Supporting Statement A for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission
OMB Control Number 1024-0032
Land and Water Conservation Fund Program Performance Reports
Terms of Clearance: OMB approved this information clearance on August 8, 2007, with the following terms of clearance: Upon the agency's next request for OMB approval, the agency must post this grant opportunity on grants.gov and provide, if practicable, an electronic submission option matching those opportunities.
Response: We considered announcing Land and Water Conservation Fund grant opportunities on Grants.gov, but believe it is not feasible. Based on its Statewide Conservation Outdoor Recreation Plan, each State determines priorities for LWCF funding and announces available grants on the State website. States establish their own criteria for awarding their allocated funding through a competitive selection process. The grants are specific to each State and each State has a different process and grant schedule. Announcing LWCF grants on grants.gov would create a lot of confusion to potential applicants.
1. Explain the circumstances that make collection of information necessary.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (LWCF Act) (16 U.S.C 4601-4 et seq.) was enacted to help preserve, develop, and ensure access to outdoor recreation facilities. 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.
In accordance with the LWCF Act, the National Park Service (we, NPS) administers the LWCF State Assistance Program, which provides matching grants to States, and through the States to local units of government. As used in this information collection request, the term “States” includes 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.
LWCF grants are provided to States 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. The LWCF State Assistance Program gives maximum flexibility and responsibility to the States. States establish their own priorities and criteria and award their grant money through a competitive selection process based on a Statewide recreation plan. 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 subgrantees of the State with the State retaining primary grant compliance responsibility.
In accordance with 43 CFR 12 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments), grantees must monitor grant and subgrant supported activities to ensure compliance with applicable Federal requirements and that performance goals are being achieved. We require States to submit performance reports that include performance and financial information.
2. Indicate how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information is to be used. If the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support information that will be disseminated to the public, explain how the collection complies with all applicable Information Quality Guidelines.
We use this information to determine that adequate progress is being made for completing projects as agreed. States must submit a report of progress regarding the completion of a planning project with each payment request, however; at a minimum, a progress report must be submitted to NPS annually with or without a payment request. Progress reports will include:
A list of the major work items (elements) agreed to in the project scope of the grant
contract.
A narrative description of the status of work for each item in the project.
Identification of any elements that are behind schedule and why.
Actual or projected completion dates for each work item.
If appropriate, evaluations of the success or failure to date of the planning approaches
used and of any effects of project work to date on state policies or improved
management of State programs.
Estimated costs incurred during the billing period for each work item.
Total costs incurred and total costs previously billed for all parts of the project to date.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information the use of automated, electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology; e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses and the basis for the decisions for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden [and specifically how this collection meets GPEA requirements.].
The performance report may be mailed or emailed to the NPS.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.
There is no duplication of the information between this collection and collections by other entities because the data is project specific for the LWCF State Assistance Program.
5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe the methods to minimize the burden.
The collection of information does not impact small businesses or other small entities.
6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.
If we did not collect this information or collected it less frequently, program integrity would be jeopardized and the opportunity for fraud, waste and abuse of program funds could occur.
7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:
* requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;
* requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;
* requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;
* requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than three years;
* in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;
* requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;
* that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or
* requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secrets, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.
None of the listed circumstances above apply.
8. Provide the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency’s notice,
required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice (or in response to a PRA statement) and describe actions taken by the agency in response to those comments.
Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed or reported. [Please list the name, titles, addresses, and phone numbers of persons contacted.
A notice announcing the extension of the collection and requesting public comments was published in the Federal Register on April 14, 2010 (75 FR 19419) for a 60-day period. The comment period ended on June 14, 2010. We did not receive any comments.
The following State LWCF employees were contacted about the reporting requirements. The consensus was that the reporting requirements are clear and the time burden is accurate.
Mr. Wayne M. Sames
Director, Local Grants Unit
Office of Management and Budget (DNR)
500 Lafayette Road, Box 10
St. Paul, MN 55155-4010
Phone 651-259-5559
Mr. Tim Wood
Director
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
725 Summer Street NE, Suite C
Salem, OR 97301-1271
Telephone: 503-986-0729
Ms. Gail Wolek
Deputy Director
Division of Parks and Recreation
P.O. Box 1856
Concord, NH 03302-1856
Telephone: 603-271-3556
Also, through the National Association of State Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers, an ongoing mechanism exists for direct input into program administration. No major problems with regard to these requirements have been identified.
9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No payments or gifts are given to respondents.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
There are no assurances of confidentiality provided to respondents.
11. Provide additional justification for any question of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.
No sensitive questions are asked.
12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.
We are estimating 672 annual responses and 672 burden hours for this collection. The maximum number of respondents is 56 and the number of responses varies among the States. We estimate an average of 12 responses per respondent. We estimate the dollar value of the annual burden hours to be $43,788 (rounded) ($65.16 X 672 hours). It will take a State LWCF Coordinator approximately 1 hour to complete the performance progress report. The mean hourly wage is approximately $43.44 based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2009, http://www.bls.gov/oes/2009/may/oes111021.htm. A multiplier of 1.5 was added for benefits for State/local/tribal governments in accordance with BLS news release USDL 10-0774, June 9, 2010 (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf) resulting in an hourly wage of $65.16.
13. Provide an estimate of the total annual [nonhour] cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information.
There are no nonhour costs.
14. Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal Government.
The annual cost to the Federal Government is $18,836 (rounded) ($56.06 X 336 hours). An Outdoor Recreation Planner reviews and processes the performance report in about 30 minutes. The hourly rate for a GS-12/step 5 is $37.37, based on the Office of Personnel Management Salary Table 2010-RUS http://www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/pdf/rus_h.pdf . A multiplier of 1.5 was added for benefits in accordance with BLS news release USDL 10-0774, June 9, 2010 (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf), resulting in an hourly wage of $56.06.
15. Explain the reason for any program changes or adjustments.
We are reporting a decrease of 28 annual responses and 28 burden hours. This is an adjustment based on our experience in administering this collection over the last several years.
16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication.
We do not publish this information.
17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.
We will display the OMB control number and expiration date on appropriate materials.
18. Certification
There are no exceptions to the certification statement.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | Supporting Statement A for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission |
| Author | lheupel |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-02-03 |