[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17428-17430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7710]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Proposed New Information Collection for Focus Groups 
for Non-use Valuation Survey, Klamath Basin

AGENCY: Office of Policy Analysis, Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Conservation, Partnerships & 
Management Policy announces that it has submitted a request for 
approval of a new information collection to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB), and requests public comments on this submission.

DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information 
collection request, but may respond after 30 days; therefore, public 
comments should be submitted to OMB by May 6, 2010, in order to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send your written comments by facsimile 202-395-5806 or e-
mail ([email protected]) to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: 
Department of the Interior Desk Officer (1090-NEW). Mail or hand-carry 
comments to the Department of the Interior, Office of Policy Analysis, 
Attention: Don Bieniewicz, Mail Stop 3530; 1849 C Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20240. If you wish to e-mail comments, the e-mail 
address is [email protected]. Reference ``Focus Groups for 
Klamath non-use value survey'' in your e-mail subject line. Include 
your name and return address in your e-mail message and mark your 
message for return receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection, please write to Benjamin Simon, Office 
of Policy Analysis, Mailstop 3530-MIB, U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Washington, DC 20240 or telephone at 202-208-5978 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 
1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-
13), require that interested members of the public and affected 
agencies have an

[[Page 17429]]

opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping 
activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)).
    The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is requesting approval 
for a new information collection related to the use of focus groups to 
pretest the Klamath Nonuse Valuation Survey it is developing.
    The Klamath River Basin provides essential habitat for several fish 
species including Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Steelhead trout, Pacific 
lamprey, and Shortnose suckers. Some of these species are important 
components of ocean and/or in-river harvest, while others are rarely 
harvested due to fishery regulations, limited availability, and/or 
listed status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In addition to 
its importance as fish habitat, the Klamath River and its tributaries 
also provides water to agriculture through the Bureau of Reclamation's 
Klamath Irrigation Project. Oversubscription of Klamath water has 
thwarted recovery of depressed fish stocks and led to economic hardship 
for farming and fishing communities--prompting federal disaster relief 
for farmers in 2001 and for fishermen in 2006.
    In February 2010, the U.S. Government, the States of Oregon and 
California, the chairmen of the Klamath, Yurok and Karuk Tribes, and 
the utility company PacifiCorp signed the Klamath Basin Restoration 
Agreement (KBRA) and the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement. 
These agreements define a set of activities, including the removal of 
four dams on the Klamath River by 2020, which are designed to restore 
fisheries and provide water supply certainty in the Basin. The 
Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement calls for the Secretary to determine 
whether dam removal will advance restoration of the salmonid fisheries 
of the Klamath Basin and is in the public interest. In October 2011 the 
Secretary of the Interior is expected to make a final determination 
regarding dam removal and the KBRA, contingent on results of an 
economic analysis that will address benefits, costs and distributional 
effects of dam removal. An interagency economics team consisting of 
representatives from DOI agencies including the Fish and Wildlife 
Service and Bureau of Reclamation, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible 
for completing the economic analysis that will inform the Secretarial 
determination.
    To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be prepared. One important 
area of benefits that needs to be addressed as part of the EIS is 
``nonuse value.'' Nonuse values accrue to members of the public who 
value Klamath Basin improvements regardless of whether they ever 
consume Klamath fish or visit the Klamath Basin. To measure these 
values, DOI has contracted with RTI International in Research Triangle 
Park, NC, to design and implement a nonuse valuation survey of the U.S. 
public. A key aspect of the survey design process is to use focus 
groups and cognitive, one-on-one interviews (the cognitive interviews 
will be addressed in a later ICR). The main objectives of these 
information collection activities are to ensure that the survey 
questions and scenarios are presented to respondents in a way that is 
accurate, easily understood and least burdensome, while at the same 
time collecting all of the necessary information for estimating nonuse 
values. Because of the controversy over the agreement in the Klamath 
Basin, the survey text needs to be neutral and present all sides.

II. Method of Collection

    DOI has contracted with RTI International in Research Triangle 
Park, NC, to pretest the nonuse valuation survey by conducting 4 focus 
groups. DOI and RTI will use the results of these information 
collection activities to optimize the design of the survey instrument. 
The nonuse valuation survey will apply a stated preference conjoint 
analysis approach. In this approach, respondents are first presented 
with a choice context--in this case, the opportunity to vote on 
alternative plans for the future of the Klamath River Basin. The 
description of the choice context requires an explanation of current 
(i.e., baseline) conditions including ecological, water quality, and 
water availability conditions as they currently exist and of possible 
actions for improving habitat for fish and providing a more natural 
flow of the river, including dam removal and ecosystem restoration 
activities. Second, the survey describes the main dimensions (i.e., 
attributes) over which the different possible actions will vary, 
including the extent and timing of fish recovery and cost per 
household. Third, respondents are presented with a series of choice 
tasks where they are asked to compare and state their preferences for 
alternative actions, which vary in the previously described dimensions. 
The focus groups will provide valuable information to address several 
key questions relating to the survey and, in particular, the conjoint 
design. First, can respondents fully understand and accept the choice 
context? If not, how could the information be expanded, revised, 
reformatted, or reorganized to facilitate understanding of the context 
or to make the choice context more plausible for respondents. Second, 
what attributes (i.e., outcomes) of alternative KBRA actions matter 
most to respondents, and how well do these align with the attributes 
presented and varied in the conjoint task questions? Third, are the 
attributes of the alternative actions and the different levels of these 
attributes described and communicated to respondents in the most 
meaningful and understandable way? Fourth, which types and combinations 
of visuals--i.e., maps, graphs, and pictures--are most helpful to 
respondents for understanding the context and choice tasks? Fifth, to 
what extent do the answers to the previous questions depend on how far 
respondents live from the Klamath Basin? How can the survey materials 
be presented in a way that is meaningful for individuals from across 
the country who are likely to have very different levels of familiarity 
with and interest in the Klamath region and its river restoration 
issues?
    Two of the focus groups will be conducted in or near the Klamath 
Basin--one in Southern Oregon (e.g., Medford or Klamath Falls) and one 
in Northern California (e.g., Yreka or Redding). The other two focus 
groups will be conducted in other parts of the country--one in Raleigh, 
NC, and the other in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. Because the survey is 
intended for the general population of adults in the U.S., the only 
screening criteria for the focus groups will be to exclude individuals 
younger than 21 years of age. Otherwise, individuals will be recruited 
to ensure that a broad mix of sociodemographic characteristics are 
represented, including sex, age, education, income, race, and rural/
urban residence.
    Each focus group will have an experienced moderator who will use a 
moderator guide to conduct the focus group. Each focus group 
participant will complete a focus group participant worksheet 
collecting basic demographic information and a consent form.

III. Data

    (1) Title: Non-use Valuation Survey, Klamath River Dam Removal.
    OMB Control Number: 1090-NEW.
    Type of Review: Information Collection: New.
    Affected Entities: Individuals or households
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 141.

[[Page 17430]]

    Frequency of Response: Focus groups will be one-time collections
    (2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden:
    Estimated Number of Responses Annually: 141.
    Estimated Burden per Response: 47 minutes.
    Total Annual Reporting: 110 hours.
    (3) Description of the need and use of the information: DOI will 
use the results of these information collection activities (the focus 
groups) to optimize the design of the survey instrument.
    As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice 
soliciting comments on the collection of information was published on 
June 9, 2009 (74 FR 27340). No comments were received. This notice 
provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to comment on 
the proposed information collection activity.

IV. Request for Comments

    The Department of the Interior invites comments on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
collection and the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide 
information to or for a Federal agency.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number.

    Dated: March 31, 2010.
Benjamin Simon,
Acting Economics Staff Director, Office of Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2010-7710 Filed 4-5-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-RK-P