[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 236 (Monday, December 9, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73817-73818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29232]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) 
and Firefighter Property (FFP) Program Cooperative Agreements and 
Inventory

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 revision of the currently approved information 
collection, Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter 
Property (FFP) program Cooperative Agreements and Inventory.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before February 7, 
2014 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: 
USDA, Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management (F&AM), Attn: 
Melissa Frey, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Mailstop 1107, Washington, DC 
20250. Comments also may be submitted via email to: [email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at USDA Forest Service, 
F&AM, 1621 N. Kent Street, 9th Floor, Rosslyn, VA during normal 
business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to 202-206-1483 
to facilitate entry to the building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Frey, Fire and Aviation 
Management, 202-205-1090. Individuals who use telecommunication devices 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday 
through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter 
Property (FFP) Program Cooperative Agreements and Inventory.
    OMB Number: 0596-0223.
    Type of Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Information 
Collection.
    Abstract: Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter 
Property (FFP) Program Cooperative Agreements are available to State 
forestry agencies. The program provides State agency participants with 
surplus Department of Defense, and other Federal agency, equipment and 
supplies to be used in firefighting and emergency services. The FEPP 
program loans property to the State, who in turn sub-loans the 
equipment and supplies to fire departments. The FFP program transfers 
ownership of the equipment to either the State agency or the individual 
fire department.
    A cooperative agreement collects information from State agency 
participants and outlines the requirements and rules for the 
cooperation. Each State forestry agency shall provide an Accountable 
Officer who will be responsible for the integrity of the program within 
their respective State. For this reason, FEPP and FFP collect the State 
forestry agency contact information, the information of the Accountable 
Officer, and the requirements for participation in the FEPP and FFP 
programs.
    A cooperative agreement will be prepared by each State forestry 
agency that desires to participate in, one or both of, the programs. 
State agencies must submit separate agreements if they desire to be 
participants in both programs. Agreements will be processed and 
maintained by the Partnerships and Cooperative Programs branch of Fire 
and Aviation Management in each Forest Service Regional Office.
    Since the property belongs to the Forest Service, the inventory 
system facilitates reports by State agency participants to the Forest 
Service on the status and location of the property. State agencies use 
the electronic database Federal Excess Property Management Information 
System (FEPMIS) to submit information regarding the property make, 
model, serial number, acquisition value, location, and acquisition date 
when an item is acquired or no longer need. Forest Service Property 
Management Technicians collect the information from FEPMIS and enter it 
into the National Finance Center database, as required by Federal 
Property Management Regulations. Forest Service Property Management 
Officers analyze the data collected to ensure that the property 
accountability is accurate and to confirm the property is being used as 
required.
    The authority to provide surplus supplies to State agencies comes 
from Federal Property and Administration Services Act of 1949, 40 
U.S.C., Sec 202. Authority to loan excess supplies comes from 10 
U.S.C., Subtitle A, Part IV, Chapter 153, 2576b, which grants the 
authority for the FFP program.
    With this submission, Forest Service proposes to combine the burden 
of two separate OMB approved Information Collections 0596-0223 Federal 
Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter Property (FFP) 
Cooperative Agreements, and 0596-0218 Federal Excess Personal Property 
(FEPMIS Database) into one request with the OMB control number of 0596-
0223 entitled Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter 
Property (FFP) Program Cooperative Agreements and Inventory. Upon 
approval of this request, the Agency will then submit a discontinue 
request for the OMB control number 0596-0218 entitled Federal Excess 
Personal Property (FEPMIS Database.)
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 1 hour and 2 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: State Foresters and State Agency FEPP Property 
Managers.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 65.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 302.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 570 hours.
    Comment is Invited:

[[Page 73818]]

    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 2, 2013.
James Hubbard,
Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry.
[FR Doc. 2013-29232 Filed 12-6-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P