[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 230 (Friday, December 3, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68625-68626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26306]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection: Workforce Development Participant 
Tracking Form Formerly Public Lands Corps Tracking Sheet

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
USDA Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals 
and organizations on the renewal of a currently approved information 
collection, currently titled the Public Lands Corps Tracking Sheet and 
proposed to change to Workforce Development Participant Tracking Form.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before February 1, 
2022 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods; 
email is encouraged:
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: Merlene Mazyck, Civilian Climate Corps Coordinator, 
USDA Forest Service, Attn: Recreation, Heritage and Volunteer 
Resources, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Mailstop Code: 1125, Washington, 
DC 20250-1125.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: USDA Forest Service, Attn: 
Recreation, Heritage and Volunteer Resources, 1400 Independence Ave. 
SW, Mailstop Code: 1125, Washington, DC 20250-1125.
    The public may inspect comments received at the Office of the 
Director, Recreation, Heritage and Volunteer Resources, 5th Floor South 
West, Sidney R. Yates Federal Building, 201 14th Street SW, Washington, 
DC, during normal business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead 
to 202-205-0560 to facilitate entry to the building.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 68626]]

    Title: Workforce Development Participant Tracking Form.
    OMB Number: 0596-0247.
    Expiration Date of Approval: February 28, 2022.
    Type of Request: Extension with revisions of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: Federal land management and other agencies are authorized 
to offer work and education programs for individuals in natural and 
cultural resources careers and experiences in partnership with 
conservation and service corps, and environmental and other 
organizations that contribute to the rehabilitation, restoration, and 
repair of public lands resources and infrastructure and climate 
adaptation and mitigation. Some of the applicable statutes and 
regulations include special hiring authorities, upon completion of 
certain requirements. This information collection request will enable 
participating agencies to capture required and other information that 
will aid in workforce development and job training for young people, 
returning veterans and others who are unemployed or underemployed, and 
to monitor compliance with statutory laws and associated hiring 
authorities. A primary, but not exclusionary, authorizing source for 
the information collection is 16 U.S.C. 1702-1727, chapter 37--Youth 
Conservation Corps, Public Lands Corps, Resource Assistants Program, 
and Indian Youth Service Corps. The Public Lands Corps is a work and 
education program involving the nation's land management agencies, 
conservation and service corps, and environmental organizations that 
contribute to the rehabilitation, restoration, and repair of public 
lands resources and infrastructures. Public Lands Corps projects 
provide opportunities for community and national public service, work 
experience and training for young people who are unemployed or 
underemployed persons, students, recent graduates, and others with an 
interest in natural and cultural resources careers.
    The Workforce Development Participant Tracking Form supports the 
effective management of the Public Lands Corps and other workforce 
development programs hosted in partnership with public lands agencies. 
The utilization of a common form will: Assist federal agencies to 
uniformly collect information regarding work accomplished; track and 
monitor participant engagement to determine the completion of 
requirements for non-competitive hiring eligibility as defined in the 
Act; comply with statutory reporting requirements; inform effective 
outreach strategies to underrepresented populations and marginalized 
communities consistent with efforts to promote inclusion priorities; 
and provide data about project activities that can be aggregated across 
federal agencies.
    Information collected, such as participant demographic information, 
and project information, will allow the Forest Service and other 
agencies to monitor the effectiveness of federal efforts to meet the 
intent of the authorizing statutes, including the Public Lands Corps 
Act and the Administration's Civilian Climate Corps Initiative. It will 
allow the Forest Service and other agencies to engage under-represented 
populations in natural and cultural resource conservation jobs, 
development and scientific research work, and education on public 
lands. This information collection request will ensure that partners 
maintain a record of all workforce development agreements, grants and 
contracts established, participant demographics and education, project 
information and work hours, project locations and dates, and status of 
special hiring eligibilities conferred upon eligible participants.
    Proposed Changes to Information Collection: Changes to the 
information collected will help monitor workforce development 
partnerships, training and performance outcomes grounded in justice, 
equity, diversity, and inclusion principles. These changes will also 
position agencies to begin monitoring Civilian Climate Change 
engagement pursuant to climate change and diversity objectives as 
defined in the Build Back Better Act of 2021. Land management and other 
federal agencies are working across boundaries to improve access for 
partners and reduce burden, streamline, and standardize reporting and 
collect data to inform evidence-based decision making and improvements 
by all parties. Changes to the form will be integrated with a web-based 
application for data entry and will include expanded demographics 
reported about veteran and special ability status genders, vocational 
and technical certifications, and education; enhanced project and type 
of work data; and better systems integration, interagency standards and 
checks and balances that improve integrity of systems and security of 
Personal Identifiable Information and program information.
    Type of Respondents: Non-profit Organizations and Non-Federal 
Governmental entities.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 500.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 2; twice 
annually required. The application will be available for respondents to 
input data more frequently if they choose.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 500.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,000 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 
methods or 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 of the 
information collection request to Office of Management and Budget.

Christopher French,
Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2021-26306 Filed 12-2-21; 8:45 am]
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