[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 179 (Thursday, September 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56501-56502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-23122]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 179 / Thursday, September 16, 2010 /
Notices
[[Page 56501]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Land Management Agency Volunteer Surveys
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and
organizations on the new information collection, the Land Management
Agency Volunteer Surveys.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before November 15,
2010 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date
will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to James
Absher, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 4955 Canyon
Crest Drive, Riverside, CA 92507. Comments also may be submitted via e-
mail to: [email protected].
The public may inspect comments received at Forest Service
Reception, 4955 Canyon Crest Drive, Riverside, CA during normal
business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to 951-680-1500
to facilitate entry to the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Absher, Pacific Southwest
Research Station at 951-680-1500. Individuals who use telecommunication
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at
1-800-877-8339, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time,
Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Land Management Agency Volunteer Surveys.
OMB Number: 0596-New.
Type of Request: New.
Abstract: The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and
contracted researchers will contact individuals who currently
volunteer, or have recently volunteered, for selected natural resource
(land) management agencies (LMA). Through a short Web-based survey,
respondents will provide information regarding how often and why they
volunteer, the positive and negative aspects of that experience, and
basic socio-demographics. The results of this information collection
will help researchers and managers improve their ability to provide
land management services to the public, as well as strengthen
volunteers' experiences at their respective agencies.
Participation in the survey will be strictly voluntary. If
necessary, respondents will be allowed to answer via postal mail at
their convenience. A Forest Service researcher, agency technician, or a
contracted researcher will collect and analyze the data.
Additionally, in order to ensure anonymity, personal information
will not be stored with contact information at any time, and contact
information will be purged from researcher files once data collection
is complete.
Responses will be used to assess volunteers' experience with
agencies that have a land management function such as parks, forests,
recreation areas, or wildlife refuges. Although an abundance of
research exists regarding volunteering in general, there is very little
rigorous, academic research on volunteering as it applies to LMAs,
largely because there is no reliable, uniform, and comprehensive data
available. Further, it is unknown whether the findings emerging from
other studies of volunteerism are applicable in the context of LMAs.
Because of the enormous role that volunteers play in the operations of
LMAs, clarity and insight into volunteer characteristics and
experiences is imperative. Ultimately, findings will help researchers
and resource managers determine the best ways to involve, retain, and
manage volunteers.
The primary beneficiaries of results from these surveys will be
LMAs, such as the Forest Service, and other agencies at all levels of
government that are concerned with enjoyment, preservation, and
advancement of our natural resources. These results will be
particularly important to LMAs because recently these agencies have
become heavily dependent on volunteer support.
Without the proposed information collection, managers of volunteers
in LMAs will continue to rely upon anecdotal or unreliable information,
which may perpetuate poor volunteer recruitment, retention, and
satisfaction. The information collected will help researchers develop
and test models of volunteer management; supply information to LMA
program managers and other voluntary action managers who are focusing
their own work on natural resource management values and objectives;
and will facilitate further application of findings. The exact number
of respondents will be dependent upon the number of agencies that
choose to participate. Volunteers from up to ten different agencies, or
sub-units of those agencies, per year will be selected to participate.
Each will be allocated 200-600 surveys, for a maximum of 4,000
completed surveys per year for the project as a whole.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 20 minutes.
Type of Respondents: Individuals who currently volunteer, or who
have recently volunteered, for a natural resources (land) management
agency, age 18 or older.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 4,000.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,333 hours.
Comment is Invited:
Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this collection of information
is necessary for the stated purposes and the proper performance of the
functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have
practical or scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the Agency's
estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (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, including the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
All comments received in response to this notice, including names
and
[[Page 56502]]
addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. Comments
will be summarized and included in the submission request toward Office
of Management and Budget approval.
Dated: September 10, 2010.
Carlos Rodriguez-Franco,
Acting Deputy Chief, Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 2010-23122 Filed 9-15-10; 8:45 am]
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