[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 111 (Thursday, June 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33701-33702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14281]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Perceptions of Risk, Trust,
Responsibility, and Management Preferences Among Fire-Prone Communities
in the Western United States
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Request for comment; notice.
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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 revision of a currently approved information
collection, Perceptions of Risk, Trust, Responsibility, and Management
Preferences among Fire-Prone Communities in the Western United States.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before August 8, 2011
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
Patricia L. Winter, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service,
USDA, 4955 Canyon Crest Drive, Riverside, CA 92507.
Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to 951 680-1501 or by
e-mail to: [email protected].
The public may inspect comments received at Building One Reception,
4955 Canyon Crest Drive, Riverside, CA 92507, during normal business
hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to (951) 680-1500 to
facilitate entry to the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia L. Winter, Pacific Southwest
Research Station, USDA FS, 951-680-1557. Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of
the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Perceptions of Risk, Trust, Responsibility, and Management
Preferences among Fire-Prone
[[Page 33702]]
Communities in the Western United States.
OMB Number: 0596-0186.
Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 2011.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: Forest Service and university researchers will contact
community residents within or adjacent to national forests in the
Western United States. Through those contacts, researchers will
evaluate concerns about fire and fire risk, knowledge about fire,
values focused on fire management, trust, objectives, and alternatives
for fire management, personal experiences with fire, stressors
associated with fire and fire risk, responsibility and accomplishments
for fire management, sources of concern about fire, future orientation,
and sociodemographics.
The results will help researchers improve ability to provide
information to natural resource managers on public perceptions of fire
and fire management. To gather the information, residents within or
adjacent to national forests in the Western United States will be
contacted through mailed or e-mail correspondence, or by telephone,
inviting their participation in a focus group study. Willing or
interested parties will contact the researcher and be scheduled into
sessions in their community. Those agreeing to participate will be
involved in a focus group discussion and complete a self-administered
survey.
A Forest Service researcher and analyst/technician will collect and
analyze the information with the assistance of a cooperating university
researcher. The primary researcher is an expert in applied social
psychology and survey research. The cooperator will be experienced in
conducting community based focus groups.
Participants will first complete a questionnaire focused on concern
about fire, knowledge about fire, values similarity with the Forest
Service, trust, objectives for fire management, personal experience
with fire, stressors of fire and fire risk, responsibility for risk
reduction, accomplishment of risk reduction, sources of concern about
fire, future orientation, and sociodemographics. Participants will then
participate in a discussion on the following topics: objectives,
values, and concerns in fire management; alternatives for accomplishing
objectives; values/goals and trust; and information needs and
interests.
Invitations are sent by mail, e-mail, or via telephone to
individuals aged 18 or older residing in the selected communities. When
possible, multiple sessions will be held in each community to
accommodate as many participants as are interested. Responses will be
voluntary and anonymous.
Responses will be used to evaluate the values linked to fire and
fire management among forest community residents; personal experiences
with fire and how participants have addressed fire risk; perceived
responsibility and accomplishments in addressing fire risk; and
personal characteristics that might influence these responses. The data
collected will assist researchers in determining public perception and
expectations regarding fire management and risk, as well as providing
information on how residents address these issues. Such data is
valuable to forest resource managers, who use the information when
selecting long and short-term fire management strategies, and in
developing public information strategies on fire and fire management.
Without this information, managers will have to rely on the scant
information otherwise available on current and changing public views
regarding fire and fire management, and the anecdotal information
collected through direct experiences with the public regarding impacts
of fire and fire risk. The intent is to share the collected data with
other researchers studying fire management, and other natural resource
management values and objectives.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 2.3 hours.
Type of Respondents: Respondents are community residents in various
locations within or adjacent to national forests in the Western United
States.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 200.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 460.
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.
Comments will be summarized and included in the request for Office of
Management and Budget approval.
Dated: June 1, 2011.
Jimmy L. Reaves,
Deputy Chief, Research & Development.
[FR Doc. 2011-14281 Filed 6-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P