[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 236 (Monday, December 9, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73817-73818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29232]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection; Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP)
and Firefighter Property (FFP) Program Cooperative Agreements and
Inventory
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 revision of the currently approved information
collection, Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter
Property (FFP) program Cooperative Agreements and Inventory.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before February 7,
2014 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:
USDA, Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management (F&AM), Attn:
Melissa Frey, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Mailstop 1107, Washington, DC
20250. Comments also may be submitted via email to: [email protected].
The public may inspect comments received at USDA Forest Service,
F&AM, 1621 N. Kent Street, 9th Floor, Rosslyn, VA during normal
business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to 202-206-1483
to facilitate entry to the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Frey, Fire and Aviation
Management, 202-205-1090. Individuals who use telecommunication devices
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday
through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter
Property (FFP) Program Cooperative Agreements and Inventory.
OMB Number: 0596-0223.
Type of Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Information
Collection.
Abstract: Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter
Property (FFP) Program Cooperative Agreements are available to State
forestry agencies. The program provides State agency participants with
surplus Department of Defense, and other Federal agency, equipment and
supplies to be used in firefighting and emergency services. The FEPP
program loans property to the State, who in turn sub-loans the
equipment and supplies to fire departments. The FFP program transfers
ownership of the equipment to either the State agency or the individual
fire department.
A cooperative agreement collects information from State agency
participants and outlines the requirements and rules for the
cooperation. Each State forestry agency shall provide an Accountable
Officer who will be responsible for the integrity of the program within
their respective State. For this reason, FEPP and FFP collect the State
forestry agency contact information, the information of the Accountable
Officer, and the requirements for participation in the FEPP and FFP
programs.
A cooperative agreement will be prepared by each State forestry
agency that desires to participate in, one or both of, the programs.
State agencies must submit separate agreements if they desire to be
participants in both programs. Agreements will be processed and
maintained by the Partnerships and Cooperative Programs branch of Fire
and Aviation Management in each Forest Service Regional Office.
Since the property belongs to the Forest Service, the inventory
system facilitates reports by State agency participants to the Forest
Service on the status and location of the property. State agencies use
the electronic database Federal Excess Property Management Information
System (FEPMIS) to submit information regarding the property make,
model, serial number, acquisition value, location, and acquisition date
when an item is acquired or no longer need. Forest Service Property
Management Technicians collect the information from FEPMIS and enter it
into the National Finance Center database, as required by Federal
Property Management Regulations. Forest Service Property Management
Officers analyze the data collected to ensure that the property
accountability is accurate and to confirm the property is being used as
required.
The authority to provide surplus supplies to State agencies comes
from Federal Property and Administration Services Act of 1949, 40
U.S.C., Sec 202. Authority to loan excess supplies comes from 10
U.S.C., Subtitle A, Part IV, Chapter 153, 2576b, which grants the
authority for the FFP program.
With this submission, Forest Service proposes to combine the burden
of two separate OMB approved Information Collections 0596-0223 Federal
Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter Property (FFP)
Cooperative Agreements, and 0596-0218 Federal Excess Personal Property
(FEPMIS Database) into one request with the OMB control number of 0596-
0223 entitled Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) and Firefighter
Property (FFP) Program Cooperative Agreements and Inventory. Upon
approval of this request, the Agency will then submit a discontinue
request for the OMB control number 0596-0218 entitled Federal Excess
Personal Property (FEPMIS Database.)
Estimate of Annual Burden: 1 hour and 2 minutes.
Type of Respondents: State Foresters and State Agency FEPP Property
Managers.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 65.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 302.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 570 hours.
Comment is Invited:
[[Page 73818]]
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 request for Office of
Management and Budget approval.
Dated: December 2, 2013.
James Hubbard,
Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry.
[FR Doc. 2013-29232 Filed 12-6-13; 8:45 am]
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