Federal Register: September 18, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 181)NoticesPage 49893-49894From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr18se98-33

Notices Federal Register

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section.

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

National Survey on Recreation and the Environment

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of information collection: request for comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service announces its intent to request an extension of a currently approved information collection. This collection is necessary to ensure that the Forest Service and other land managing agencies meet the recreational needs of the public, understand the public's attitudes and preferences for management of public lands and the environment, and meet the Congressionally mandated reporting requirements for the Renewable Resources Planning Act and the Government Performance and Results Act. Respondents will be adults in the United States.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before November 17, 1998.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be addressed to: H. Ken Cordell, Southern Research Station, Forest Service, USDA, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602-2044 or faxed to (706) 559-4262. Comments also may be sent via e-mail to kcordell/srs__athens@fs.fed.us.

The public may inspect comments at the offices of the Southern Research Station, Research Work Unit SRS-4901, Forest Service, USDA, 320 Green Street, Athens, Georgia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: H. Ken Cordell, Southern Research Station, at (706) 559-4263 or e-mail kcordell/srs__athens@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description of Information Collection

Title: National Survey on Recreation and the Environment: The Seventh National Recreation Survey.

OMB Number: 0596-0127.

Expiration Date of Approval: September 30, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of a previously approved information collection.

Abstract: The collected information will be used to measure the demands the public makes on National Forests and other public lands and recreational sites; to identify the recreational preferences of visitors to public and private recreational sites; to identify the public's, especially persons with disabilities, perceptions of accessibility to recreational sites; to gain feedback from the public about management of National Forests and other recreational lands; to ask the public how they think public agencies could improve management of public land and recreational areas; and to keep abreast of shifts in recreational demands that might influence delivery of recreational services. The Forest Service also will use the collected information in developing the Renewable Resources Planning Act Assessment for the year 2000, which will look at emerging public recreational trends.

The first National Survey on Recreation and the Environment was conducted in 1960. Since then, the survey has been conducted every 5 years. The data collected in this series of information collections has enabled Federal and State agencies to keep up to date on changing public recreational trends that place demands on public recreational facilities and areas.

In 1987, the Forest Service coordinated the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment in collaboration with five other Federal agencies (the Bureau of Land Management, Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Economic Research Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), three private sector interests (the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, Sports Fishing Institute, and Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America), and five universities (the University of Georgia, Indiana University, Georgia Southern University, Purdue University, and the University of Tennessee). The Forest Service assumed the principle investigative role for the Survey and, in 1994, conducted the most recent survey in the continuing national series. As the lead agency, Forest Service personnel led the conceptualization, design, and execution of the 1994- 95 National Survey on Recreation and the Environment.

The Forest Service will coordinate the next National Survey on Recreation and the Environment to be conducted from March, 1999, through February, 2000. It will be the seventh in this series of Federally-sponsored recreational surveys. To maintain the historical integrity of the data, this survey will incorporate many of the same interviewing protocols used since the beginning survey in 1960.

As with the 1994-95 National Survey on Recreation and the Environment, interviews will be conducted by telephone. The telephone numbers of respondents will be selected at random. Respondents will be interviewed by personnel trained in interviewing techniques and will be bilingual to overcome language barriers.

Data gathered in this information collection is not available from other sources.

Estimate of Burden: 20 minutes.

Type of Respondents: Individuals 16 years or older with access to a telephone.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 50,000.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 16,667 hours.

Comment Is Invited

The agency invites comments on the following: (a) Whether the information proposed for collection is appropriate for the stated purposes and the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection

[Page 49894]techniques or other forms of information technology.

Use of Comments

All comments, including name and address when provided, will become a matter of public record. Comments received in response to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval.

Dated: September 14, 1998. Robert C. Joslin, Acting Associate Chief.

FR Doc. 98-25053Filed9-17-98; 8:45 amBILLING CODE 3410-11-P