[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 176 (Monday, September 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56217-56219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23161]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-IMR-GRCA-0906-8352; 8226-2004-318]


Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for Approval; Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry and 
River Permitting

AGENCY: National Park Service (NPS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (National Park Service) will ask the Office of Management 
and

[[Page 56218]]

Budget (OMB) to approve the Information Collection (IC) described below 
(OMB Control No. 1024-New). As required by 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 take this opportunity to comment on this IC. We may not 
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.

DATES: Public comments must be submitted on or before November 14, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Please send your comments about the ICR to Madonna L. 
Baucum, Information Collection Coordinator, WASO Administrative Program 
Center, National Park Service, 1201 Eye Street, NW., Room 1242, 
Washington, DC 20005 (mail); or [email protected] (e-mail). 
Please reference Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry and River 
Permitting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gigi Wright, Permits Office, Grand 
Canyon National Park, 1824 S. Thompson Street, Suite 201, Flagstaff, AZ 
86001; [email protected] (e-mail); or 928-638-7416 (phone). You are 
entitled to a copy of the entire ICR package free-of-charge.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Number: None. This is a new collection.
    Title: Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry and River Permitting.
    Service Form Number: None.
    Type of Request: New.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals interested in river use or 
overnight backcountry use within Grand Canyon National Park.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 72,486 (as shown below).
    Annual Burden Hours: 7,763 hours as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Avg. time/        Annual          Annual       Total time in
                   Description                    response (min)    respondents      responses         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backcountry Permitting                            ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............
    Backcountry Permit Request Form.............              10          14,592          25,000           4,167
    Hiker Information Form......................              10             600             661             110
    Water Report Form...........................               5             100             250              21
    Commercial Guiding--Verifiable Client List                10              14             529              88
     Form.......................................
River Permitting                                  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............
    Create Online Profile.......................               7           4,000           4,000             467
    Login Form..................................               1          11,000          25,000             417
    Forgot Username/Password Form...............               1             500             500               8
    Lottery Application.........................               8           4,440           8,300           1,107
    Accept Trip Form............................               5             560             560              47
    Noncommercial River Trip Application........              60             510             510             510
    Trip Leader Trip Participant Form...........              30             510             510             255
    Confirm Trip Participation Form.............               5           6,548           6,548             546
    Diamond Creek Application...................              10              87             118              20
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  ..............          43,461          72,486           7,763
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $0.

Purpose of Forms

 Backcountry Permitting Forms

Backcountry Permit Request Form
    The Backcountry Permit Request Form is required from individuals 
seeking a Backcountry Permit. It asks for the applicant's contact 
information, group size, itinerary being requested and acceptable 
variations, license plates of any trailhead vehicles, and payment 
information.
Hiker Information Form
    The Hiker Information Form is required when the applicant has 
requested a solo hike, an itinerary considered overly ambitious for the 
typical hiker, or a summer hike outside the Corridor Zone. The form 
asks for information that has proven to be useful in finding and 
assisting groups who get into difficulties and need emergency 
assistance. This information includes description of gear, emergency 
contact information, description of self (if hiking solo), detailed 
hiking plans, and description of any significant health issues or 
medications for all group members.
Water Report Form
    The Water Report Form is completely optional. It is used only when 
a hiker wishes to report their observations of where they found water 
while in the canyon. It includes the name of the reporting party, a 
description of where water was found, how much was available, and date 
observed.
Commercial Guiding--Verifiable Client List Form
    The Verifiable Client List Form is required from a commercial 
guiding company each time they request a Backcountry Permit to take 
clients into the backcountry. It includes contact information for each 
client requesting participation on the trip.

River Permitting Forms

Create Online Profile Form
    The Create Online Profile Form is required from individuals who 
wish to eventually submit an application in a lottery. This form asks 
for the applicant's legal name, date of birth, contact information, 
desired username, and desired password.
Login Form
    The Login Form is required from individuals who wish to submit an 
application in an open lottery, obtain access to view their history of 
payments and applications, change contact information or preference, or 
accept or reject participation on others trips. The form asks for a 
username, password, and birthdate.
Forgot Username/Password Form
    The Forgot Username/Password Form is required when a user has 
forgotten their username and/or password and wants either of these e-
mailed to them. The user can request their username by entering their 
e-mail address, or they can request a new, computer generated password 
by entering their username.

[[Page 56219]]

Lottery Application Form
    The Lottery Application Form is required to submit an application 
in a lottery. It allows the applicant to list 5 preferences for a 
launch date and trip size, and list Potential Alternate Trip Leaders.
Accept Trip Form
    The Accept Trip Form is available only to those who win launches 
through the lottery and required if they wish to keep the trip. This 
form asks if they wish to keep the trip, and if so requires entry or 
verification of their mailing address. Once this form is complete, the 
user is given the option to go to a pay.gov form and pay a deposit.
Noncommercial River Trip Application Form
    The Noncommercial River Trip Application Form is due 90 days before 
launch and required from those who have completed the Accept Trip Form. 
It asks for concurrence with the NPS requirements associated with the 
use of a noncommercial river permit and information about the qualified 
boat-operator, watercraft, safety equipment, and itinerary.
Trip Leader Trip Participant Form
    The Trip Leader Trip Participant Form asks for the name, e-mail, 
and both the date and location when each individual participant will 
join or leave the river trip.
Confirm Trip Participation Form
    All participants on noncommercial trips complete this form, 
indicating their intent to participate on the trip and recording their 
legal name and date of birth.
Diamond Creek Application
    The Diamond Creek Application is required from individuals who wish 
to receive a permit to take a group down the Colorado River launching 
at Diamond Creek. The form asks for the applicant's contact information 
and proposed itinerary.
    Abstract: These forms will provide public access on the Colorado 
River and overnight access into backcountry use areas within Grand 
Canyon National Park where use limits are imposed in accordance with 
NPS regulations. Such permitting improves the ability of the NPS to: 
educate users, promote public safety, encourage visitor enjoyment, 
enforce limits and regulations, verify technical river skills, conduct 
search and rescue efforts, collect fees, and promote visitation 
practices which preserve both the health of the environment and the 
quality of the overall backcountry experience. We will use collected 
information for recreational use planning and resource management. Some 
nonpersonal information will be aggregated and shared on the park's Web 
site with the public.
    The National Park Service Organic Act of 1916, 38 Stat 535, 16 
U.S.C. 1, et seq., requires that the NPS preserve national parks for 
the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Organic 
Act and its amendments afford the NPS latitude to make resource 
decisions that balance visitor recreation and resource preservation. 
NPS regulations codified in 36 CFR parts 1 through 7, 12, and 13 are 
designated to implement statutory mandates that provide for resource 
protection and public enjoyment.
    Backcountry permit information is collected via paper forms, and 
river permit information is collected via a combination of an online 
system and paper forms.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) The practical utility of the 
information being gathered; (2) the accuracy of the burden hour 
estimate; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden to 
respondents, including use of automated information techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    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 OMB in your comment 
to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, 
we cannot guarantee that it will be done.

    Dated: September 6, 2011.
Robert M. Gordon,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-23161 Filed 9-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P