E6-4704. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

March 28, 2006.

The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments regarding (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for 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 burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to 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 should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), [e-mail] or fax [phone] and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling [phone].

An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Forest Service

Title: Day Use on the National Forests of Southern California.

OMB Control Number: 0596-0129.

Summary of Collection: Users of urban proximate National Forests in Southern California come from a variety of ethnic/racial, income, age, educational, and other socio-demographic categories. The activities pursued, sources utilized, and site attributes preferred are just some of the items affected by these differences. Additional information is needed for the managers of the National Forests in Southern California, in part to validate previous results and in part because of the continuously changing profile of the visitor population recreating on the National Forests of Southern California. In the absence of the resultant information from the proposed series, the Forest Service (FS) will be ill-equipped to implement management changes required to respond to needs and preferences of day use visitors. FS will collect information using a questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. The statute authorizing the collection of information is the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-307, 92 Stat. 353).

Need and Use of the Information: FS will collect information on socio-demographic profile; National Forest visitation history and patterns; activity patterns; and why they recreate at particular sites, etc. The information will be used to assist resource managers in their effective management of recreation activities in the region studied. The Wildland Recreation and Urban Cultures Project will use the information to further expand its information base on visitor characteristics, safety, fire management, and mitigation of depreciative behaviors, such as vandalism. If the information is not collected, resource managers will have to make visitor based decisions on limited information.

Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.

Number of Respondents: 600.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 80.

Ruth Brown,

Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.