Submission of Study Package to Office of Management and Budget; Review Opportunity for Public Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Submission of Study Package to Office of Management and Budget;

Review Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Yukon-

Charley Rivers National Preserve.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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

ABSTRACT: The National Park Service (NPS) in conjunction with a natural

resource protection council including members from the Air Force and a

number of state and federal land management agencies is proposing in

1999 to conduct surveys of persons using selected Alaskan Military

Operations Areas where Air Force training occurs. In one of these

surveys, visitors entering Harding Lake and Chena River State

Recreation Areas (SRAs) will be asked about their expectations

concerning Air Force training, and will be sent a mail questionnaire

asking about the impacts of reported overflights on their activities

and experiences.

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

Estimated numbers of Responses Burden hours

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

Alaskan Military Operations Areas 1410 235

On-Site Entrance Survey..........

Alaskan Military Operations Areas 950 396

Mail Survey......................

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

Total......................... 2360 631

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

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

and 5 CFR part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the NPS

invites public comment on these six proposed information collection

requests (ICR). Comments are invited on: (1) The need for the

information including whether the information has practical utility;

(2) the accuracy of the reporting burden estimate; (3) ways to enhance

the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on

respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

The NPS goal in conducting these surveys is to incorporate survey

information into the process of setting policy to mitigate the impact

of Air Force activity in the Alaskan MOAs on recreational users of

those areas.

One request for further information was received as a result of

publishing in the Federal Register a 60 day notice of intention to

request clearance of information collection for these six surveys.

Further information was provided as requested. No other comments were

received.

DATES: Public comments will be accepted on or before August 11, 1999.

SEND COMMENTS TO: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB,

Attention Desk Officer for the Interior Department, Office of

Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20530; and also to: Darryll R.

Johnson, USGS/BRD/FRESC/UWFS, College of Forest Resources, Box 352100,

University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100; or Mark E. Vande

Kamp, USGS/BRD/FRESC/UWFS, College of Forest Resources, Box 352100,

University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100.

The OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information

collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure maximum

consideration, OMB should receive public comments on or before August

11, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE STUDY PACKAGES SUBMITTED FOR

OMB REVIEW, CONTACT: Darryll R. Johnson. Voice: 206-685-7404, Email:

[email protected]>; or Mark E. Vande Kamp. Voice: 206-543-

0378, Email: [email protected]>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Titles: Alaskan Military Operations Areas On-Site Entrance Survey;

Alaskan Military Operations Areas Mail Survey.

Bureau Form Number: None.

OMB Number: To be requested.

Expiration date: To be requested.

Type of request: Request for new clearance.

Description of need: The National Park Service (in conjunction with

a natural resource protection council including members from the Air

Force and a number of state and federal land management agencies) needs

information to assess the effectiveness of current mitigation efforts

in limiting impacts of Air Force training activity on human users of

Alaskan Military Operations Areas.

Automated data collection: At the present time, there is no

automated way to gather this information because it includes asking

visitors about the expectations and evaluations they associate with

their experiences in Harding Lake and Chena River State Recreation

Areas.

Description of respondents: A sample of individuals who use Harding

Lake and Chena River State Recreation Areas for recreation purposes.

Estimated average number of respondents: 1410 Total respondents.

Estimated average number of responses: 2360 total responses.

Approximately 950 respondents will respond twice, once to an entrance

survey, and once to a mail follow-up survey, thus accounting for the

difference between total respondents and total responses.

Estimated average burden hours per response: 10 minutes (Alaskan

Military Operations Areas On-Site Entrance

[[Page 37564]]

Survey); 25 minutes (Alaskan Military Operations Areas Mail Survey).

Frequency of response: 2 times per respondent (for persons

completing both the Alaskan Military Operations Areas On-Site Entrance

Survey and the Alaskan Military Operations Areas Mail Survey).

Estimated annual reporting burden: 235 hours (Alaskan Military

Operations Areas On-Site Entrance Survey); 396 hours (Alaskan Military

Operations Areas Mail Survey); 631 Total hours.

Diane M. Cooke,

Information Collection Clearance Officer, WASO Administrative Program

Center, National Park Service.

[FR Doc. 99-17651 Filed 7-9-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-70-M