30-day Federal Register Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 179 / Monday, September 17, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
30 Day Notice of Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget;
Opportunity for Public Comment
National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.

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AGENCY:

SUMMARY: Under provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5
CFR Part 1320, Reporting and
Recordkeeping Requirements, the
National Park Service (NPS) invites
public comments on a proposed new
collection of information (OMB # 1024–
XXXX).
DATES: Public comments on this
Information Collection Request (ICR)
will be accepted on or before October
17, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
directly to the Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior (OMB #
1024–XXXX), Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, OMB, by fax at 202/
395–6566, or by electronic mail at
[email protected]. Please also
send a copy of your comments to Susan
Johnson, Air Resources Division, NPS,
12795 W. Alameda Parkway, P.O. Box
25287, Denver, Colorado 80225; or
electronicallyat
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan Johnson, Air Resources Division,
NPS, 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, P.O.
Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225; or
via phone at 303/987–6694; or via fax at
303/969–2822; or via e-mail address at
[email protected]. You are
entitled to a copy of the entire ICR
package free-of-charge.
Comments Received on the 60-Day
Federal Register Notice: The NPS
published a 60-Day Notice to solicit
public comments on this ICR in the
Federal Register on October 10, 2006
(Vol. 71, No. 195, Page 59521–59522).
The comment period closed on
December 11, 2006. The NPS received
one comment as a result of the
publication of this 60-Day Federal
Register Notice.
Comment: The commenter questioned
why the visibility study was necessary.
The commenter noted that regulations
that protect air quality are already in
place, but are not stringent enough or
inadequately enforced. The commenter
also added that the most important air
quality-related issue is human health,
particularly the health of children.
Response: Regulations to protect and
improve air quality are currently in

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place, and new regulations may be
proposed in the future. Periodic
economic information is necessary to
determine whether these regulations are
efficient. Visibility is a valued
component of air quality, but current
information is outdated, and lacks the
benefit of recent advances in measuring
such values. The information proposed
in this collection will assist regulators
in making better-informed air policy
decisions. Human health related issues
are outside the purview of this proposed
effort, but are well recognized as the
predominant economic benefit of
improved air quality.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Visibility Valuation in National
Parks and Wilderness Areas: Pre-Test
and Pilot Test.
Bureau Form Number(s): None.
OMB Number: To be requested.
Expiration Date: To be requested.
Type of Request: New Collection.
Description of Need: The Clean Air
Act includes provisions designed to
maintain and enhance visibility at
national parks and wilderness areas
(sections 169A, 169B, and 110(a)(2)(j)).
The NPS is directed by its Organic Act
to ‘‘conserve the scenery * * *
unimpaired for the enjoyment of future
generations’’ (16 U.S.C. 1); and the
Clean Air Act charges the NPS with an
‘‘affirmative responsibility to protect air
quality related values (including
visibility)’’ (42 U.S.C. 7475(d)(2)(B)).
Therefore, the NPS believes it is
imperative that the value of visibility
changes is adequately represented in
cost-benefit analyses related to State and
Federal efforts that may affect visibility
(including the Regional Haze Rule, 40
CFR Part 51). Although several studies
were conducted to estimate visibility
benefits in the 1970s and 1980s,
methodologies for estimating the
benefits of improvements in
environmental goods have advanced
significantly since that time.
Furthermore, baseline visibility
conditions in national parks and
wilderness areas have changed
significantly over the last few decades.
As a result, updated estimates of
benefits are required.
Current evaluation of Federal and
State air quality legislation or
regulations, as well as regional plans or
policies that impact NPS-managed
areas, is based on visibility valuation
information in Chestnut and Rowe, 1990
(e.g., see EPA, 2005). The vintage of this
study aside, several limitations have
been identified by regulators and
stakeholders alike, including its limited
sample frame (EPA, 2005; Leggett et al.,
2004). Thus, the NPS seeks current

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visibility valuation information that will
permit accurate evaluation of programs
and policies affecting visibility in NPSmanaged areas.
The NPS plans to conduct a
nationwide stated-preference survey to
estimate the value of visibility changes
in national parks and wilderness areas.
Stated-preference surveys use carefully
designed questions to elicit
respondents’ willingness to pay for
improvements in environmental quality.
A general population stated-preference
survey is required in this case, as many
U.S. citizens may be willing to pay to
improve visibility at national parks and
wilderness areas, even if they do not use
these areas. Stated-preference surveys
are the only methodology available to
estimate these non-use values. But to
ensure that the nationwide survey is
unbiased and readily understood by
respondents, and that the likely effect of
non-response on benefit estimates is
known, the pre-test and pilot test must
first be conducted.
The pre-testing will be done through
focus groups, which will be used to
develop and refine a survey instrument
for the pilot study. Twelve focus groups
will be conducted, with approximately
10 participants in each group (120 in
total). Thus, a sufficient number of
responses will be gathered to evaluate
the information presentation, reliability,
internal consistency, response
variability, and other properties of the
draft survey. Results will be used to
make improvements to the survey
instrument. NPS will proceed
iteratively, modifying the draft survey
instrument after each focus group to
ensure that the wording of the questions
is clear and unbiased, and effectively
addresses the relevant issues.
The pilot study will be designed to
account for the potential impact of mail
survey non-response on benefit
estimates. The pilot study will involve
a split-sample comparison between a
mail and in-person survey. Respondents
will be asked to complete the survey
instrument developed during the pretesting stage. The results will ultimately
be used to adjust the benefit estimates
obtained in the nationwide survey for
potential non-response bias. The final
content of the pilot survey instrument
will depend on the pre-testing results.
At a minimum, the survey will describe
the characteristics of various visibility
improvement programs and ask
respondents to select a preferred
program. The survey will also include
socio-demographic questions and

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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 179 / Monday, September 17, 2007 / Notices

questions designed to evaluate the
respondents’ motivation in selecting a
preferred program. Surveys will be
conducted with approximately 800
individuals.
For this pilot study, 16 neighborhoods
will be selected in two metropolitan
areas (Phoenix, AZ and Syracuse, NY).
Each neighborhood sample will be split
into two groups, with 50 households
assigned to a mail survey group and 50
households assigned to an in-person
survey group. The in-person survey will
be conducted in a manner that
minimizes the differences between the
two survey modes.
Comments are invited on: (1) The
practical utility of the information being
gathered; (2) the accuracy of the burden
hour estimate; (3) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4)
ways to minimize the burden to
respondents, including use of
automated information collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology. Before including your
address, phone number, e-mail address,
or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire
comment—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Frequency of collection: Once.
Description of Respondents: Residents
of Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, Sacramento,
CA (focus groups) and Phoenix, AZ and
Syracuse, NY (response rate pilot
study).
Estimated average number of
respondents: Focus groups: 1,200 in
recruitment and 120 in pre-testing
activities. Pilot study: 480 mail refusals,
320 in-person refusals, and 800
respondents.
Estimated average number of
responses: 900 (120 responses for focus
groups; 800 responses for pilot study).
Estimated average time burden per
respondent: Focus groups: 3 minutes
per recruitment, 30 minutes traveling to
focus group, and 2 hours for
participating in focus group. Pilot study:
5 minutes per mail refusal, 3 minutes
per in-person refusal, and 24 minutes
per respondent.
Frequency of response: 1 time per
respondent.
Estimated total annual reporting
burden: 736 hours.

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Dated: September 10, 2007.
Leonard E. Stowe,
NPS, Information Collection Clearance
Officer.
[FR Doc. 07–4589 Filed 9–14–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–53–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare a General
Management Plan and Environmental
Impact Statement for Agate Fossil
Beds National Monument, Nebraska
National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the
National Park Service (NPS) is preparing
an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for a General Management Plan
(GMP) for the Agate Fossil Beds
National Monument (Monument). The
GMP will prescribe the resource
conditions and visitor experiences that
are to be achieved and maintained at the
Monument over the next 15 to 20 years.
To facilitate sound planning and
environmental assessment, the NPS
intends to gather information necessary
for the preparation of the EIS and obtain
suggestions and information from other
Agencies and the public on the scope of
issues to be addressed in the EIS.
Comments and participation in this
scoping process are invited.
Participation in the planning process
will be encouraged and facilitated by
various means, including newsletters
and public meetings. The NPS will
conduct public scoping meetings to
explain the planning process and to
solicit opinion about issues to address
in the GMP/EIS. Notification of all such
meetings will be announced in the local
press and in NPS newsletters.
ADDRESSES: Additionally, if you wish to
comment on any issues associated with
the GMP, you may submit your
comments by any one of several
methods. You may mail or hand-deliver
comments to the Superintendent, Agate
Fossil Beds National Monument, 301
River Road, Harrison, Nebraska 69346–
2743. You also may provide comments
electronically by entering them into the
NPS’s Planning, Environment, and
Public Comment Web site http://
parkplanning.nps.gov. Information will
be available for public review and
comment from the Office of the
Superintendent at the above address.
Requests to be added to the project
mailing list should be sent by mail to
Pamela Carey, Agate Fossil Beds
AGENCY:

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National Monument, 301 River Road,
Harrison, Nebraska 69346–2743, by
telephone 308–668–2211 or by e-mail to
[email protected].
Before including your address,
telephone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information
in your comments, you should be aware
that your entire comments (including
your personal identifying information)
may be made publicly available at any
time. While you can ask us in your
comments to withhold your personal
identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so. We will make all
submissions from organizations or
businesses, from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or
officials, or organizations or businesses,
available for public inspection in their
entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Superintendent Blanca Stransky, Agate
Fossil Beds National Monument, 301
River Road, Harrison, Nebraska 69346–
2743, telephone 308–668–2211.

Agate
Fossil Beds National Monument, located
in western Nebraska, was established in
1965 to preserve paleontological and
geological sites and to protect and
exhibit a collection of American Indian
artifacts. The park is currently operating
under a 1965 Master Plan, which is
outdated because of several additions to
the infrastructure that require new
management direction. The park also
needs to identify major program areas,
provide a context for activities, and
program planning.
The GMP will prescribe the resource
conditions and visitor experiences that
are to be achieved and maintained in
the Monument over the next 15 to 20
years. The clarification of what must be
achieved according to law and policy
will be based on review of the unit’s
purpose, significance, special mandates,
and the body of laws and policies
directing park management. Based on
determinations of desired conditions,
the GMP will outline kinds of resource
management activities, visitor activities,
and appropriate future development. A
range of reasonable management
alternatives will be developed through
this planning process and will include,
at a minimum, a no-action alternative,
and a preferred alternative. To facilitate
sound analysis of environmental
impacts, the NPS is gathering
information necessary for the
preparation of an associated EIS.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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