[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 173 (Friday, September 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55253-55255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-19622]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Certification of Concrete Construction

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

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organizations on the new information collection, Certification of 
Concrete Construction.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before November 3, 
2020 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 
Intermountain Region, Regional Office-Engineering, 324 25th Street, 
Ogden, Utah 84401. Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to 801-
625-5201 or by email to: [email protected]. Comments submitted in 
response to this notice may be made available to the public through 
relevant websites and upon request. For this reason, please do not 
include in your comments information of a confidential nature, such as 
sensitive personal information or proprietary information. If you send 
an email comment, your email address will be automatically captured and 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and 
made available on the internet. Please note that responses to this 
public comment request containing any routine notice about the 
confidentiality of the communication will be treated as public comments 
that may be made available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion 
of the routine notice.
    The public may inspect the draft supporting statement and/or 
comments received at 324 25th Street, Ogden, Utah 84401, Room #3427 
during normal business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to 
801-726-2213 or 801-625-5235 to facilitate entry to the building. The 
public may request an electronic copy of the draft supporting statement 
and/or any comments received be sent via return email. Requests should 
be emailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Curt Panter, Intermountain Region, 
Regional Office-Engineering, 801-726-2213. Individuals who use 
telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a 
day, every day of the year, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Certification of Concrete 
Construction.
    OMB Number: 0596-NEW.
    Type of Request: New.
    Abstract: The standard Forest Service special use permit requires 
the permit holder to be responsible for the design, construction, 
operation and maintenance of permitted facilities and public safety. 
Forest Service ski area permit administration through monitoring obtain 
assurance of the permit holder's compliance with terms and conditions 
of the special use permit. It is also appropriate, and suitable, to 
rely on professional certifications provided by the permit holder from 
licensed architects and engineers employed by or under contract to the 
permit holder to assist in obtaining this assurance. This is the 
practice used for authorized facilities on National Forest Service 
land. Generally, the Forest Service is most concerned about potential 
impacts to NFS land and resources from the permitted facilities and 
directs its attention to design features and monitoring facilities to 
protect those resources and ensure public safety. Forest Service 
Special Use Permit FS-2700-5b (hereafter-SUP) and Forest Service Manual 
(FSM) 7320 and 7330 outline what plans and specifications submittals 
are required for permitted facilities prior to construction, acceptance 
testing, and prior to Authorized Officer granting authorization to 
permit holder for the public operation of these facilities. A 
Certification of Concrete Construction outlines what level of review 
and quality assurance by a qualified engineer is required and necessary 
for authorized privately owned facility construction permitted on 
Forest Service lands.
    FSM 2340, 7320 and 7330 requires that the permit holder submit a 
Certification of Construction from a Qualified Engineer for privately 
owned facilities such as passenger ropeways, aerial adventure courses, 
and other natural resource-based recreation facilities (hereafter-
recreation facility). This Certification of Concrete Construction 
requirement is also a product of the Forest Service adopting the 
American National Standard Institute (ANSI) B77 Standard for Passenger 
Ropeways as our Governing Standard for passenger ropeways and American 
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F24 Standard for authorized 
aerial adventure courses and recreation facilities. ANSI B77, section 
1.5 outlines and requires a Quality Assurance (QA) program be developed 
and utilized to ensure the integrity of the design, manufacturer, 
construction, operation, and maintenance of passenger ropeways. ANSI 
B77, section 1.5.3 ``states that for new or modified ropeways, a 
Qualified Engineer shall certify to the owner that the construction and 
installation has been completed in accordance with the final design 
criteria for such work.''
    Therefore, this Certification of Concrete Construction collection 
is appropriate and suitable documentation to validate permit holder 
compliance outlined in SUP and FSM 2340, 7320, 7330, and ANSI and ASTM 
adopted standards.
    1. Briefly explain the circumstances that make the collection of 
information necessary. If applicable, what law requires or authorizes 
this information to be collected? Forest Service SUP requires that 
Authorized Officers receive assurances from licensed architects and 
engineers that certify that the construction has been completed in 
accordance with the final design criteria for such work. SUP Clause IIB 
requires that ``all plans for development, layout, construction, 
reconstruction, or alteration of improvements in the permit area, as 
well as revisions to those plans, must be prepared by a licensed 
engineer, architect, landscape architect, or other qualified 
professional acceptable to the Authorized Officer.''
    2. How will the information be collected? The Certification of 
Concrete Construction will be a submittal requirement prior to Forest 
Service approval to permit holder to conduct acceptance testing of a 
passenger ropeway, aerial adventure course, or recreation facility 
which is an ANSI B77 and ASTM F24 requirement before public operation.
    3. Who will collect the information? Plans and specifications 
including Certification of Concrete Construction must be submitted to 
the Authorized Officer before public operation. Forest Service 
engineering personnel will also receive a copy and review Certification 
of Concrete Construction according to required Forest Service ropeway 
engineering plans and specifications review process.
    4. What information will be collected? If the foundation 
excavations were inspected and documented by qualified personnel before 
concrete placement. If the soil bearing pressure/rock conditions meet 
or exceed the specifications of the design engineer. If concrete 
cylinder tests were completed by qualified personnel per design 
engineer specifications. If samples of the concrete placed in each 
terminal and each tower foundation were taken and the concrete meets 
the strength requirements specified by the design engineer. (A summary 
of the test results is to be attached). If the size of concrete 
foundations as built and the location, number and size of reinforcing 
steel, anchor bolts, and rock anchoring (if applicable) were inspected 
and documented by qualified personnel and are as specified by the 
design engineer. If the quality of backfill and compaction tests were 
completed and documented

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by qualified personnel and comply with design engineer specifications 
for each terminal and each tower foundation. A certification statement 
from a Qualified Engineer.
    5. From whom will the information be collected? Ski area permit 
holder.
    6. How will the information be used? To determine passenger 
ropeway, aerial adventure course and recreation facility installer's 
compliance with ANSI B77 and ASTM construction and quality assurance 
standards.
    7. Who will evaluate or analyze the information? Forest Service 
Engineering personnel.
    8. Describe the consequence to Federal programs or policy if the 
collection is not conducted or conducted less frequently. Facilities 
may not meet requirements of adopted safety standards necessary for 
public safety.
    Affected Public: Recreating public which use permitted passenger 
ropeways, aerial adventure courses and other recreation facilities 
operated at ski areas authorized to operate on Forest Service lands.
    Estimate of Burden per Response: One hour for Qualified Engineer to 
analyze final construction data and information to inform the 
certification and complete and sign form.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 8-9.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 8.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 72 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: August 31, 2020.
Rosana Barkawi,
Assistant Director, Engineering.
[FR Doc. 2020-19622 Filed 9-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P