[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 112 (Tuesday, June 11, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35046-35047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13711]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Geological Survey

[GR13RB00CMFRP00]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

AGENCY: United States Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of new information collection, Economic Contribution of 
Federal Investments in Restoration of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed 
Ecosystems.

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we 
(The U.S. Geological Survey) are notifying the public that we have 
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the information 
collection request (ICR) described below. To comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 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 
ICR.

DATES: Submit written comments by July 11, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments on this ICR directly to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of the 
Interior via email to [email protected] or fax at 202-395-
5806. Please also submit comments on this information collection to the 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 
Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648-7195 
(fax); or [email protected] (email). Use Information Collection Number 
1028-NEW, Economic Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration 
of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Lynne Koontz, U.S. Geological 
Survey, 2150-C Centre Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526 (mail); 
[email protected] (email); or: 970-226-9384 (phone). You may also find 
information on this information collection at www.reginfo.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Economic Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration 
of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems.
    OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.

Abstract

    Federal investments in ecosystem restoration and monitoring protect 
Federal trusts, ensure public health and safety, and preserve and 
enhance essential ecosystem services. These investments also support 
jobs. There is a need to better understand the connection between 
restoring the health and productivity of ecosystems and the resulting 
economic benefits to local communities. This project aims to increase 
the available information on the costs and required inputs for 
ecosystem restoration and the resultant economic benefits of these 
investments to local economies. The project is comprised of a series of 
case studies that quantify the economic impacts of restoration 
projects. The case studies will include examples of collaboratively 
funded and managed projects to restore a wide range of degraded, 
damaged, or destroyed ecosystems. In addition to providing improved 
information on the economic impacts of restoration, these case studies 
highlight DOI restoration efforts and tell personalized stories about 
each project and the communities that are positively affected by 
restoration activities. Project methods include the collection of 
primary expenditure data and economic input-output modeling.
    Frequency: One time.
    Estimated total responses: 900. We will make an introductory call 
to approximately 100 project managers. We expect approximately 100 
project managers will respond to the project summary survey. We expect 
100 project managers and 500 contractors to respond to the expenditures 
survey. We expect to follow up with approximately 100 contacts to 
remind them to complete the survey(s).
    Estimated total burden hours: 358. We estimate it will take 15 
minutes to make the initial contact for the project summary survey; 15 
minutes for respondents to complete the project summary survey; 30 
minutes for respondents to complete the expenditure survey; and 5 
minutes for a follow-up contact.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: 
There are no ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with this collection 
of information.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not 
required to respond to a

[[Page 35047]]

collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.
    Comments: On November 15, 2011, we published a 60-day Federal 
Register notice (FR Doc No: 2011-29425) announcing that we would submit 
this information request to OMB for approval. In that notice we 
solicited public comments for 60 days, ending January 14, 2012. We 
received one comment and it was not applicable to the proposed 
collection.
    We are soliciting comments as to: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its 
duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) how to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) how to minimize the burden on 
the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques 
or other forms of information technology. Please note that the comments 
submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record. 
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: May 30, 2013.
Ione Taylor,
Associate Director, Energy and Minerals, and Environmental Health 
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-13711 Filed 6-10-13; 8:45 am]
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