[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 68860]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30727]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey


Proposed Information Collection: State Water Resources Research 
Institute Program Annual Application and Reporting

AGENCY: United States Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a new collection; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management 
and Budget (OBM) to approve the information collection (IC) described 
below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as a part 
of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we 
invite the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on this 
IC. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to 
respond to an information collection unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before March 1, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments to the IC to Phadrea Ponds, Information 
Collections Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 2150-C Centre 
Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80525 (mail); (970) 226-9230 (fax); or 
[email protected] (e-mail). Please reference Information Collection 1028-
NEW, USGS-SWRIP in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John E. Schefter, Chief, Office of 
External Research, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, 
MS 424, Reston, Virginia 20192 (mail) at (703) 648-6800 (Phone); or 
[email protected] (e-mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
10301 et seq.), authorizes a water resources research institute or 
center in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 
the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. There 
are currently 54 such institutes, one in each state, the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The institute 
in Guam is a regional institute serving Guam, the Federated States of 
Micronesia, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The 
State Water Resources Research Institute Program issues an annual call 
for applications from the institutes to support plans to promote 
research, training, information dissemination, and other activities 
meeting the needs of the States and Nation. The program also encourages 
regional cooperation among institutes in research into areas of water 
management, development, and conservation that have a regional or 
national character. Each of the 54 institutes submits an annual 
application for an allotment grant and provides an annual report on its 
activities under the grant. The U.S. Geological Survey has been 
designated as the administrator of the provisions of the Act.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: None. This is a new collection.
    Title: State Water Resources Research Institute Program Annual 
Application and Reporting.
    Type of Request: New.
    Affected Public: The state water resources research institutes 
authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended, and 
listed at http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/institutes.html.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory (necessary to obtain benefits).
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: We expect to receive 54 
applications and award 54 grants per year.
    Estimated Annual Total Responses: 54.
    Estimated Time per Response: 160 hours. This includes 80 hours per 
applicant to prepare and submit the annual application; and 80 hours 
(total) per grantee to complete the annual reports.
    Annual Burden Hours: 8,640.

III. Request for Comments

    We invite comments concerning this IC 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. We will include or summarize each 
comment in our request to OMB to approve this IC. 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 it will be done.
    USGS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Phadrea D. Ponds 
970-226-9445.

    Dated: December 10, 2009.
 John E. Schefter,
Water Resources Research Act Program Coordinator.
[FR Doc. E9-30727 Filed 12-28-09; 8:45 am]
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