[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 245 (Thursday, December 21, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 66253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-31023]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Extension of Currently Approved Information Collection for
Baseline and Trend Information on Wilderness Use and Users
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service announces its intent to extend a currently approved
information collection of questions and sampling alternatives used to
develop baseline and trend information about the changing role of
wilderness in rural communities and the behavior of urban residents who
visit wilderness for recreation, education programs, or scientific
study.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before February 20,
1996.
ADDRESSES: All comments should be addressed to: Alan Watson, Aldo
Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Forest Service, USDA, P.O. Box
8089, Missoula, MT 59807.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Watson, Aldo Leopold Wilderness
Research Institute, (406) 542-4197.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description of Information Collection
The currently approved information collection comprises a pool of
questions and sampling alternatives (for example, on-site surveys and
mailback questionnaires); the following describes the information
collection to be extended:
Title: Baseline and Trend Information on Wilderness Use and Users.
OMB Number: 0596-0108.
Expiration Date of Approval: May 31, 1996.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: The Wilderness Act (Pub. L. 88-577) directs that
wilderness be managed to preserve natural conditions and to provide
outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined
type of recreation. To make informed decisions on appropriate
management methods that mediate recreational users' impact on natural
resources and on other visitor experiences, Forest Service and other
Federal land managers need information on visitors' behavior in the
area, their preferences for various types of social interaction, and
their support for various management strategies. It is difficult for
wilderness managers to obtain accurate information on these topics
because information currently available is limited to only a few
wilderness areas. Established baselines and monitoring trends for
visitor characteristics, behavior, and preferences throughout the
country are needed by Federal agencies managing wilderness, including
the Forest Service and the USDI National Park Service, Bureau of Land
Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service. The Forest Service has been
using the previously approved collection of questions and sampling
alternatives to establish baselines, monitor trends, and provide input
to forest planning activities at several wildernesses managed by the
agency.
Estimate of Burden: The response time is likely to vary from 3 to 5
minutes to respond to on-site surveys and from 15 to 20 minutes to
complete mailback questionnaires.
Type of Respondents: Visitors to units of the National Wilderness
Preservation System.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,000 per year for 3 years.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 410 hours.
Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (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 through the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information.
Use of Comments
All comments received in response to this notice will be summarized
and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also
become a matter of public record.
Dated: December 15, 1995.
David G. Unger,
Associate Chief.
[FR Doc. 95-31023 Filed 12-20-95; 8:45 am]
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