[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 12367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4983]


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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

National Park Service


Proposed Information Collection; Visibility Valuation Survey 
Pilot Study

AGENCY: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (National Park Service) will ask the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described 
below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part 
of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we 
invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this 
opportunity to comment on this IC. We may not conduct or sponsor, and a 
person is not required to respond to, a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

DATES: Public comments must be submitted on or before May 6, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments on this IC to Dr. Bruce Peacock, 
Chief, Social Science Division, Natural Resource Program Center, 
National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525-5596 
(mail); [email protected] (e-mail); or 970-267-2106 (phone).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Johnson, Air Resources Division, 
National Park Service, 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, P.O. Box 25287, 
Denver, Colorado 80225 (mail); [email protected] (e-mail); or 
(303) 987-6694 (phone).

I. Abstract

    The Clean Air Act (Sections 169A, 169B, and 110(a)(2)(j)) charges 
the NPS with an ``affirmative responsibility to protect air quality 
related values (including visibility).'' The NPS believes the value of 
visibility changes should be represented in cost-benefit analyses 
regarding state and Federal efforts that may affect visibility 
(including the Regional Haze Rule, Title 40, Part 51 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations). Updated estimates of visibility benefits are 
required because the studies conducted in the 1970s and 1980s do not 
reflect current baseline visibility conditions in national parks and 
wilderness areas.
    The NPS plans to conduct a nationwide stated preference survey to 
estimate the value of visibility changes in national parks and 
wilderness areas. Survey development and pre-testing have already been 
conducted under a previous IC (OMB Control Number 1024-0255). The 
purpose of this IC is to conduct a pilot study to test the survey 
instrument and implementation procedures prior to the full survey. 
After the pilot is completed, the NPS will submit a revised IC request 
to OMB for the full survey.

II. Data

    OMB Number: None. This is a new collection.
    Title: Visibility Valuation Survey Pilot Study.
    Type of Request: New.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Respondent Obligation: Voluntary.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,676 potential respondents; 800 
responses.
    Estimated Time and frequency of Response: This is a one-time survey 
estimated to take 20 minutes per respondent to complete.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 267 hours.

III. Request for Comments

    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 techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this 
notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB 
approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. While you 
can ask us in your comment to withhold personal identifying information 
from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

    Dated: February 28, 2011.
Robert Gordon,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-4983 Filed 3-4-11; 8:45 am]
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