[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 112 (Tuesday, June 11, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27154-27155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12290]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GWXXRB000AP8100; OMB Control Number 1028-0107/Renewal]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Economic Contribution 
of Federal Investments in Restoration of Degraded, Damaged, or 
Destroyed Ecosystems

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are proposing to renew an information 
collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
August 12, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) to U.S. Geological Survey, Information Collections Officer, by 
email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control 
Number 1028-0107 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Rudy Schuster by email at [email protected], 
or by telephone at (970) 226-9165.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and 
continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact 
of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information 
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired 
format.
    We are soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described 
below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper 
functions of the USGS; (2) will this information be processed and used 
in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how 
might the USGS enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (5) how might the USGS minimize the 
burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use 
of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request

[[Page 27155]]

to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Abstract: Federal investments in ecosystem restoration restore 
injured natural resources and improve the health and resiliency of 
terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. These investments also 
generate business activity and create jobs. The Economic Impacts of 
Ecosystem Restoration project aims to increase the availability of 
information on the costs and activities associated with ecosystem 
restoration and to gauge the economic effects of these investments to 
local economies. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and 
the DOI Office of Policy Analysis are conducting this information 
collection at the request of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment 
(NRDA) Restoration Program. The NRDA Restoration Program is weighing 
the pros and cons of collecting restoration cost data as part of 
contractor reporting requirements for restoration projects associated 
with NRDA cases. The collection described under this request is 
designed to refine potential expenditure questions prior to developing 
contractor reporting requirements. The project comprises a series of 
case studies that quantify the economic impacts of restoration 
projects. The case studies include examples of collaboratively funded 
and managed projects to restore a wide range of degraded, damaged, or 
destroyed ecosystems. Project methods include the collection of primary 
expenditure data and economic input/output modeling. Results from the 
first phase of case studies are available in a 2016 USGS report 
entitled, ``Estimating the economic impacts of ecosystem restoration--
methods and case studies.'' This second phase of case studies aims to 
refine the survey methods and to develop and test a web-based data 
collection form that would enable broader collection of project 
expenditure data.
    Title of Collection: Economic Contribution of Federal Investments 
in Restoration of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems.
    OMB Control Number: 1028-0107.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Restoration project managers working 
on selected case study restoration projects; this includes project 
managers from state and local government, non-profits, and the private 
sector.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: We expect to do up to 
10 case studies per year, and all of these case studies will have 
Federal project managers.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 10.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: We estimate it will take 
approximately 3.5 hours per person to complete the survey, including 
correspondence time.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 35 hours.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: There are no ``non-hour 
cost'' burdens associated with this collection of information.
    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 OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq).

 Rudolph Schuster,
Fort Collins Science Center, Chief, Social & Economic Analysis Branch.
[FR Doc. 2019-12290 Filed 6-10-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P