under Title 
III of the Act to submit to the respective Secretary (the Secretary of 
Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior), an annual certification 
that funds have been expended for the uses authorized under section 
302(a) of the Act.
    The appropriate official of each participating county will be 
required to report the amount of Title III funds expended in the 
applicable calendar year in these categories, as described in the Act:

[[Page 46968]]

    (1) To carry out activities under the Firewise Communities program.
    (2) To reimburse the participating county for emergency services 
performed on Federal land and paid for by the participating county.
    (3) To develop community wildfire protection plans in coordination 
with the appropriate Secretary.
    This information collection will identify the participating county 
and the year in which the expenditures were made, and will include the 
name, title, and signature of the certifying official, and the date of 
the certification. The certification will include a statement that all 
expenditures were for proposals that had a publication and comment 
period, and were submitted to any resource advisory committee for the 
county, as described in section 302(b) of the Act.
    This information will be collected in the form of conventional 
correspondence such as a letter, and at the respondent's option, 
attached tables, or similar graphic display. At the respondent's 
discretion, the information may be submitted by hard copy, and/or 
electronically scanned, and included as an attachment to electronic 
mail.
    The determination of the appropriate certifying official is at the 
discretion of the county or borough and will vary depending on county 
or borough organization. For unorganized boroughs in Alaska, the 
appropriate State official may provide the information.
    The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Bureau 
of Land Management, Department of the Interior, will collect this 
information from counties that participate in Title III of the State 
payment made by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management as 
described in the Act. Under the Act, responses are required by February 
1, following each year Title III funds are expended. The first response 
is required by February 1, 2010, for funds expended in calendar year 
2009. Because the authority to obligate county funds under Title III 
expires September 30, 2012, most of the expenditures are expected to be 
made by the following year, and the certifications concerning those 
expenditures would be required by February 1, 2014. The information 
will be reviewed by the respective Secretary, or designee, to verify 
that participating counties have certified that Title III funds were 
expended as authorized in the Act.
    Estimated Annual Burden per Respondent: The estimated time required 
for each response is 24 hours per year, including an estimated 20 hours 
for collection and 4 hours for preparation and submission.
    Type of Respondents: Respondents are county officials.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 360.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 8,640 hours.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Counties
                                                  Counties    responding
                                                 responding     to the
                                                to the USDA   Department
                                                   Forest       of the
                                                  Service      Interior
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Annual Number of Responses..........          344           16
Estimated Burden Hours per Response...........           24           24
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours...........        8,256          384
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This table includes 13 counties in Oregon that will be required to 
make separate reports to the Department of Agriculture and to the 
Department of the Interior because those counties receive separate 
payments from each Department.

Comment Is Invited

    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 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. 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. Comments 
will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management 
and Budget approval of the information collection.

    Dated: September 8, 2009.
Hank Kashdan,
Associate Chief, U.S. Forest Service.
[FR Doc. E9-22024 Filed 9-11-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P