[Federal Register: August 11, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 155)]
[Notices]
[Page 46638-46639]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11au08-93]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submitted for Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of a new information collection.
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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is inviting comments on collection of
information that we have sent to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval. The Information Collection Request (ICR)
concerns the paperwork requirements for the National Spatial Data
Infrastructure, Cooperative Agreements Program (NSDI CAP) and describes
the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost.
DATES: You must submit comments on or before September 10, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Please submit comments on this information collection
directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior via e-mail [OIRA_DOCKET@omb.eop.gov]; or
fax (202) 395-6566; and identify your submission as 1028-NEW. Please
also submit a copy of your comments to Phadrea Ponds, U.S.G.S.
Information Collections Clearance Officer, 2150-C Center Avenue, Fort
Collins, CO 80525 (mail); (970) 226-9230 (fax); or pponds@usgs.gov (e-
mail). Please reference Information Collection 1028-NEW, NSDI CAP in
the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: To request additional
information concerning this ICR, contact Brigitta Urban-Mathieux, by
mail NSDI CAP Coordinator, Federal Geographic Data Committee, U.S.
Geological Survey, MS 590 National Center, Reston, VA 20192 or by
telephone at (703) 648-5175.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: National Spatial Data Infrastructure Cooperative Agreements
Program (NSDI CAP).
OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.
Abstract: To date, the NSDI CAP awards have created collaborations
at all levels of government, developed an understanding of geospatial
information in organizations and disciplines new to the NSDI, provided
seed money to enable geospatial organizations to participate in the
national effort to implement the NSDI, promoted the development of
standardized metadata in hundreds of organizations, and funded numerous
implementations of OGC Web Mapping Services and Web Feature Services.
The program is open to State, local and tribal governments, academia,
and commercial and non-profit organizations and provides small seed
grants to initiate sustainable on-going NSDI implementations. The
program emphasizes partnerships, collaboration and the leveraging of
geospatial resources in achieving its goals. Since the funding level is
limited, organizations must compete to be awarded funds. Respondents
are submitting proposals to acquire funding for projects to help build
the infrastructure necessary for the geospatial data community to
effectively discover, access, share, manage, and use digital geographic
data.
The NSDI consists of the technologies, policies, organizations, and
people necessary to promote cost-effective production, and the ready
availability and greater utilization of geospatial data among a variety
of sectors, disciplines, and communities. Specific NSDI areas of
emphasis include: metadata documentation, clearinghouse establishment,
framework development, standards implementation, and geographic
information system (GIS) organizational coordination.
This notice concerns the collection of information that is
sufficient and relevant to evaluate and select proposals for funding.
We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its
implementing regulations (43 CFR Part 2), and under regulations at 30
CFR 250.197, ``Data and information to be made available to the public
or for limited inspection.'' Responses are voluntary. No questions of a
``sensitive'' nature are asked. We intend to release the project
abstracts and primary investigators for awarded/funded projects only.
[[Page 46639]]
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Affected Public: Private sector; State, local, and tribal
governments; Academia; Non-profit organizations.
Respondent Obligation: Voluntary (necessary to receive benefits).
Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: We expect to
receive approximately 80 proposals during the grant application
process. We anticipate issuing 25 grants per year. The program is open
to State, local and tribal governments, academia, and commercial and
non-profit organizations.
Estimated Number of Responses: Approximately 80 applications and 50
reports per year.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Based on comments received
during the FR Notice 60 day comment period, we have adjusted our
original burden request by 7 hours from 18 to 25 hours per respondent.
We expect to receive approximately 80 applications, taking each
applicant approximately 25 hours to complete, totaling 2,000 burden
hours. We anticipate awarding an average of 25 grants per year. The 25
award recipients are required to submit 2 reports: an interim 6 months
after the start of the project and a final report on or before 90
working days after the expiration of the agreement. We estimate that it
will take approximately 5 hours to complete and submit the reports
totaling 250 hours. Therefore, the annual burden for report preparation
is 250 hours. We estimate that the total burden for this collection
will be 2,250 hours.
Annual Burden Hours: 2,250.
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We
have not identified any ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with this
collection of information.
Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.)
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated
to respond.
Comments: To comply with the public consultation process, on
November 21, 2007, we published a Federal Register notice (72 FR 65592)
announcing our intent to submit this information collection to OMB for
approval. In that notice we solicited public comments for 60 days,
ending on January 22, 2008. We did not receive any public comments in
response to the notice.
We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary,
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection
of information;
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents.
Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice
are a matter of public record. 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 OMB in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that it will be done.
USGS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Phadrea D. Ponds
970-226-9445.
Dated: August 5, 2008.
Steve Hammond,
Deputy Chief, Science Information and Education Office.
[FR Doc. E8-18448 Filed 8-8-08; 8:45 am]
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