Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on November 23, 2005. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Please submit comments by March 13, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

You may send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: DOT Desk Officer. You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Kreig Larson, (202) 366-2056, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Planning, Environment and Realty, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Environmental Streamlining: Measuring the Performance of Stakeholders in the Transportation Project Development Process II.

Abstract: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), FHWA, has contracted with the Gallup Organization to conduct a survey of professionals associated with transportation and resource agencies in order to gather their views on the workings of the environmental review process for transportation projects and how the process can be streamlined. The purpose of the survey is to: (1) Collect the perceptions of agency professionals involved in conducting the decision-making processes mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other resource protection laws in order to develop benchmark performance measures; and (2) identify where the performance of the process might be improved by the application of techniques for streamlining. This is a phone survey conducted of only local, state, and Federal officials who work with the NEPA process.

Respondents: Approximately 2,000 professionals/officials from transportation and natural resource agencies.

Frequency: This will be the second time this survey will be conducted in four years.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The FHWA estimates that each respondent will complete the survey in approximately 15 minutes. With 2,000 surveys expected, an estimated 500 burden hours are expected for this project.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.