[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 189 (Monday, September 30, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59911-59913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23767]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Generic Information Collection for Land Management Planning

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 proposed information collection, Generic 
Information Collection for Land Management Planning.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before November 29, 
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 the 
U.S. Forest Service, Annie Eberhart Goode, Planning Specialist, 
Ecosystem Management Services, 6th Floor, 1601 N. Kent Street, Rosslyn, 
VA 22209. Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to 703-235-0138 
or by email to: [email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at 1621 N. Kent Street, 
Rosslyn, VA during normal business hours. Visitors are encouraged to 
call ahead to 202-205-1056 to facilitate entry to the building. 
Additionally, comments may be viewed at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/planningrule/directives.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Annie Eberhart Goode; 202-205-1056. 
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through 
Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Generic Information Collection for Land Management Planning.
    OMB Number: 0596-NEW.
    Expiration Date of Approval: N/A.
    Type of Request: New.

[[Page 59912]]

    Abstract:
    Section 6 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 
U.S.C.1600 et seq.) (NFMA) and implementing regulations 36 CFR 219 
(2012 Planning Rule) direct the U. S. Forest Service (the Agency) to 
revise land management plans for each National Forest System (NFS) unit 
every 15 years, and to continuously monitor conditions to inform 
interim or subsequent planning actions. Development of Land Management 
Plans (LMP) pursuant to the NFMA and the 2012 Planning Rule requires an 
assessment phase, planning phase, and monitoring phase, all of which 
are designed to foster a transparent, collaborative, and informed 
planning process.
    The planning process defined by the NFMA and the 2012 Planning Rule 
requires public participation and involvement. As such, the Agency will 
invite public participation broadly to facilitate public comment and 
the submission of information that members of the public find to be 
relevant.
    To ensure that the Agency can be inclusive of, and responsive to, 
stakeholder concerns in the development of land management plans, the 
Forest Service seeks to obtain OMB approval of a generic clearance to 
collect both quantitative and qualitative feedback and information for 
consideration and use in land management planning.
    The NFMA and 2012 Planning Rule require the Agency to provide 
opportunities to the public to participate in the planning process. 
Information provided by the public assists the Agency in ensuring that 
LMPs guide management of NFS lands so that they are ecologically 
sustainable and contribute to social and economic sustainability. In 
particular, the Rule requires the Agency to identify and consider 
``relevant, existing'' information. Public participation is required at 
each stage of the planning process--assessment, planning, and 
monitoring.
    During the assessment phase, pursuant to the 2012 Planning Rule 
provision on assessments (36 CFR 219.6), the Agency is required to 
``identify and evaluate existing information'' relevant to the plan 
area for the following:
    (1) Terrestrial ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems, and watersheds;
    (2) Air, soils, and water resources and quality;
    (3) System drivers, including dominant ecological processes, 
disturbance regimes, and stressors, such as natural succession, 
wildland fire, invasive species, and climate change; and the ability of 
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems on the plan area to adapt to change;
    (4) Baseline assessment of carbon stocks;
    (5) Threatened, endangered, proposed, and candidate species and 
potential species of conservation concern present in the plan area;
    (6) Social, cultural, and economic conditions;
    (7) Benefits people obtain from the NFS planning area (ecosystem 
services);
    (8) Multiple uses and their contributions to local, regional, and 
national economies;
    (9) Recreation settings, opportunities and access, and scenic 
character;
    (10) Renewable and nonrenewable energy and mineral resources;
    (11) Infrastructure, such as recreational facilities and 
transportation and utility corridors;
    (12) Areas of tribal importance;
    (13) Cultural and historic resources and uses;
    (14) Land status and ownership, use, and access patterns; and
    (15) Existing designated areas located in the plan area including 
wilderness and wild and scenic rivers and potential need and 
opportunity to additional designated areas.
    Further, the Agency is required to accept additional comment and 
feedback throughout the planning process and then monitor conditions, 
including accepting public input in the plan area, and reporting to the 
public biennially.
    Although the following are not considered ``information'' as 
defined by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (5 CFR 1320.3(h)), they do 
represent the vast majority of the ways and methods that will be used 
by the Agency to obtain information from stakeholders:
     Facts or opinions obtained through direct observation by 
an employee or agent of the sponsoring agency or through non-
standardized oral communication in connection with such direct 
observations;
     Facts or opinions submitted in response to general 
solicitations of comments from the public, published in the Federal 
Register or other publications, regardless of the form or format 
thereof, provided that no person is required to supply specific 
information pertaining to the commenter, other than that necessary for 
self-identification, as a condition of the agency's full consideration 
of the comment;
     A request for facts or opinions addressed to a single 
person;
     Facts or opinions obtained or solicited at or in 
connection with public hearings or meetings;
     Like items so designated by OMB.
    Public participation will be sought during all three phases of a 
plan revision: assessment, planning, and monitoring. Typically, NFS 
units publish general solicitations for comments from the public and 
hold public meetings. Private information will be considered and will 
become part of the public record if voluntarily provided.
    Because the 2012 Planning Rule places strong emphasis on 
transparency of communication, inclusiveness, and active public 
involvement, the Agency anticipates that NFS units will innovate and 
develop new techniques that facilitate focused communication, which 
produces more granular detail on stakeholder goals and concerns related 
to forest management. The intent of this generic information collection 
request (ICR) is to provide an efficient avenue for ensuring that 
innovative communications strategies have an efficient means of 
obtaining OMB approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.
    For example, if a forest planning team recognizes that a complex 
issue is not well understood, focus groups of knowledgeable 
stakeholders could be designed and convened to ensure that the issue is 
well understood by the Agency.
    Another example of a communication strategy that could be supported 
by this generic ICR would be the solicitation of comments on specific 
issues. Although the PRA does not consider facts and opinions submitted 
``in response to general solicitation of comments'' ((5 CFR 
1320.3(h)(4)) to be ``information,'' planning for NFS units is complex, 
and it may be appropriate for public meetings regarding unique resource 
issues, such as water use, protection of a sensitive area, energy 
resources or similar issues, as opposed to a general solicitation of 
comments to be held. Such outreach could support an ``iterative'' 
approach to land management planning and facilitate productive public 
input on complex matters.
    Additionally, the 2012 Planning Rule and Executive Order 12372 
require intergovernmental communication both broadly and specifically. 
Regular and consistent engagement of State, local, and tribal 
governments is an important element of land management planning for NFS 
units. In addition to public meetings, to which all such public 
entities are invited, planning teams may contact jurisdictions adjacent 
or proximate to NFS units with similar and/or targeted notices, 
including a notice that planning for a forest unit has

[[Page 59913]]

begun and that the planning team will be assessing information about 15 
resource categories.
    This generic information collection is intended to facilitate 
customer and stakeholder feedback and input in an efficient, timely 
manner while at the same time staying in compliance with the PRA. The 
information collected from our customers and stakeholders will help 
ensure that the development of land management plans is both 
transparent and well-informed. This feedback and input will provide 
insights into customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences and 
expectations, provide an early warning of issues with service, or focus 
attention on areas where communication, training, or changes in 
operations might improve delivery of products or services such as 
improved LMPs or the implementation thereof. These collections will 
allow for ongoing, collaborative, and actionable communications, and 
the sharing of applicable information between the Agency and its 
customers and stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to contribute 
directly to the improvement of program management.
    How will information be collected? The 2012 Planning Rule 
specifically states that, outside of basic notification requirements, 
the Responsible Official has the discretion to determine the ``scope, 
methods, forum, and timing'' of public input. Additionally, the 
Responsible Official ``[hellip]shall encourage participation'' of 
youth, low-income populations, and minority populations as well as 
private landowners whose property may be affected by the land 
management plan. To meet the letter and spirit of the 2012 Planning 
Rule, Line Officers need to enhance and support public participation. 
Although every instance and approach to public participation cannot be 
identified, the types of collections that this generic clearance is 
intended to cover include, but are not limited to:
     Customer/stakeholder comment cards/complaint forms;
     Small discussion groups;
     Focus Groups of customers, potential customers, delivery 
partners, or other stakeholders;
     Cognitive laboratory studies, such as those used to refine 
questions or assess usability of a Web site;
     Qualitative stakeholder surveys;
     In-person observation testing (for example, Web site or 
software usability tests);
     Targeted requests for information from State, local, and 
tribal governments, non-profit groups, and other stakeholders;
     Quantitative surveys designed to inform development of 
land management plans;
     Other innovative communication strategies designed to 
facilitate voluntary provision of information by the public to NFS 
units with minimal burden that may be approved by OMB.
    Who will collect the information? Public outreach is conducted by 
the Responsible Official for land management planning, with assistance 
from the Interdisciplinary Team assembled, as required by the NFMA, to 
develop a land management plan, well informed by the public.
    What information will be collected? Any information that members of 
the public seek to provide to the Agency will be collected. The 2012 
Planning Rule identifies broad 15 categories that must be evaluated 
when assessing a plan area (36 CFR 219.6). In addition, biennial 
monitoring of the condition of the plan area is required, and 8 broad 
categories are identified for inclusion in monitoring plans.
    From whom will the information be collected? All members of the 
public, stakeholder groups, and State, tribal, and local governments 
who would like to provide information to the Agency regarding land 
management planning.
    How will the information be used? To inform development of land 
management plans.
    Who will evaluate or analyze the information? Agency personnel, 
assigned to a planning task, are responsible for evaluation of any 
information provided.
    Estimate of Annual Burden:
    Type of Respondents: Members of the public, including State, local 
and tribal government representatives.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 34,000.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1-2.
    Estimated Burden per Response: .6 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 21,000 hours.
    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 submission request 
toward Office of Management and Budget approval.

    Dated: September 24, 2013.
Tony Tooke,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2013-23767 Filed 9-27-13; 8:45 am]
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