Notice2022-06436
Information Collection; Secure Rural Schools Act
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 28, 2022
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the renewal with revisions of a currently approved information collection, Secure Rural Schools Act.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 59 (Monday, March 28, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17263-17264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06436]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Secure Rural Schools Act
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 renewal with revisions of a currently approved
information collection, Secure Rural Schools Act.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before May 27, 2022
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 Juana
Rosas, National Partnership Coordinator, National Partnership Office,
USDA Forest Service, Yates Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, Mailstop
#1158, Washington, DC 20250. Comments also may be submitted by email
to: Secure Rural Schools at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#becdd390d8cd90cdcccdd7d0dcd1c6fecbcddadf90d9d1c8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b1c2dc9fd7c29fc2c3c2d8dfd3dec9f1c4c2d5d09fd6dec7">[email protected]</span></a>.
Comments also may be submitted by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#95e6f8bbf3e6bbe6e7e6fcfbf7faedd5e0e6f1f4bbf2fae3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a7d4ca89c1d489d4d5d4cec9c5c8dfe7d2d4c3c689c0c8d1">[email protected]</span></a>.
Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available to
the public through relevant websites and upon request. For this reason,
please do not include in your comments information of a confidential
nature, such as sensitive personal information or proprietary
information. If you send an email comment, your email address will be
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is
placed in the public docket and made available on the internet. Please
note that responses to this public comment request containing any
routine notice about the confidentiality of the communication will be
treated as public comments that may be made available to the public
notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine notice.
The public may inspect the draft supporting statement and/or
comments received at USDA Forest Service, Yates Building, 1400
Independence Avenue, Mailstop #1158, Washington, DC 20250 during normal
business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to (202) 720-2791
to facilitate entry to the building. The public may request an
electronic copy of the draft supporting statement and/or any comments
received be sent via return email. Requests should be emailed to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#295a44074f5a075a5b5a40474b4651695c5a4d48074e465f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e7948ac98194c99495948e8985889fa792948386c9808891">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brianna Gallegos, USDA Forest Service,
Yates Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, Mailstop #1158, Washington,
DC 20250, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0477692a62772a7776776d6a666b7c44717760652a636b72"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b4c7d99ad2c79ac7c6c7dddad6dbccf4c1c7d0d59ad3dbc2">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of
the year, including holidays. Individuals who use telecommunication
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of
the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Secure Rural Schools Act.
OMB Number: 0596-0220.
Type of Request: Renewal with revisions of a currently approved
information collection and New Title II Project Proposal Form.
Abstract: The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination
Act of 2000 (the Act) (16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), as reauthorized in
Public Law 117-58, requires the appropriate official of a county that
receives funds under Title III of the Act to submit to the appropriate
Secretary an annual certification that the funds expended have been
used as authorized. The appropriate official of each participating
county will be requested to report the amount of Title III funds
expended in the applicable year in these categories as specified in the
Act:
(1) To carry out authorized activities under the Firewise
Communities Program;
(2) To reimburse the participating county for search and rescue and
other emergency services, including firefighting and law enforcement
patrols;
(3) To provide or expand access to broadband telecommunications
services at local schools or the technology and connectivity necessary
for students to use a digital learning tool at or outside of the local
school campus;
(4) To cover training costs and equipment purchases directly
related to the emergency service described in paragraph (2); and
(5) To develop and carry out community wildfire protection plans.
The information collection will identify the participating county, the
year in which the expenditures were made, the name, title, and
signature of the certifying official, and the date of the
certification. The certification will include a statement that all
expenditures were for uses authorized under the Act and that the
proposed uses were published and had a 60-day comment period and were
submitted to the appropriate Secure Rural Schools Act resource advisory
committee(s), if any, as described in Section 302(b) of the Act.
The information collection will request the county to certify the
amount of Title III funds received since October of 2008 that has not
been obligated as of September 30th of the previous year. This
collection is necessary in the certification due on February 1 the
following year after payments are received to determine the amount of
Title III funds that must be returned to the United States Treasury
under section 304(b) of the Act. Collection of this information is
consistent with a recent audit of county uses of Title III funds by the
Government Accountability Office (<a href="http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-775">http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-775</a>). A county's procedure for and documentation of its obligation of
Title III funds should be consistent with its procedures to obligate
funds from other Federal sources.
The information collection will request the county to certify the
amount
[[Page 17264]]
of Title III funds received to determine the amount of Title III funds
that must be returned to the United States Treasury under section
304(b) of the Act. The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of
Land Management are also authorized to participate in this information
collection because the Bureau of Land Management administers Federal
lands in western Oregon covered by the Act. The information will be
reviewed by the appropriate Secretary, or designee, to verify that
participating counties have certified that funds were expended as
authorized in the Act and to identify amounts not obligated. The
information also may be used by the Department of the Interior because
it is relevant to its Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.
The information will be collected in the form of conventional
correspondence such as a letter and, at the respondent's option,
attached tables or similar graphic display. The Forest Service provides
an optional form for the convenience of respondents. At the
respondent's discretion, the information may be submitted by hard copy
and/or electronically scanned and included as an attachment to
electronic mail. This becomes record keeping for audit purposes.
The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of
2000 (the Act) (16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), as reauthorized in Public Law
117-58, requests Resource Advisor Committees (RAC's) who receive funds
under Title II of the Act to submit proposal to the appropriate RAC
Forest Service Designated Federal Officer (DFOs) that the funds are
being requested for that specific project. Counties typically receive
20% or less of Secure Rural Schools funds under Title II, which are
used by willing Federal agencies, State and local governments, private
and nonprofit entities, and landowners for protection, restoration and
enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, and other natural resource
objectives on Federal land and on non-Federal land where projects would
benefit these resources on Federal land.
Rather than being distributed to the State, Title II funds are
retained by the Forest Service and are allocated to specific projects
that have been reviewed and recommended by a local Resource Advisory
Committee.
Projects are considered for Title II funding if they make
additional investments in, and create employment opportunities through:
Improvement of existing infrastructure maintenance.
Implementation of stewardship objectives that enhance forest
ecosystems;
Restoration and improvement of land health and water quality.
Projects must comply with all applicable Federal laws and
regulations.
Projects must be consistent with the applicable resource management
plan and with any watershed or subsequent plan developed pursuant to
the resource management plan. The funds may be used for projects that
have broad-based support and with objectives that include: Road, trail,
and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration; soil productivity
improvement; forest ecosystem health improvements; watershed
restoration and maintenance; wildlife and fish habitat restoration,
maintenance, and improvement; noxious and exotic weeds control; and
native species re-establishment.
At least 50% of all project funds are to be used for projects that
are primarily dedicated to road maintenance, decommissioning, or
obliteration; or to restoration of streams and watersheds.
Affected Public: Eligible counties and Federal agencies, state and
local government, private entities.
Estimate of Annual Burden per Respondent: 1.
Type of Respondents: Respondents are county officials. The
determination of who is the appropriate certifying official is at the
discretion of the county and borough and will vary depending on county
or borough organization. For unorganized boroughs in Alaska and for
participating counties in Vermont, a state official may provide the
information. Respondents of 91 RACs are expected to respond each year.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 344 county officials and 91
RACs.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1 hour.
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 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.
Ellen Shaw,
Acting Director, National Partnership Office.
[FR Doc. 2022-06436 Filed 3-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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