[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63603-63605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19979]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-VRP-WS--NPS0036398 ; PPWOWMADL3, PPMPSAS1Y.TD0000 (222); OMB 
Control Number 1024-0022]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Backcountry/Wilderness 
Use Permit

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we, the 
National Park Service (NPS) are proposing to renew an information 
collection with revisions.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 16, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions on the information 
collection requirements should be submitted by the date specified above 
in DATES to https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this 
particular information collection by selecting ``Currently under 
Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. 
Please provide a copy of your comments to Phadrea Ponds, NPS 
Information Collection Clearance Officer (ADIR-ICCO), 13461 Sunrise 
Valley Drive (MS-244) Reston, VA 20192 (mail); or [email protected] 
(email). Please include 1024-0022 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this Information Collection Request (ICR), contact Roger Semler, 
Chief, Wilderness Stewardship Division at [email protected] (email) 
or 202-430-7615 (Phone). Please reference OMB Control Number 1024-0022 
in the subject line of your comments. Individuals in the United States 
who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability 
may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications 
relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the 
relay services offered within their country to make international calls 
to the point of contact in the United States. You may also view the ICR 
at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we 
provide the 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.
    A FederalRegister notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
(87 FR 73776) on December 1, 2022. We received the following comments 
in response to that Notice:

Comment #1: Email From John Ryter on 12/1/2022

    I'd like to comment on the proposal to require permits for climbing 
in national parks. It's hard to determine whether this proposal means 
climbers would be required to get permits in advance, and whether there 
would be limits on the number of permits available for a given day. If 
there is a limit on how many are available on a given day, I am 
concerned that the addition of permits would cause fewer climbers to 
abandon or reschedule their climbs due to weather, and we would see an 
increase in injuries, rescues, and fatalities occurring in national 
parks. This could be mitigated by reducing the time in advance that 
permits could be acquired (e.g., cannot get permits more than 4 days in 
advance), but that presents its own challenges.
    There are already cases where a permit is a de facto requirement 
for doing a climb, such as those where backcountry camping is necessary 
for most non-professional climbers. In my experience, this hasn't been 
an issue (there have been enough sites available that it was possible 
to get a site the day of), but since so many climbs require early 
starts (6 a.m. or earlier), day-of permits would be pretty challenging 
to do. It would also be good to link those sorts of campsites, like the 
lower saddle of the Grand Teton, with the climbing permits in some way 
so people don't end up with one and not the other.
    If it's simply a sign-in sheet at the trailhead, that seems very 
reasonable and I have no concerns. My only other question is what the 
cutoff grade for climbing would be--all off-trail travel, class 3 or 4 
or higher, or roped vs un-roped? Either way, being able to do the 
permit at the trailhead or online would be a great idea.

NPS Response/Action Taken

    During the 60-day Federal Register comment period, the National 
Park Service proposed creating a new Form

[[Page 63604]]

10-404C that intends to renew the current Backcountry/Wilderness 
related to permitting fixed anchors in the wilderness. After review and 
consultation, the NPS will not add the new form to the collection.

Comment #2: Email From the Alaska State ANILCA Program Coordinator on 
1/26/2023

    A three-page letter (attached in ROCIS) submitted in PDF format was 
submitted expressing the State of Alaska's viewpoints regarding a 
proposed new form 10-404C--Application to install fixed anchors in the 
wilderness.

NPS Response/Action Taken

    During the 60-day Federal Register comment period, the National 
Park Service proposed creating a new Form 10-404C. After review and 
consultation, the NPS will not add the new form to the collection.

Comment #3: Email From Access Fund Vice President of Policy and 
Government Affairs on 1/27/2023

    A four-page letter (attached) was submitted expressing viewpoints 
and concerns regarding creating an application form regarding a 
proposed new form 10-404C--Application to install fixed anchors in the 
wilderness installation of fixed anchors in the wilderness.

NPS Response/Action Taken

    During the 60-day Federal Register comment period, the National 
Park Service proposed creating a new Form 10-404C. After review and 
consultation, the NPS will not add the new form to the collection.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies 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 especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility.
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 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.
    (4) How might the agency 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 technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    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 
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 can 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: The Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit is an extension of 
the NPS statutory authority and responsibility to protect the park 
areas it administers and to manage the public use thereof (54 U.S.C. 
100101, 100751, and 320102). In 1976, the NPS initiated a backcountry 
registration system by the regulations codified in 36 CFR 1.5, 1.6, and 
2.10. The NPS regulations codified in 36 CFR parts 1 through 7, 12, and 
13 are designated to implement statutory mandates that provide for 
resource protection and public enjoyment. The registration system aims 
to provide users access to backcountry and wilderness areas of national 
parks while enhancing the protection of natural and cultural resources 
by using better management practices by the park management. Data 
collected through the registration process serves as an important 
resource that informs backcountry/wilderness management and stewardship 
planning, decision-making, and operations, and provides a means of 
disseminating public safety and outdoor ethics messages regarding 
backcountry/wilderness travel and camping along with continuing 
opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation. Permitting 
enhances the ability of the NPS to educate users on potential hazards, 
search and rescue efforts, and resource protection. The objectives of 
the permit system carried out by park managers are to ensure:
    (1) Requests by backcountry users are evaluated by park managers 
per applicable statutes and NPS regulations.
    (2) The use of consistent standards and permitting criteria 
throughout the agency.
    (3) To the extent possible, the use of a single and efficient 
permitting document, NPS Forms 10-404 Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit 
Application and 10-404A Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Hangtag are 
used to provide access to NPS backcountry areas, including areas that 
require a reservation to enter where use limits are imposed per other 
NPS regulations. The 10-404AK Alaska Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit 
Application, is used within Alaskan park units, Denali National Park 
and Preserve and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, due to unique, 
park-specific requirements like the additional permitted methods of 
travel as regulated by ANILCA Section 1110(a).
    We've decided to not add the previously proposed (in the 60-day FRN 
publication) new form 10-404C Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit 
Application for Climbing to this collection, upon consideration of the 
comments received during the 60-day comment period.
    Title of Collection: Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit, 36 CFR 1.5, 
1.6, and 2.10.
    OMB Control Number: 1024-0022.
    Form Number: NPS Forms 10-404 Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit 
Application, 10-404A Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Hangtag, 10-
404AK Alaska Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Application.
    Type of Review: Renewal of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals, private sector, and 
state, local, or tribal government entities applying to use backcountry 
and wilderness areas within units of the national park system.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 473,872.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 5 minutes to 8 
minutes depending on the activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 51,337.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor nor is a person required to 
respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.

[[Page 63605]]

    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Phadrea Ponds,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-19979 Filed 9-14-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P