81 FR 63492 - Proposed Information Collection; Natural Sounds/Quiet Valuation Survey

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 179 (September 15, 2016)

We (National Park Service, NPS) 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. This IC is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2016. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 179 (Thursday, September 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63492-63493]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-22223]


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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NRSS-NSNSD-21927; PPWONRADN1, PPMRSNR1Y.NS000 (166)]


Proposed Information Collection; Natural Sounds/Quiet Valuation 
Survey

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (National Park Service, NPS) 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. This IC is scheduled to expire 
on November 30, 2016. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC, 
we must receive them by November 14, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments on this IC to Phadrea Ponds, 
Information Collection Coordinator, National Park Service, 1201 
Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525 (mail); or [email protected] 
(email). Please reference Information Collection NATSOUNDS in the 
subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Turina, Night Skies and Natural 
Sounds Division, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort 
Collins, Colorado 80525 (mail); [email protected] (email); or (970) 
225-3530 (phone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    Under the Organic Act of 1916 (54 U.S.C. 100701), the NPS is 
charged with conserving the scenery, natural and historic objects, and 
wildlife in its units. The acoustical environment or soundscape is a 
fundamental aspect of

[[Page 63493]]

NPS units and critical to visitors' interaction with and interpretation 
of said resources. While the NPS has policies in place to monitor and 
manage acoustical conditions, it does not have information on how 
visitors value preserving natural sounds and/or reducing noise impacts. 
NPS plans to conduct a stated-preference survey of visitors in two park 
units in order to estimate individual values for maintenance or 
improvement of acoustical conditions within a national park setting.
    The purpose of this IC is to continue survey development and pre-
testing activities that were initiated in 2013. This continuation will 
involve a series of focus groups in two NPS units. The intent of the 
focus groups is to refine and test existing survey materials. 
Specifically, previous pre-testing efforts indicated that further 
refinement and testing of stated-preference questions was necessary. 
Best practice guidelines in the conduct of stated-preference studies 
require that survey content, language and instructions be clearly 
understood by respondents so that the results are as accurate and 
reliable as possible.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1024-0269.
    Title: Natural Sounds/Quiet Valuation Survey.
    Type of Request: Renewal of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Park visitors; individual and general households.
    Respondent Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 80 respondents. This 
collection will involve eight two-hour focus group sessions. We 
estimate that each group will have at most 10 participants.
    Annual Burden Hours: 160 hours; two hours per respondent.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: 
None.

III. Comments

    We invite comments concerning this information collection on:
     Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
     The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 
collection of information;
     Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents.
    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 IC. 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.

    Dated: September 12, 2016.
Madonna L. Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-22223 Filed 9-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-EH-P