[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 239 (Wednesday, December 12, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73974-73975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29927]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection: Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest Visitor 
Surveys for Recreation Transportation System Alternatives Study

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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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 new information collection, Arapaho-Roosevelt 
National Forest Visitor Surveys for Transportation System Alternatives 
Study.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before February 11, 
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 Carol 
Kruse, 2150 Centre Ave-Building E, Fort Collins, CO 80526.
    Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to (970) 295-6696, 
ATTN: Carol Kruse, or by email to: [email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at the Arapaho-Roosevelt 
Supervisor's Office, 2150 Centre Ave-Bldg E, Fort Collins, CO 80526 
during normal business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to 
970-295-6663 to facilitate entry to the building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Kruse, Special Projects 
Coordinator, Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, 970-295-6663.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a 
day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest Visitor Surveys for 
Recreation Transportation System Alternatives Study.
    OMB Number: 0596-NEW.
    Expiration Date of Approval: Not applicable.
    Type of Request: New.
    Abstract: With over 5.4 million recreation visits annually, the 
Arapaho-Roosevelt is one of the most visited national forests in the 
nation. Encompassing both sides of the Continental Divide and the urban 
Front Range, from the Denver area to the Wyoming border, the Arapaho-
Roosevelt urban forest provides outdoor recreation opportunities, 
services, and facilities to the residents of Colorado and visitors 
throughout the nation and around the world.
    The population of the Front Range metropolitan area served by the 
Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest is approximately 3.3 million and is 
predicted to double in the next 25 years. The demand for access to 
recreational facilities within the forest is expected to increase at 
nearly the same rate. Three Front Range recreation sites, Brainard Lake 
Recreation Area (including the Indian Peaks Wilderness), Mount Evans 
Recreation Area, and the Guanella Pass area are already experiencing 
resource damage and a reduction in the quality of visitor experience 
due to heavy use. As access demands increase, resource conditions and 
the quality of visitor experience are anticipated to decline even 
further.
    The Forest Service is evaluating the potential for the addition of 
alternative transportation to existing recreation transportation 
systems accessing these sites. The purpose of this evaluation is to 
determine if this addition will help the Agency better manage its 
recreation opportunities and resources, thereby improving its delivery 
of services to an ever-increasing public. The Forest Service received a 
grant from the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program in 2010 to 
conduct research at the three aforementioned recreation sites. This 
program will help the Agency make the determination as to what mode(s) 
of alternative transportation would improve service delivery, resource 
management, and visitor experience quality. At the present time, data 
pertaining to traffic, parking, and resource conditions are being 
collected. In the summer of 2013, the Forest Service will collect 
feedback from visitors to assess their opinions about potential changes 
in the transportation system and the impact it would have on their 
recreation experience.
    Under the following authorities, the Forest Service is obligated to 
actively solicit public input to improve National Forest System lands 
management to better serve the public:
    1. Forest Service Administration Organic Act of 1897 [16 U.S.C. 
473-478, 479-482, and 551] as amended,

[[Page 73975]]

    2. Transfer Act of 1905 [16 U.S.C. 472, 524, 554], the Multiple Use 
Sustained Yield Act of 1960 [16 U.S.C. 528],
    3. Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources and Planning Act of 
1974 [16 U.S.C. Chapter 36] as amended,
    4. National Forest Management Act of 1976 [16 U.S.C. 1600] as 
amended,
    5. Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 [Pub. L. 103-62] 
as amended,
    6. Executive Order 12862 of September 11, 1993,
    7. 1997 Revision of the Land and Resource Management Plan for the 
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland,
    8. and Executive Order 13571 of April 27, 2011.
    In addition to the three aforementioned sites, this information 
collection will be administered at the gateway to the Indian Peaks 
Wilderness. The respondents for this data collection survey will be 
recreational visitors, ages 18 years and older, at the four previously 
mentioned sites during the summer of 2013 data collection period. 
During that summer, interviewers will query visitors at the end of 
their experience to find out if they are willing to participate in the 
survey. If they do participate, the interviewer will keep a record of 
the respondent's answers. Each visitor will complete only one survey 
per visit, and participation is strictly voluntary. The information 
will be collected by a private contractor, on behalf of the Forest 
Service, who has working relationship with Colorado State and Utah 
State Universities.
    These surveys will be designed to collect data on the following:
    1. Visitor experience (including perceptions of crowding, etc.),
    2. Visitor travel (including trip information such as origination 
point, source of pre-visit information, etc.),
    3. Mode choice (including potential transportation system 
scenarios),
    4. Group characteristics (including number of people in the group, 
age groups, etc.), and
    5. Socio-demographic data.
    The primary analysis of the data will be conducted by the private 
contractor and their university associates on behalf of the Forest 
Service, Federal Highway Administration--Central Federal Lands, and the 
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. All results will be 
compiled in such a way to prevent responses from being correlated to 
respondents.
    The data analysis will help area managers better serve the public 
by translating visitor input into future strategic plans for these 
sites. This includes efforts focused on developing more effective and 
efficient delivery of program services at all four sites through more 
productive resource allocation. As a result, Forest Service 
recreational and transportation program management goals and objectives 
may be modified which could require Forest Service plan revisions.
    The data analysis of the collected information will be included in 
a management report prepared for the Forest Service and shared with 
stakeholders and other interested parties. The results may also be 
published in scientific journals and/or included in presentations at 
professional meetings and conferences. The Agency may get requests for 
this information from the public and other interested organizations 
which could include, Congressional staffs, newspapers, magazines, 
transportation organization, and/recreational organizations.
    As noted previously, intensive visitor use at these four sites are 
threatening the resource and recreation management objectives for these 
areas, as specified in the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and 
various other site management plans. Previous planning studies have 
recommended alternative transportation strategies to help minimize the 
impact of intensive visitor use on Agency resources and visitor 
experience quality. The feasibility and public opinion as it relates to 
these recommendations have not yet been analyzed. Consequently, the 
Forest Service has not been able to implement transportation 
improvements that could help meet resource and recreation management 
objectives for these areas. Without this analysis, the Agency will 
continue to lack the information necessary to identify and implement 
feasible and publicly-accepted transportation improvements to help 
protect forest resources and enhance visitor experiences as required by 
the Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Finally, these 
information collections will directly impact Agency resources and 
visitor experience quality and help the Forest Service to meet its 
resource and recreation management mandates.
    It is estimated that 1,275 people will be contacted at Guanella 
Pass (425 people for each of 3 surveys); 1,275 people will be contacted 
at Mount Evans (425 people for each of 3 surveys); and 1,700 will be 
contacted at Brainard Lake Recreation Area (425 people for each of 4 
surveys). Those 4,250 contacts will each require 1 minute of public 
burden. Of the 425 contacted for each survey at each site, it is 
estimated that 300 people will be willing to respond to each survey at 
each site, or 3,000 contacts (300 x 10 surveys total), requiring an 
additional 10 minutes each for those 3,000 visitors to respond to 
survey questions.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 11 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: The respondent population for this data 
collection survey will be recreational visitors, ages 18 years and 
older, at these sites during the data collection period.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 4,250.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 570 hours.
    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: December 4, 2012.
James M. Pena,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2012-29927 Filed 12-11-12; 8:45 am]
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