[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 86 (Friday, May 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26062-26063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10443]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

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Proposed Information Collection: National Blueways System 
Application

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior announces the 
proposed public information collection necessary as part of the process 
to nominate a river and associated watershed for National Blueway 
recognition, ``National Blueways System Application,'' and that it is 
seeking comments on its provisions.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by July 2, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on this information 
collection should be sent to the Office of Secretary--Department of the 
Interior, Attn: National Blueways System, 1849 C Street NW., Room 7328, 
Washington, DC 20040. You may also email comments to: 
[email protected]. Individuals providing comments should reference 
``National Blueways System Application.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain a copy of the collection 
instrument, the National Blueways System Application, go to: http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/whatwedo/rivers/upload/Draft_National_Blueways_System_Application_April_2013.PDF.
To request more information on this information collection, please see 
the contact information in the ADDRESSES section above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This notice is for a new information collection.
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 
1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq., require that interested members of the public and 
affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information 
collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)).
    Secretarial Order 3321 created the National Blueways System under 
the

[[Page 26063]]

authority of the Take Pride in America Act, Public Law 101-628; the 
Outdoor Recreation Act, Public Law 87-714; and the Cooperative 
Watershed Management Program of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act 
of 2009, Public Law 111-11. Rivers and their associated watersheds may 
be nominated voluntarily for National Blueways recognition by 
stakeholder partnerships, in collaboration with sponsoring Federal and 
state agencies.
    Section 5b of Secretarial Order 3321 gives the National Blueways 
Committee responsibility for overseeing ``the process of National 
Blueways criteria development, assessment, and designation'' and making 
``recommendations to the Secretary for the designation of National 
Blueways.'' The National Blueways Committee includes representatives of 
agency directors and Assistant Secretaries within the Department of the 
Interior, and representatives of the Departments of Agriculture and of 
the Army (Civil Works).
    The National Blueways Committee developed the ``National Blueways 
System Application'' as the first step in the process of nomination. 
From the applications received, up to nine watershed partnerships per 
year may be invited by the National Blueways Committee to submit a 
nomination. The National Blueways Committee will review the nominations 
and make a recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior for official 
recognition.
    This information collection allows the Office of the Secretary to 
collect the information necessary for the National Blueways Committee 
to assess whether a given river and watershed is likely to meet the 
criteria for recognition as a National Blueway. If this information 
were not collected, the National Blueways Committee would not be able 
to determine whether a river and watershed are likely to meet the 
criteria for recognition as a National Blueway and invite the watershed 
partnership to submit a nomination for consideration for National 
Blueway System recognition by the Office of the Secretary--Department 
of the Interior.

II. Data

    (1) Title: National Blueways System Application.
    OMB Control Number: 1093-NEW.
    Current Expiration Date: Not applicable, this is a new collection.
    Type of Review: New information collection request.
    Affected Entities: Watershed stakeholder partnerships.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: maximum of 25.
    Frequency of responses: maximum of 2 per year.
    (2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden:
    Total annual reporting per response: The National Blueways 
Committee will accept applications twice per year. The first time a 
partnership responds it is estimated at 118 hours per application. 
Those partnerships not invited to submit a nomination will be able to 
submit another application during the second application window for 
that calendar year. The time required to re-submit the application for 
the second application window would be much reduced; we estimate 20 
hours per application for second responses.
    Total number of estimated responses: 40.
    Total annual reporting: 3250 hours [3250 hours = (25 x 118 hours) + 
(15 x 20 hours)].
    Total non-labor burden: estimated at $750 per application for the 
first response and $0 per application for second responses.
    Total annual non-labor burden: $18,750 (= 25 x $750).
    (3) Description of the need and use of the information: The 
information will be used to assess whether a given river and watershed 
and its partnership are likely to meet the criteria for recognition as 
a National Blueway.

III. Request for Comments

    The Department invites comments on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the Office, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the Office's estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information and the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    ``Burden'' means the total time, effort, and financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide 
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed 
to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and use 
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able 
to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, and 
to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit 
or otherwise disclose the information.
    All written comments, with names and addresses, will be available 
for public inspection. If you wish us to withhold your personal 
information, you must prominently state at the beginning of your 
comment what personal information you want us to withhold. We will 
honor your request to the extent allowable by law. If you wish to view 
any comments received, you may do so by scheduling an appointment with 
the Office of the Secretary--Department of the Interior via the contact 
information in the ADDRESSES section above. A valid picture 
identification is required for entry into the Department of the 
Interior.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number.

    Dated: April 25, 2013.
Rebecca Wodder,
Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary--Department of 
the Interior.
[FR Doc. 2013-10443 Filed 5-2-13; 8:45 am]
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