[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 125 (Tuesday, June 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37294-37296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-16000]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[15XD4523WS DS67011100 DWSNN0000.XB0000 DP6EG02]


Renewal of Information Collection and Request for Comments: OMB 
Control Number 1093-0006, Volunteer Partnership Management

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

[[Page 37295]]


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 has submitted a 
request for renewal of approval of this information collection to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and requests public comments on 
this submission.

DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information 
collection request, but may respond after 30 days; therefore, public 
comments should be submitted to OMB by July 30, 2015, in order to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send your written comments by facsimile (202) 395-5806 or 
email ([email protected]) to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: 
Department of the Interior Desk Officer (1093-0006). Also, please send 
a copy of your comments to Marta Kelly, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW., MS 2224 MIB, 
Washington, DC 20240, fax 202-208-7239, or by email to 
[email protected]. Please mention that your comments concern the 
Volunteer Partnership Management program, OMB Control Number 1093-0006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, any explanatory information and related forms, see 
the contact information provided in the ADDRESSES section above. You 
may also review the information collection request online at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This information collection received emergency approval from OMB on 
December 16, 2014. This approval was good for six months and we are now 
requesting comments as part of the standard review process.
    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)).
    Federal land management agencies are authorized to work with 
volunteers, youth programs, and partner organizations to plan, develop, 
maintain, and manage projects and service activities on public lands 
and adjacent projects throughout the nation. Agencies and partners may 
recruit, train, and accept the services of volunteers, youth programs, 
and partners to aid in interpretive functions, visitor services, 
conservation measures and development, research and development, 
recreation, and/or other activities in nearly all areas of service. 
Volunteers, youth programs, and partners can be an efficient, 
effective, and cost-beneficial use of public resources. The 
participants of these efforts, especially youth, benefit from skill 
development and service learning that enhances their capacity to find 
meaningful employment opportunities and be stewards for public lands.
    In order to effectively engage hundreds of thousands of volunteers, 
youth participants, and partners in meaningful service activities at 
multiple locations, participating agencies and non-federal 
organizations, we must collect information from youth program 
participants and volunteers who are interested in participating, 
supporting, and managing programs on public lands. The information 
collected from individuals includes contact information, demographic 
data including ethnicity and veterans and disability status. 
Information from partner organizations includes agreement, costs 
incurred, contact information, IRS status, public financial reports, 
and supporting documentation such as project completion reports, 
pictures, and hours contributed.
    The information will be collected through a web based platform that 
consists of seven modules including: The National Park Service (NPS) 
Volunteer-In-Parks (VIP) Reporting Module, Volunteer Time Tracking 
Portal, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Volunteer Tracker module, Youth 
Partner Tracking Module, Outreach Recruitment Resume Module, 
Partnerships Module, and the Cooperating Association Module. The NPS 
Volunteer-In-Parks (VIP) Reporting Module allows partners to provide 
information on the annual volunteer efforts they manage independently 
on behalf of the federal agencies in communities and federal lands 
through assistance programs. The Volunteer Time Tracking Portal 
captures the hours and volunteers engaged on public lands for providing 
America the Beautiful Volunteer Passes for those individuals that have 
contribute more than 250 hours. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 
Volunteer Tracker module provides volunteers and volunteer managers in 
the field the ability to share recruitment, selection, orientation, 
project, and recognition information locally and nationally in a 
friendly web-based format. The Youth Partner Tracking module will 
collect data from individuals between the ages of 16 and 35 which is 
considered the eligibility age for youth programs under the 16 U.S.C. 
1722 et. seq., Public Lands Corps (PLC) Act and Interior Departmental 
Secretarial Order 3332. The Outreach-Recruitment Resume Module will 
collect data provided by citizens, including veterans and youth, 
seeking employment opportunities at career fairs, outreach events, 
military programs, and from Public Land Corps participants. The 
Partnerships Module collects information from various volunteer 
organizations which are under national agreements to manage services 
and programs on public lands for citizens and provides an annual 
summary of their activities. The Cooperating Association Module 
collects information from not-for-profit public lands partners under 
national agreements to manage bookstores and sales items with federal 
agencies.
    This request for comments on the information collection is being 
published by the Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior 
and includes the use of common forms that can be leveraged by other 
Federal Agencies. The burden estimates reflected in this notice is only 
for the Department of the Interior. Other federal Agencies wishing to 
use the common forms must submit their own burden estimates and provide 
notice to the public accordingly.

II. Data

    (1) Title: Volunteer Partnership Management.
    OMB Control Number: 1093-0006.
    Current Expiration Date: 6/30/2015.
    Type of Review: Renewal of an existing collection.
    Affected Entities: Potential and selected volunteers; youth program 
participants, veterans, prospective job applicants, cooperating 
associations, and partner organizations.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 39,333.
    Frequency of response: Typically once per year but could be as 
frequently as 26 times per year for time and expense reporting.
    (2) Annual reporting and record keeping burden.
    Total Annual Reporting per Response: Total annual reporting per 
response: 5-60 minutes depending on the function being performed.
    Total number of estimated responses: 744,296.

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    Total Annual Burden Hours: 80,378 hours.
    (3) Description of the need and use of the information: 
Participating natural and cultural resource agencies will use this 
information to manage agency volunteer, youth, outreach, recruitment 
and partner programs that support work on public lands. The federal 
agencies will be more accountable to taxpayer by providing annual 
reports and program description of partnership activities which will be 
accessible on-line and by justifying the issuance of America the 
Beautiful passes. Also, collecting youth program hours and demographic 
information will allow federal agencies to provide better customer 
service to youth participants who have earned Public Lands Corps (PLC) 
credit for time served with the PLC, which may be used towards future 
Federal hiring; and provide former members of the PLC noncompetitive 
hiring status for a period of not more than 120 days after completion 
of PLC service.
    As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice 
soliciting comments on the collection of information was published on 
February 15, 2015, at 80 FR 7627. No comments were received. This 
notice provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to 
comment on the following information collection activity.

III. Request for Comments

    The Department of the Interior invites comments on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
collection 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 
those who are to respond, 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, or 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 utilize 
technology and systems for the purpose 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, 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 at the contact information provided in the 
ADDRESSES section. A valid picture identification is required for entry 
into the Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 
20240.
    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: June 24, 2015.
Mary Pletcher,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Capital and Diversity, Office of 
the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-16000 Filed 6-29-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4334-63-P