01-7098. 30-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of Information; Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY:

National Park Service, National Capital Parks—Central, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR Part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a proposed collection of information. The NPS specifically request comments on: (1) The need for the information being collected, including whether the information has practical utility; (2) the validity and 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 on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The NPS requests comments on an application form that allows the Park Programs Division of National Capital Parks-Central to process requests from individuals and organizations to hold public gatherings on NPS property and comments on the NPS regulations at 36 CFR 7.96(g) which govern the use of this form. These public gatherings consist of special events and demonstrations that the NPS is charged with regulating to insure protection of cultural and natural resources within NPS property. On April 3, 2000, the NPS published in the Federal Register (Vol. 65, No. 64, pages 17528-17529) a notice requesting public comments on this information collection. No comments were received. The NPS has now submitted a proposed collection of information package to OMB with a request that OMB approve the package and reinstate the OMB control number for this information collection. You may obtain copies of the submission to OMB from the source listed below (see the “send comments to” section). You may obtain copies of the application from the source listed below (see the “send comments to” section).

DATES:

Public comments on the proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) will be accepted on or before April 23, 2001.

Send Comments To: Attention: Desk officer for the U.S. Department of the Interior (#1024-0021), office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, office of Management and Budget, Washington D.C. 20503. Please also send a copy of your comments to Richard Merryman, National Capital Region, 1100 Ohio Dr., Rm. 128, SW, Washington, D.C. 20242. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]. Our practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

To Request Printed Copies of the Documents Contact: Richard Merryman, National Capital Region, 1100 Ohio Dr., Rm. 128, SW., Washington, D.C. 20242. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: National Park Service, National Capital Region Application for a Permit to Conduct a Demonstration Special Event in Park Areas and a Waiver or Numerical Limitations on Demonstrations for White House Sidewalk and/or Lafayette Park.

Department Form Number: None.

OMB Number: 1024-0021.

Expiration Date: To be requested.

Type of Request: Reinstatement without change.

Description of Need: The information collection responds to the statutory requirements that the NPS preserve park resources and regulate the use of units of the National Park System. The information to be collected identifies: (1) Those individuals and/or organizations that wish to conduct a public gathering on NPS property in the National Capital Region, (2) the logistics of a proposed demonstration or special event that aid the NPS in regulating activities to insure that they are consistent with the NPS mission, (3) potential civil disobedience and traffic control issues for the assignment of United States Park Police personnel, (4) circumstances which may warrant a bond to be assigned to the event for purpose of covering potential cost to repair damage caused by the event.

Description of Respondents: Respondents are those individuals or organizations that wish to conduct a special event or demonstration on NPS property within the National Capital Region.

Estimated average number of annual responses: 4200.

Estimated average of burden hours per response: 30 minutes.

Estimated annual reporting burden: 2100 hours.

Dated: March 7, 2001.

Leonard E. Stowe,

Acting, Information Collection Clearance Officer.