[Federal Register: August 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 152)]
[Notices]
[Page 45093-45095]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08au06-103]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2006-25524]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments
for New Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request
described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
to renew an information collection. We published a Federal Register
Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information
collection on May 18, 2006. We are required to publish this notice in
the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by September 7, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments within 30 days to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer.
You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection,
including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the
FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways
for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the
collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized,
including the use of electronic technology, without reducing the
quality of the collected information. All comments should include the
Docket number FHWA-2006-25524.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions concerning the National
Historic Covered Bridge Program, please contact Dr. Edgar P. Small,
Office of Bridge Technology, HIBT-30, at (202) 366-4622, FAX (202) 366-
3077, or e-mail edgar.small@dot.gov; and Mr. Everett Mattias, Office of
Bridge Technology, HIBT-30, at (202) 366-6712, FAX (202) 366-3077, or
e-mail everett.mattias@dot.gov. For legal questions, please contact Mr.
Robert Black, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-1359,
robert.black@fhwa.dot.gov; Federal Highway Administration, Department
of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.
Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t. Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program.
OMB Control Number: 2125-0609.
Frequency: Annual.
Respondents: The 50 State DOTs, Puerto Rico and the District of
Columbia.
Background
Covered bridges are unique structures embodying character,
functionality and historical prominence. The National Historic Covered
Bridge Preservation Program has been established to find comprehensive
and proven means of maintaining the ability of these vestiges of our
bridge-building heritage to
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continue to serve current and future generations. The program was
originally established under section 1224 of TEA-21 and continued under
Section 1804 of SAFETEA-LU. The legislation authorizes $10 million
annually to be appropriated for each fiscal year between FY 2006 and FY
2009. The program is established to provide grants to States for
rehabilitation, repair and preservation of historic covered bridges and
to enable the Secretary of Transportation to perform research and
initiate education programs on historic covered bridges.
Projects eligible for grants include rehabilitation and repair
together with preservation through: Installation of fire protection
systems, including a fireproofing or fire detection system and
sprinklers, installation of a system to prevent vandalism and arson, or
relocation of a bridge to a preservation site. The statute requires
that, to the maximum extent practicable, grant projects are carried out
in the most historically appropriate manner, preserve the existing
structure of the historic covered bridge, and provide for the
replacement of wooden components with wooden components, unless the use
of wood is impracticable for safety reasons.
Research and education activities include the collection and
dissemination of information on historic covered bridges; conducting
educational programs relating to the history and construction
techniques of historic covered bridges; conducting research on the
history of historic covered bridges; and conducting research on, and
study techniques for, protecting historic covered bridges from rot,
fire, natural disasters, or weight-related damage.
Guidelines and Administration
To administer this program for fiscal years 2006 through 2009, the
FHWA will collect information necessary to evaluate and rank projects.
The information collection was developed considering public input \1\
and is intended to only address the project funding allotted through
the program. Research funding will be administered separately through
the FHWA Office of Infrastructure Research and Development (R&D) at the
Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center, who will also administer the
research and education activities. The FHWA Office of Bridge Technology
will administer the grant program to assist the States in their efforts
to rehabilitate, repair or preserve the Nation's historic covered
bridges, which are listed or eligible for listing on the National
Register of Historic Places. The FHWA will award grants based on
applications received and funds available through accompanying
appropriations legislation.
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\1\ Implementation Guidance for the National Historic Covered
Bridge Preservation Program, August 23, 2000; 65 FR 51401.
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Information Proposed for Collection
Information recommended under TEA-21 and proposed for the current
program includes the following:
State's Priority Ranking;
National Bridge Inventory (NBI) Structure Number;
Bridge Name;
Description of Location;
Congressional District and Representative;
Year Built;
Whether the structure is on or eligible for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places and description of the qualities
that qualify the bridge for the National Register;
Structure description (e.g., number of spans, length,
width, design type, description of decking, beams/stringers, sides and
roof, wood species, wood preservation system in use, builder, traffic
carried, etc.);
General plan and elevation;
Description of previous repair work (description, year,
etc.);
Description of proposed work including wood preservative
system, fire protection, vandalism and arson prevention systems to be
used;
Indication of whether the State has a historic bridge
inventory/management plan accepted by the State Historic Preservation
Officer (SHPO). A programmatic agreement for historic bridges with the
SHPO, FHWA and the Advisory Counsel on Historic Preservation (ACHP) may
substitute;
Description of whether the SHPO has reviewed and certified
this project is warranted in accordance with the SHPO's statewide
historic preservation plan; how it benefits statewide preservation
efforts; how it enhances cultural tourism or enhances the history/
economic development of the community; and other benefits upon
successful completion of this project;
Amount of State or local government matching funds or
other resources (donated materials or labor may qualify);
A statement addressing when the project is complete, will
the bridge meet the current State or AASHTO standards for the roadway
classification that it carries;
Plan for documentation of the bridge and the work
performed;
Scheduled start and completion date for the project (month
and year); and
Contact information for the State DOT, Local Agency (if
applicable), FHWA Division Office, and State Historic Preservation
Officer.
As indicated above, the FHWA has developed a template for the
application and the application may be made based on this template
provided by the FHWA including this information. This template is
available through the FHWA Division Offices and through the FHWA Office
of Bridge Technology and is available at the following URL: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge.
The template is not required but rather is
provided for convenience of the applicants.
Burden Hours for Information Collection
Burden hour's estimates and discussions are provided for each item
presented and required within the application submittal process.
State's Priority Ranking; 30 minutes
[cir] The priority ranking will be performed by the submitting
agency. Given that a small number of applications will be submitted by
an individual State, the prioritization process will be limited and 30
minutes is conservatively assumed to include any potential discussion
NBI Structure Number 5 minutes
[cir] Projects submitted must be legally defined as a `bridge' and
must be located on a public road. With this constraint, each structure
will already have an NBI Structure Number assigned
Bridge Name; 5 minutes
[cir] A description of the bridge may be included in the NBI
database; however, this may or may not be the commonly referenced name
used locally. A burden of 5 minutes is assumed to permit the applicant
to review the NBI record and any additional documentation to isolate
the common bridge name
Description of Location 10 minutes
[cir] The location is already included in the NBI database. A
burden of 10 minutes is provided assuming that the applicant will
elaborate on the location information
Congressional District and Representative; 5 minutes
[cir] The location of the bridge will be known from the information
in the NBI database. A 5-minute burden is specified assuming that the
applicant will have to cross reference the location with Congressional
district maps. This time would be negligible if the State
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has employed a GIS system including the infrastructure information and
the political boundaries
Year Built 5 minutes
[cir] The year built is already recorded in the National Bridge
Inventory
Whether the structure is on or eligible for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places and description of the qualities
that qualify the bridge for the National Register. 15 minutes
[cir] The NBI record indicated whether the structure is located on
or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The 15-minute
burden is assumed to allow the applicant to describe the qualities that
qualify the bridge for the National Register
Structure description (e.g., number of spans, length, width,
design type, description of decking, beams/stringers, sides and roof,
wood species, wood preservation system in use, builder, traffic
carried, etc.) 15 minutes
[cir] Most of this information will be included within the NBI
database or on the inspection reports. 15 minutes is assumed for the
applicant to synthesize information
General plan and elevation--5 minutes
[cir] This information is available for structures that have been
placed on the National Register of Historic Places or for those, which
are eligible and have applications complete. This information is also
available for projects that have completed conceptual and preliminary
engineering and design
Description of previous repair work (description, year, etc.);
15 minutes
[cir] This information is available from bridge inspection reports
and bridge files located within the State Transportation Agency. Time
estimated is intended for synthesis of information from other sources
Description of proposed work including wood preservative
system, fire protection, vandalism and arson prevention systems to be
used; 15 minutes
[cir] This information will be established by the need when
identified and the details will be identified through the conceptual
and preliminary engineering process, which is done independently. A 15-
minute burden is assumed to synthesize the existing information
Indication of whether the State has a historic bridge
inventory/management plan accepted by the State Historic Preservation
Officer (SHPO). A programmatic agreement for historic bridges with the
SHPO, FHWA and the Advisory Counsel on Historic Preservation (ACHP) may
substitute; 5 minutes
[cir] This item is readily obtained through contact with the State
Historic Preservation Officer
Description of whether the SHPO has reviewed and certified
this project is warranted in accordance with the SHPO's statewide
historic preservation plan; how it benefits statewide preservation
efforts; how it enhances cultural tourism or enhances the history/
economic development of the community; and other benefits upon
successful completion of this project; 45 minutes
[cir] This information is readily obtained through contact with the
State Historic Preservation Officer. A total of 45 minutes includes
time for the State Historic Preservation Officer to review the project,
in relation to the statewide preservation efforts, to articulate the
benefits, and to document the findings
Amount of State or local government matching funds or other
resources (donated materials or labor may qualify); 5 minutes
[cir] A nominal amount of time is required to document the matching
funds and amounts
When the project is complete, will the bridge meet the
current State or AASHTO standards for the roadway classification that
it carries; 5 minutes
[cir] A nominal amount of time is required to ascertain and
identify whether the bridge will meet the standards for the roadway
classification as any exception to the standard will be identified
through the preliminary engineering process and already documented
Plan for documentation of the bridge and the work performed.
15 minutes
[cir] A plan for documentation is encouraged. Typically, each State
Transportation Agency will already have a process in place to document
work performed. Applicants are encouraged to identify any additional
requirements warranted for these historical structures and to
articulate the overall plan within the application
Scheduled start and completion date for the project (month and
year)--5 minutes
[cir] This will be determined through other processes that are
performed independent of this program, including preliminary
engineering and the STIP process. The available information must be
synthesized on the application, which takes a nominal amount of time
Contact information for the State DOT, Local Agency (if
applicable), FHWA Division Office, and State Historic Preservation
Officer: 5 minutes
[cir] This requires providing a list of contacts and involves a
nominal amount of time
The total amount of time estimated to complete the application is
3\1/2\ hours. It is estimated that FHWA will receive 30 reports giving
us a total of 105 burden hours.
Electronic Access: Internet users may access all comments received
by the U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, by using the universal resource
locator (URL): http://dms.dot.gov, 24 hours each day, 365 days each
year. Please follow the instructions online for more information and
help.
Authority : The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: August 1, 2006.
James R. Kabel,
Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. E6-12793 Filed 8-7-06; 8:45 am]
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