[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17263-17264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06436]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Secure Rural Schools Act

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 renewal with revisions of a currently approved 
information collection, Secure Rural Schools Act.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before May 27, 2022 
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 Juana 
Rosas, National Partnership Coordinator, National Partnership Office, 
USDA Forest Service, Yates Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, Mailstop 
#1158, Washington, DC 20250. Comments also may be submitted by email 
to: Secure Rural Schools at [email protected].
    Comments also may be submitted 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 USDA Forest Service, Yates Building, 1400 
Independence Avenue, Mailstop #1158, Washington, DC 20250 during normal 
business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to (202) 720-2791 
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: Brianna Gallegos, USDA Forest Service, 
Yates Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, Mailstop #1158, Washington, 
DC 20250, [email protected]. Individuals who use 
telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of 
the year, including holidays. 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: Secure Rural Schools Act.
    OMB Number: 0596-0220.
    Type of Request: Renewal with revisions of a currently approved 
information collection and New Title II Project Proposal Form.
    Abstract: The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000 (the Act) (16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), as reauthorized in 
Public Law 117-58, requires the appropriate official of a county that 
receives funds under Title III of the Act to submit to the appropriate 
Secretary an annual certification that the funds expended have been 
used as authorized. The appropriate official of each participating 
county will be requested to report the amount of Title III funds 
expended in the applicable year in these categories as specified in the 
Act:
    (1) To carry out authorized activities under the Firewise 
Communities Program;
    (2) To reimburse the participating county for search and rescue and 
other emergency services, including firefighting and law enforcement 
patrols;
    (3) To provide or expand access to broadband telecommunications 
services at local schools or the technology and connectivity necessary 
for students to use a digital learning tool at or outside of the local 
school campus;
    (4) To cover training costs and equipment purchases directly 
related to the emergency service described in paragraph (2); and
    (5) To develop and carry out community wildfire protection plans. 
The information collection will identify the participating county, the 
year in which the expenditures were made, the name, title, and 
signature of the certifying official, and the date of the 
certification. The certification will include a statement that all 
expenditures were for uses authorized under the Act and that the 
proposed uses were published and had a 60-day comment period and were 
submitted to the appropriate Secure Rural Schools Act resource advisory 
committee(s), if any, as described in Section 302(b) of the Act.
    The information collection will request the county to certify the 
amount of Title III funds received since October of 2008 that has not 
been obligated as of September 30th of the previous year. This 
collection is necessary in the certification due on February 1 the 
following year after payments are received to determine the amount of 
Title III funds that must be returned to the United States Treasury 
under section 304(b) of the Act. Collection of this information is 
consistent with a recent audit of county uses of Title III funds by the 
Government Accountability Office (http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-775). A county's procedure for and documentation of its obligation of 
Title III funds should be consistent with its procedures to obligate 
funds from other Federal sources.
    The information collection will request the county to certify the 
amount

[[Page 17264]]

of Title III funds received to determine the amount of Title III funds 
that must be returned to the United States Treasury under section 
304(b) of the Act. The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of 
Land Management are also authorized to participate in this information 
collection because the Bureau of Land Management administers Federal 
lands in western Oregon covered by the Act. The information will be 
reviewed by the appropriate Secretary, or designee, to verify that 
participating counties have certified that funds were expended as 
authorized in the Act and to identify amounts not obligated. The 
information also may be used by the Department of the Interior because 
it is relevant to its Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.
    The information will be collected in the form of conventional 
correspondence such as a letter and, at the respondent's option, 
attached tables or similar graphic display. The Forest Service provides 
an optional form for the convenience of respondents. At the 
respondent's discretion, the information may be submitted by hard copy 
and/or electronically scanned and included as an attachment to 
electronic mail. This becomes record keeping for audit purposes.
    The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 
2000 (the Act) (16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), as reauthorized in Public Law 
117-58, requests Resource Advisor Committees (RAC's) who receive funds 
under Title II of the Act to submit proposal to the appropriate RAC 
Forest Service Designated Federal Officer (DFOs) that the funds are 
being requested for that specific project. Counties typically receive 
20% or less of Secure Rural Schools funds under Title II, which are 
used by willing Federal agencies, State and local governments, private 
and nonprofit entities, and landowners for protection, restoration and 
enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, and other natural resource 
objectives on Federal land and on non-Federal land where projects would 
benefit these resources on Federal land.
    Rather than being distributed to the State, Title II funds are 
retained by the Forest Service and are allocated to specific projects 
that have been reviewed and recommended by a local Resource Advisory 
Committee.
    Projects are considered for Title II funding if they make 
additional investments in, and create employment opportunities through:
    Improvement of existing infrastructure maintenance.
    Implementation of stewardship objectives that enhance forest 
ecosystems;
    Restoration and improvement of land health and water quality.
    Projects must comply with all applicable Federal laws and 
regulations.
    Projects must be consistent with the applicable resource management 
plan and with any watershed or subsequent plan developed pursuant to 
the resource management plan. The funds may be used for projects that 
have broad-based support and with objectives that include: Road, trail, 
and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration; soil productivity 
improvement; forest ecosystem health improvements; watershed 
restoration and maintenance; wildlife and fish habitat restoration, 
maintenance, and improvement; noxious and exotic weeds control; and 
native species re-establishment.
    At least 50% of all project funds are to be used for projects that 
are primarily dedicated to road maintenance, decommissioning, or 
obliteration; or to restoration of streams and watersheds.
    Affected Public: Eligible counties and Federal agencies, state and 
local government, private entities.
    Estimate of Annual Burden per Respondent: 1.
    Type of Respondents: Respondents are county officials. The 
determination of who is the appropriate certifying official is at the 
discretion of the county and borough and will vary depending on county 
or borough organization. For unorganized boroughs in Alaska and for 
participating counties in Vermont, a state official may provide the 
information. Respondents of 91 RACs are expected to respond each year.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 344 county officials and 91 
RACs.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1 hour.
    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.

Ellen Shaw,
Acting Director, National Partnership Office.
[FR Doc. 2022-06436 Filed 3-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P