[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 235 (Thursday, December 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72814-72815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29484]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Secure Rural Schools Act

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the intention of the Forest Service to seek approval 
to renew and revise a currently approved information collection, 
``Secure Rural Schools Act, County Certification of Title III 
Expenditures.'' The Forest Service is seeking comments from all 
interested individuals and organizations on renewal and revision of the 
information collection.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before February 4, 
2013 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 USFS 
Payments to States Coordinator, SWAM/IAS/ASR, 101-B Sun Avenue NE., 
Albuquerque, NM 87109. Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to 
877-684-1422 or by email to: [email protected]. All comments should 
identify the OMB Control Number 0596-0220.
    The public may inspect comments received on the World Wide Web at 
http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/pts/countyfunds/certification.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reynardo Brown, phone 505-563-7374 or 
email [email protected]. Individuals who use telecommunication devices 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 800-877-
8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, including 
holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Secure Rural Schools Act, County Certification of Title III 
Expenditures.
    OMB Number: 0596-0220.
    Expiration Date of Approval: April 30, 2013.
    Type of Request: Extension with revision of a currently approved 
Information Collection.
    Abstract: The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000 (the Act) (16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), as reauthorized in 
Public Law 110-343 and Public Law 112-141, requires the appropriate 
official of a county that receives funds under title III of the Act to 
submit to the appropriate Secretary an annual certification that the 
funds expended have been used as authorized under section 302(a) of the 
Act.
    The appropriate official of each participating county will be 
requested to report the amount of title III funds expended in the 
applicable year in these categories as specified in the Act:
    1. To carry out authorized activities under the Firewise 
Communities program.
    2. To reimburse the participating county for emergency services 
performed on Federal land and paid for by the participating county.
    3. To develop community wildfire protection plans in coordination 
with the appropriate Secretary.
    The information collection will identify the participating county 
and the year in which the expenditures were made, and include the name, 
title, and signature of the certifying official, and the date of the 
certification. The certification will include a statement that all 
expenditures were for uses authorized under section 302(a) of the Act 
and that the proposed uses were published and had a 45-day comment 
period and were submitted to the appropriate Secure Rural Schools Act 
resource advisory committee(s), if any, as described in Section 302(b) 
of the Act.
    Beginning with the certification due on February 1, 2013, the 
information collection also will request the county to certify the 
amount of title III funds received since October of 2008 that has not 
been obligated as of September 30 of the previous year. This collection 
is necessary in the certification due on February 1, 2014, to determine 
the amount of title III funds that must be returned to the U.S. 
Treasury under section 304(b) of the Act. Collection of this 
information in 2013 is consistent with a recent audit of county uses of 
title III funds by the Government Accountability Office (http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-775). A county's procedure for and 
documentation of its obligation of title III funds should be consistent 
with its procedures to obligate funds from other Federal sources.
    In summary, the February 1, 2013 information collection will 
certify title III funds expended in calendar year 2012 and the amount 
of title III funds not obligated as of September 30, 2012. The February 
1, 2014 information collection will certify title III funds expended in 
calendar year 2013 and the amount of title III funds not obligated as 
of September 30, 2013.
    The determination of who is the appropriate certifying official is 
at the discretion of the county and borough and will vary depending on 
county or borough organization. For unorganized boroughs in Alaska and 
for participating counties in Vermont, a state official may provide the 
information
    The information will be collected in the form of conventional 
correspondence such as a letter and, at the respondent's option, 
attached tables, or similar graphic display. The Forest Service 
provides an optional form for the convenience of respondents. At the 
respondent's discretion, the information may be submitted by hard copy 
and/or electronically scanned and included as an attachment to 
electronic mail.
    Under the Act, the first response was required by February 1, 2010 
for funds expended in 2009. Responses are required by February 1 
following each year title III funds are expended. The Act requires 
title III funds to be obligated by September 30, 2013 or be returned to 
the U.S. Treasury, therefore, the funds are likely to be expended or 
returned in 2014 and the final certification of expenditures could be 
made by February 1, 2015.
    The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) are also authorized to participate in this information 
collection because BLM administers Federal lands in western Oregon 
covered by the Act. The information will be reviewed by the appropriate 
Secretary, or designee, to verify that participating counties have 
certified that funds were expended as authorized in the Act and to 
identify amounts not obligated by September 30 of the previous year. 
The information also may be used by the DOI because it is relevant to 
its Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.
    Estimate of Annual Burden per Respondent: The estimated time 
required for each respondent to collect, prepare, and submit the 
information is 24 hours each year, including an estimated 20 hours for 
collection and four hours for preparation and submission.
    Type of Respondents: Respondents are county officials.

[[Page 72815]]

    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 344 county officials are 
expected to respond each year.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: The Act 
requires only one response for each participating county for each year 
expenditures are made, except that sixteen counties in western Oregon 
will respond separately to the DOI and the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The estimated time 
required for all respondents (344 counties) to collect, prepare and 
submit the information is 8,256 hours each year.

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: November 19, 2012.
Calvin N. Joyner,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2012-29484 Filed 12-5-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P