[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 238 (Monday, December 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 77652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31169]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Geological Survey

[USGS--GX11EB00A1810.00]


Proposed Information Collection; Assessment of the Business 
Requirements and Benefits of Enhanced National Elevation Data

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

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (U.S. Geological Survey) have sent an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which 
is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the 
estimated burden and cost. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and 
respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal 
agencies to comment on this ICR. We may not conduct or sponsor and a 
person is not required to respond to a collection unless it displays a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES: You must submit comment on or before January 12, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this ICR to the Desk 
Officer for the Department of the Interior at OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-
5806 (fax) or [email protected] (e-mail). Please send a copy of 
your comments on the ICR to Phadrea Ponds, Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 2150-C Centre Avenue Fort 
Collins, CO 80526 (mail); [email protected] (e-mail). Please reference 
Information Collection Request 1028-NEW, LiDAR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Snyder by mail at U.S. 
Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 517, Reston, VA 
20192-0001, or by telephone at 703-648-5169.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    USGS supports some of the most pressing resource management, 
environmental and climate change science issues faced by our Nation. 
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is the leading technology for 
collecting highly accurate three-dimensional measurements of the 
Earth's topography and surface features such as buildings, bridges, 
coastlines, rivers, forests and other landscape characteristics. These 
data provide an unprecedented tool for scientific understanding and 
inform National decisions related to ecosystem management, energy 
development, natural resource conservation and mitigating geologic and 
flood-related hazards. The USGS now collects LiDAR data to a limited 
extent and primarily for upgrading bare-earth elevation data for The 
National Map. This study seeks to establish a baseline of national 
business needs and associated benefits for LiDAR to enhance the 
responsiveness of USGS programs, and to design an efficient future 
program that balances requirements, benefits and costs. The study 
advances coordinated program development among the numerous Federal and 
State agencies that increasingly rely on LiDAR to enable the 
fulfillment of their missions. The study is sponsored by the National 
Digital Elevation Program steering committee and supported by several 
member agencies.
    The information collection process will be guided by an interagency 
management team led by USGS with support from a professional services 
contractor. The information collection will be conducted using a 
standardized template. Responses are one-time and voluntary.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: None. This is a new collection.
    Title: Assessment of the Business Requirements and Benefits of 
Enhanced National Elevation Data.
    Type of Request: New.
    Affected Public: States, U.S. Territories, Tribes and local natural 
resource development agencies.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time only.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 445.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 422.

III. Request for Comments

    We are again inviting comments concerning this ICR on: (a) Whether 
the proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to 
perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) 
the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit 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 publically available at any time. 
While you can ask OMB in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that 
will be done.

    Dated: December 7, 2010.
Bruce K. Quirk,
Program Coordinator.
[FR Doc. 2010-31169 Filed 12-10-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4311-AM-P