Supporting Statement 1006-0002

Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
CURRENT OMB APPROVAL NO. 1006-0002
(Expiration date of August 31, 2009)
RECREATION USE DATA REPORT
Part I, Form 7-2534, Managing Partners
Part II, Form 7-2535, Concessionaires
Terms of Clearance: None
General Instructions
A Supporting Statement, including the text of the notice to the public required by 5 CFR
1320.5(a) (i) (iv) and its actual or estimated date of publication in the Federal Register, must
accompany each request for approval of a collection of information. The Supporting Statement
must be prepared in the format described below, and must contain the information specified in
Section A below. If an item is not applicable, provide a brief explanation. When statistical
methods are employed, Section B of the Supporting Statement must be completed. OMB
reserves the right to require the submission of additional information with respect to any request
for approval.
Specific Instructions
A. JUSTIFICATION
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a
copy of the appropriate section of each statue and regulation mandating or authorizing the
collection of information.
The Bureau of Reclamation has a total of 289 recreation areas that were developed as a result
of its Federal water projects. Those areas receive over 90 million visitor days of use annually.
Areas are located at Reclamation reservoirs or on project lands and features throughout the 17
Western States. This includes almost 5 million acres of designated recreational Federal lands.
These areas are managed solely by Reclamation, other Federal agencies, or non-Federal entities.
Managing partners sign Management Agreements, which provide the framework for the services
and activities to be provided at the site. Of the 289 developed recreation areas, 84 areas are
managed by four other Federal agencies; 159 areas are managed by 66 non-Federal partners; 33
areas are managed directly by Reclamation; and the remaining 13 are managed cooperatively by
a Federal agency and a non-Federal entity. In addition, goods and services are provided by 225
concessionaires located at most of the recreation areas. Because of the number and diversity of
the areas, information about the services and goods provided is essential to ensure that
Reclamation is providing the public with the recreational opportunities they expect from a
government agency.
Please note that this information collection only deals with the management of lands under
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the jurisdiction of Reclamation that are solely managed by its non-Federal partners, or areas that
are cooperatively managed by non-Federal partners and another entity. The total number of
developed recreation areas to be covered under this information collection is 167 for Part 1,
Form 7-2534. The 167 areas managed by Reclamation’s non-Federal partners are comprised of
the 159 areas managed solely by the non-Federal partners and eight areas that they partially
manage, and where Reclamation requires that they complete Form 7-2534. The remaining areas
are managed by another Federal agency and will not be part of this information collection.
Likewise, Reclamation is only concerned with the 115 concessionaires (Part II, Form 7-2535)
that operate a concession at 200 developed recreation areas. The 200 areas are comprised of the
33 areas managed solely by Reclamation and the 167 areas mentioned above. Of the 115
concessionaires who complete Form 7-2535, 21 operate on the 33 areas managed by
Reclamation and 94 operate at the 167 non-Federal partner areas.
Recreation on Reclamation lands is basically controlled by specific project authorizations
and existing public laws such as the Federal Water Project Recreation Act of 1965 (Public
Law 89-72), and the Reclamation Recreation Management Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-575,
Title 28) which amended Public Law 89-72.
Section 2802 of the Reclamation Recreation Management Act of 1992 recognizes that there
is a Federal responsibility to provide opportunities for public recreation at Federal water projects.
Further, this section states that some provisions of Public Law 89-72 are outdated because of
increases in demand for outdoor recreation and changes in the economic climate for recreation
managing entities. The section grants Federal authority to expand existing recreation facilities to
meet public demand, in partnership with non-Federal interests.
To comply with this legislation, Reclamation must be able to measure the amount of public
demand at a specific site, in addition to the revenue earned and expenses incurred by the
managing entity. If the demand is there and the partner is willing to share the costs, the facilities
may be expanded. If the demand is low, and the partner is not obtaining a reasonable return on
its investment, the facility might be turned back to Reclamation for closure or continued
operation at a significant expense to the United States.
Section 2805 of the Reclamation Recreation Management Act of 1992 authorizes the
Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to “prepare and maintain on a
continuing basis an inventory of resources and uses made of Reclamation lands and resources,
keep records of such inventory, and make such records available to the public . . ..” This
information collection will ensure the recreation lands and waters are being used for the intended
purposes and public needs and expectations.
Management Agreements state that managing partners and concessionaires shall (1) furnish
the United States with an initial record of public visitation and use, and related information, on
OMB approved forms to be supplied by the United States; and (2) update such information each
calendar year after the initial form submission. This collection of information allows
Reclamation to (1) meet the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act
(GPRA), (2) fulfill congressional and financial reporting requirements, and (3) support specific
information required by the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act as requested by the National
Park Service and the Department of the Interior’s GPRA-based strategic plan.
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2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose information is to be used. Except for
a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received
from the current collection.
This information collection will benefit Reclamation, its managing partners and
concessionaires, and the recreating public by allowing Reclamation to use the information
gathered in the performance of the following functions:
a. Ensure that all services and goods provided are in accordance with provisions of the
management agreements and concession contracts. Reclamation must be assured that the
public’s health and safety are protected, no unauthorized uses are occurring on its land or waters,
and the public is not excluded from full participation in available activities.
b. Provide a record of recreation development at multi-use projects and assist management
in spotting problems such as encroachment, depletion, and improper or illegal use of natural
resources. Such activities support recreational opportunities in accordance with specific
recreation authorizing legislation (i.e., Appropriation Act of 1937; Colorado River Storage
Project Act of 1956; Fryingpan-Arkansas Project authorization enacted in 1962; Recreation
Facilities - Elephant Butte and Caballo Act of 1962; Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968;
Recreation Development Act of 1974; and, Title X - Canyon Ferry Recreation Authorization,
FY 1999 Omnibus Appropriations Bill [Public Law 105-277]).
c. Provide information for Reclamation to use in preparing economic and financial studies
on present and proposed recreation projects for use in determining such factors as economic
feasibility, cost-sharing considerations, repayment ability, required National Environmental
Policy Act compliance (such as environmental assessments), resource management planning, and
proposed site development or expansion.
d. Provide a basis for economic value and efficiency studies regarding the use of recreational
resources pertinent to authorized Reclamation projects, and provide a means of monitoring
program effectiveness.
e. Respond to information requests from the Congress and other Federal, State, and local
public agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the
Government Accountability Office, State Natural Resources/Wildlife Offices, universities, etc.
f. Support public funded contractual work, and provide information to universities and
private contractors involved in planning and executing studies and research related to natural
resources.
g. Aid special investigations resulting from controversy over recreation partnership
agreements, concession contracts, special use permits, capital development expenditures,
operation and maintenance charges, and other issues associated with recreation and concession
management.
h. Provide recreation and concessions statistics as factual data statements of program
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accomplishment to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and congressional committees.
This is usually done in connection with appropriations requests that are pertinent to legislation
involving Reclamation activities. Data are also used for analysis of potential impacts of
proposed legislation.
i. Assist in analyzing and detecting inappropriate use of public funds on authorized
Reclamation projects.
j. Determine the amount of recreation visitation Reclamation land receives. This helps shape
Reclamation’s recreation policy for the future. The present policy is to have recreation facilities
managed by a Federal or non-Federal partner. Sometimes there is no partner willing to assume
responsibility, and deteriorated facilities have been turned back to Reclamation. Recreation use
data will help us determine whether the area should be closed, or, if in high public demand, how
it could be made more attractive to a potential partner.
k. Assist managing partners or concessionaires in accessing or addressing their own issues
using the collected information. This is particularly true of partners with multiple projects. The
collected information could be used for managing partners’ or concessionaires’ internal
purposes, which are similar to Reclamation’s purposes, which could facilitate more effective
operations at Reclamation’s recreation facilities.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use
of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other
forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and
the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any
consideration of using information technology to reduce burden and specifically how this
collection meets GPEA requirements.
The E-government Act of 2002, signed December 17, 2002, endorses and requires agencies
to support initiatives to improve the delivery of Government information and services. The
Department of the Interior, leveraging its Recreation.gov website, has volunteered to lead the
government-wide Recreation One Stop initiative. This E-government Quicksilver initiative
seeks “ . . . to build a user-friendly, web-based, one-stop recreation resource for citizens, offering
a single point of access to recreational opportunities nationwide.” Another related goal is to
increase the use of volunteers on public lands. The Secretary of the Interior supports the
seamless management of recreation activities, the use of volunteers, and the enhancement of
partnerships with local communities. Reclamation is an active participant on Recreation.gov
and is a partner in the effort to increase the amount of information available to the public from
one data source. The material on the site must be accurate and as comprehensive as possible in
order to allow the public to make informed choices.
Reclamation has determined that this information collection is not a practicable application
for electronic collection. Due to decentralized operation in Reclamation, this information is
collected by approximately 30 separate field office locations. When Reclamation mails the
questionnaire to the specific managing partner or concessionaire, a cover letter indicates the
Reclamation office address to which the completed forms are to be returned. If this information
collection were to be an electronic application, it could be very confusing for each respondent to
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determine to which one of the 30 offices to send the form. In addition, this is a small
information collection and we do not believe it would be cost effective to establish and maintain
this information collection as an electronic application.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar
information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes
described in item 2 above.
This is the only program that collects recreation information on public recreation areas on
Reclamation lands and waterbodies. No other agency collects this information Reclamationwide. There is no duplication of information collection.
5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities,
describe any methods used to minimize burden.
Each entity will report their data at the close of their selected 12-month fiscal year period.
They will not be asked to construct data for a specific time period, which may not match their
existing records. After the initial reporting, only changes in data need to be reported annually at
the end of their fiscal year. It is expected that each entity will have the data readily available
since it is part of their routine operation of the facilities.
6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is
not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to
reducing burden.
If unauthorized activities are taking place on Reclamation land, the Federal Government is
failing to properly protect the public and its resources. If a managing entity defaults on its
agreement and turns the facility back to Reclamation to manage, the Federal cost increases. If
the facilities are not as described, the public’s confidence in the Federal land management
agencies is shaken. If information about accessibility is not available, a significant number of
people will miss the recreation opportunities to which they are entitled. When questions are
asked by the Congress or the public, the information that is gathered less frequently cannot be
considered accurate because of the elapsed time since the information was last published. If the
demand for recreation is not measured, future planning for the best use of resources will suffer.
7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be
conducted in a manner:
a. Requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than
quarterly.
It is only necessary for the respondents to report initially by submitting a Form 7-2534 or
Form 7-2535, as applicable. Thereafter, only changes in data will need to be reported annually.
This data request does not require the respondent to maintain any records that are not already
being maintained.

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b. Requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of
information in fewer than 30 days.
Each respondent will report information based on the 12-month period of their fiscal
year.
c. Requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any
document.
Each respondent will not be required to submit more than one copy of the form.
d. Requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government
contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than 3 years.
Nothing in these forms requires the retention of records for more than 3 years.
e. In connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and
reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study.
The information collected by these forms will not be used for statistical surveys.
f. Requiring the use of a statistical data classification not reviewed and approved by
OMB.
Statistical data classification will not be used.
g. That includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority
established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security
policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data
with other agencies for compatible confidential use.
A pledge of confidentiality is not used. No special circumstances impede the sharing of
this information with others. All Reclamation data security policies will be enforced.
h. Requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secrets, or other confidential
information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect
the information’s confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.
Respondents are not required to submit trade secrets or other confidential information.
8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in
the Federal Register of the agency’s notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting
comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize the
public comments received in response to that notice [and in response to the PRA statement
associated with the collection over the past three years] and describe actions taken by the

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agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and
hour burden.
Notice was given in the Federal Register on March 5, 2009 (74 FR 9634). No comments
were received on this information collection.
a. Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on
the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and
recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any) and on the data elements to be
recorded, disclosed, or reported.
Over the past 3 years, Reclamation has received comments and suggestions from a variety of
our non-Federal partners on how to improve the usefulness of the forms and to seek clarification
of some of the questions. In addition, Reclamation personnel responsible for collecting this
information from its partners have provided valuable input into the information collection. All
input has been used in modifying Part I and Part II forms to be more relevant and in modifying
the instructions for Parts I and II to better provide direction to those individuals who complete
the forms.
b. Consultation with representatives of those from whom information is to be
obtained or those who must compile records should occur at least once every 3 years –
even if the collection of information activity is the same as in prior periods. There may be
circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances
should be explained.
As mentioned previously, Reclamation personnel who have responsibility for collecting
information from its managing partners have reviewed and provided input on both Part I and
Part II. In addition, Reclamation has received input from managing agencies on both forms.
[Note: Input was received from the agency and not an individual.] Pursuant to this input,
Reclamation has modified both forms to better address current conditions and to omit redundant
or unnecessary information. The length of time of 30 minutes needed to complete the forms has
been confirmed by the individuals and agencies. As detailed in item 12(b) below, there has been
a modest increase to the number of respondents and associated burden hours since the last time
this information collection was approved by OMB. This modest increase was due to
Reclamation’s effort to accurately identify the developed recreation areas managed by our
partners throughout the 17 Western States. Likewise, the respondents’ burden hour estimate has
also slightly increased from the last time this information collection was approved. The reasons
for this increase are also detailed in item 12(b) below.

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Individuals/Agency
Name

Title

Vernon Lovejoy

Program Analyst

Bill Martin

Outdoor Rec.
Planner

Fred Liljegren

Outdoor Rec.
Planner

Steve Anderson

Outdoor Rec.
Planner

Rik Arndt

Program Manager

Scott Springer

Outdoor Rec.
Planner

Colorado State
Parks

N/A

Utah State Parks

N/A

Address

Phone

Time to
Complete
Forms
7-2534 and
7-2535

PO Box 25007
303-445-2913 30 minutes
Denver, CO 80225
PO Box 61470
702-293-8375 30 minutes
Boulder City, NV 89006
125 S. State St.
Salt Lake City, UT
801-524-3765 30 minutes
84138
PO Box 36900
406-247-7714 30 minutes
Billings, MT 59107
1150 N. Curtis Rd.
208-378-5310 30 minutes
Boise, ID 83706
2800 Cottage Way
916-978-5206 30 minutes
Sacramento, CA 95825
1313 Sherman St.,
Suite 618
303-866-3437 30 minutes
Denver, CO 80203
1594 W. North Temple
Suite 116
801-538-7220 30 minutes
Salt Lake City, UT
84116

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No payments or gifts will be provided to respondents.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
No proprietary financial data will be made public. The form cover letter will state that
financial data involving public funds will be available to the public upon request. The
description of the activities available at the site are evident and will only be used to encourage
visitation and assist in the planning for facility or service changes at specific sites.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as
sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly
considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers
the question necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to

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be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to
obtain their consent.
No questions of a private or sensitive nature will be asked.
12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of collection of information. The statement
should:
a. Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden,
and an explanation of how the burden was estimated.
See response to item 12(b) [next paragraph].
b. If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour
burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens.
Based on current numbers, the estimated number of respondents is 167 managing
partners (Form 7-2534, Part I) and 115 concessionaires (Form 7-2535, Part II), resulting in 282
total respondents. [Note: Although Reclamation only has 66 individual non-Federal managing
partners, those partners manage multiply areas. Therefore, there are 167 individual areas where
forms have to be completed for Part I, Managing Partners. In this instance 167 managing
partners means the same as 167 respondents.] This represents an increase of seven managing
partners from previous estimates of 160. The number of respondents for Part II,
Concessionaries, remains at 115.
The forms in this information collection are submitted once initially and then updated
annually thereafter. Even though this information collection calls for the modification of the
previous forms, all the information needed to populate the new forms is readily available.
Reclamation will ensure that the new forms are updated with existing information/data prior to
sending them to its partners for completion. Respondents are merely updating their information
on an annual basis, if necessary. While there are estimated to be a few new managing partners
and concessionaires in the future, the rate at which those new partners and concessionaires will
be added is far lower than the current attrition rate of existing managing partners and
concessionaires. Because all known respondents are only updating existing forms on an annual
basis, the estimated burden per forms remains at 30 minutes. The total estimated annual burden
hours for this information collection are 142 hours as indicated in the table below. This
represents a total increase for both forms of 4 burden hours (138 + 4 = 142).

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Form No.

Burden
estimate per
form
(in minutes)

Annual
number of
respondents

Annual
burden on
respondents
(in hours)

7-2534 (Part 1, Managing Partners)

30

167

84

7-2535 (Part 2, Concessionaires)

30

115

58

TOTAL BURDEN HOURS:

142

c. Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for
collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories.
Reclamation used the national hourly wage and benefits paid to workers regardless of
occupation or geographic area to calculate the total cost to respondents. Employers spend an
average of $26.07 per hour for compensation in December 2008 (latest figures available).
Wages and salaries averaged $18.62 x a 1.4 benefits multiplier (BLS news release USDL 081802.) Reclamation used hourly rates as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
http://data.bls.gov. The annual cost per response is $13.04 ($26.07 divided by 2). The total
annualized cost is $3,677 rounded ($13.04 multiplied by the number of respondents, 282).
13. Provide an estimate of the total annual [non-hour] cost burden to respondents or
recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. The cost estimate should be
split into two components:
a. Total capital and start-up cost component (annualized over its expected useful
life).
The estimated total capital and start-up cost is $0.00. It is not expected there will be any
additional cost to the respondents for completing this report. The data being requested concern
activities managed by the entity and the assurance of agreement/contract compliance.
b. Total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component O&M
costs.
The estimated total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component O&M
cost is $0.00. The data being requested concern activities managed by the entity and the
assurance of agreement/contract compliance.

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14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal Government. Also, provide a
description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of
hours, operation expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and
any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.
Reclamation estimates the total annual cost to the Federal Government to be $13,889 for
experienced Reclamation staff to collect, analyze, and process the estimated 282 annual
responses associated with this information collection (Form 7-2534 and 7-2535). No additional
equipment will be required. The annual cost to the Federal Government is estimated as follows:

Cost Activity

Costs

Staff costs to collect, analyze, and process data collected by the forms in
this information collection. Data collection and analysis includes costs
to send out material, follow up, read, and analyze data.
It is estimated that a Reclamation employee will spend approximately
1 hour per response to complete the tasks listed above. The average
grade of the employee is estimated to be a GS-11, step 5 with an hourly
wage of $49.25 ($32.83 x *1.5 benefits multiplier). These figures were
taken from the 2009 OPM Salary Schedule including the Denver
Locality pay. *BLS news release USDL: 08-1802, December 10,
2008.

$13,889

Since the number of responses is 282, the annual estimated cost to the
Federal Government is $13,889 ($49.25 x 282).
Miscellaneous administrative costs for equipment and support staff.
TOTAL Federal Government Costs

-0$13,889

15. Explain the reasons for program changes or adjustments reported.
We are reporting through this document a slight adjustment increase in the hour burden
of the information collection budget (as detailed in item 12(b) above) due to revised estimates of
the number of respondents. There is no change in non-hour cost burden, which is none.
16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for
tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical technique that will be used.
Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of
the collection of information, completion of report, publication date, and other actions.
The recreation opportunities data will be included as part of the Internet’s Recreation.gov
database, which is available to the public. The data may be used individually in Reclamation
brochures describing facilities and services. Other data may be aggregated to respond to
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questions about the number of facilities on Reclamation land and water or the number of visitors.
The financial data will not be published, but used to verify conditions of contractual and
management agreements. Basic data collection will begin within 30 days after the end of the
first 12-month period being reported. Each entity will use its own 12-month reporting period,
which will be used for the initial report and each succeeding updates. When material is received
it will be entered into a Reclamation-managed database.
17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection, explain the reasons that would make display inappropriate.
The expiration date for OMB approval will be displayed on the forms in this information
collection (Form 7-2534 and Form 7-2535).
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement, “Certification for Paperwork
Reduction Act Submissions.”
No exceptions to the certification statement are being requested.

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