Notice2023-21680
Agency Information Collection Activities; Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program
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
October 2, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we, the National Park Service (NPS), are proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 189 (Monday, October 2, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 189 (Monday, October 2, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67797-67798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21680]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-PCE-LWCF-NPS0036373; PPWOSLAD00 PGWS1S181.Y00000 XXXP503581
PS.SSLAD0R21.00.1 (223); OMB Control Number 1024-0031]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Land and Water
Conservation Fund State Assistance Program
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we, the
National Park Service (NPS), are proposing to renew an information
collection with revisions.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
November 1, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions on the information
collection requirements should be submitted by the date specified above
in DATES to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this
particular information collection by selecting ``Currently under
Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
Please provide a copy of your comments to Phadrea Ponds, NPS
Information Collection Clearance Officer (ADIR-ICCO), 13461 Sunrise
Valley Drive (MS-244) Reston, VA 20192 (mail); or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92e2faf3f6e0f7f3cde2fdfcf6e1d2fce2e1bcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="72021a13160017132d021d1c1601321c02015c151d04">[email protected]</span></a>
(email). Please include 1024-0031 (LWCF) in the subject line of your
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Elisabeth Morgan, Recreation Grant Branch Chief
by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#395c55504a585b5c4d51665f56575d4b505c4a4d7957494a175e564f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="73161f1a00121116071b2c151c1d17011a160007331d03005d141c05">[email protected]</span></a> (email); or by telephone at
202-354-6916. Please reference OMB Control Number 1024-0031(LWCF) in
the subject line of your comments. Individuals in the United States who
are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may
dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay
services offered within their country to make international calls to
the point of contact in the United States. You may also view the ICR at
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we
provide the public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to
comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of
information. This helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It
also helps the public understand our information collection
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published (87
FR 55843) on September 12, 2022. We received written comments from
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office and Oregon Parks
and Recreation Department. The comments and NPS responses are
summarized below.
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office:
It would be most helpful if NPS revised and expanded A&R questions
to clarify the information sought. In our experience, incomplete
information provided on this form (often due to misunderstanding what
is required) creates additional work, expense and time lags for RCO's
subgrantees as well as NPS. We all share the same goal of wanting to
provide a complete accurate initial application, within reason of what
information that an applicant would have without promise of any grant
funding. The commenter also provided specific feedback on ways to
provide clarity to the instructions in each section.
NPS Response/Action Taken: The comments and suggestions for
rewording to improve the clarity and to remove duplication of questions
were accepted. To accommodate the request proposing additional
instructions for questions the NPS will create annotated versions of
the A&R and C&S forms to provide additional guidance.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department:
The comments from this respondent were mainly technical in nature,
addressing the wording of some questions on both the A&R and C&S Forms,
as well as describing issues with formatting on these forms that make
the forms more difficult for applicants to use, including ``an
unnecessary amount of time to correct.'' The respondent also noted that
Section 3.0, Subsection C. Environmental Resources Survey should be
improved. The respondent recommended that Tables 1 and 2 have a column
added to indicate neutral impacts (impacts that are neither positive or
negative) and a Not Applicable column (resource does not exist).
NPS Response/Action Taken:
<bullet> We will revisit the forms to try to address the issues the
commenter identified, such as possibly placing form fields in the
document for responses so that applicants don't feel the need to enter
their responses in colored text. We note that some of the issues the
commenter described can be caused by how these documents are saved and
shared for use, which may erase formatting.
<bullet> The tables in Section 3.C were revised to remove the
response indicating more research is needed and to restore a ``not
present or N/A'' option in Table 1. (Conforming changes were
[[Page 67798]]
made to the same tables in Section 3.A of the C&S Form.)
<bullet> To accommodate the request proposing additional
instructions for questions the NPS will create annotated versions of
the forms to provide additional guidance.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies to comment on
new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This
helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements
and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public
understand our information collection requirements and provide the
requested data in the desired format.
We are especially interested in public comment addressing the
following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether or not the information will have practical utility.
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 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.
(4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email 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 us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract: The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as
amended (LWCF Act) (54 U.S.C. 200305 et. seq.) was enacted to help
preserve, develop, and ensure access for the public to outdoor
recreation opportunities. Among other programs, the LWCF Act provides
funds for and authorizes federal assistance to the States for planning,
acquisition, and development of needed land and water areas and
facilities for outdoor recreation purposes. In accordance with the LWCF
Act, the National Park Service (we, NPS) administers the LWCF State
Assistance Program, which provides matching grants to States,
LWCF grants are provided to states (including the 50 states; the
Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands; the
District of Columbia; and the Territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, and American Samoa) on a matching basis for up to 50 percent
of the total project-related allowable costs. Grants to eligible
insular areas may be for 100 percent assistance. Payments for all
projects are made to the state organization that is authorized to
accept and administer funds paid for approved projects. Local units of
government participate in the program as sub-grantees of the state with
the state retaining primary grant compliance responsibility. The
following updates are included as revisions to this collection:
1. New Requirement--Standard Form SF-429. In accordance with DOI's
regulations at 2 CFR 1402, the SF-429 Real Property Status Report Cover
Sheet and Attachment B, Request to Acquire, Furnish, or Improve, is
required for projects requesting LWCF assistance for land acquisition.
For post-grant completion stewardship reporting, the Cover Sheet and
Attachment A, General Reporting are required.
Title of Collection: Land and Water Conservation Fund State
Assistance Program.
OMB Control Number: 1024-0031.
Form Number: NPS Forms 10-902A, 10-903, 10-904, 10-904A, 10-905 and
Standard Form SF429.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: States Governments; the Commonwealths
of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands; the District of
Columbia; and the territories of Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and
American Samoa.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 423.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 7,797.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 56,249.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
An agency 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.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Phadrea Ponds,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-21680 Filed 9-29-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 2, 2023.
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