Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments; USA National Phenology Network-The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program, 47511-47512 [2015-19400]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 152 / Friday, August 7, 2015 / Notices the terms and conditions of the permit and the CCAA are followed. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Proposed Action The Service proposes to approve the CCAA and to issue an EOS permit, both with a term of 20 years, to Smith Creek Ranch LTD for incidental take of greater sage-grouse caused by covered activities, if permit issuance criteria are met. The area to be addressed under this proposed CCAA (i.e., covered lands) includes approximately 2,200 acres in Churchill and Lander Counties, Nevada. Greater sage-grouse currently use suitable habitat on the covered lands for nesting, early and late brood-rearing, and wintering. The proposed CCAA describes the threats to the greater sagegrouse that have been identified on the enrolled lands, and the conservation measures the applicant will implement to address these threats. Implementation of the conservation measures identified in the CCAA is expected to benefit the greater sage-grouse by (1) Maintaining tracts of unfragmented and undeveloped land; (2) managing weeds and invasive plant species; and (3) maintaining healthy, intact nesting, brood-rearing and wintering habitats. The CCAA has been developed in support of a EOS permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. Consistent with our CCAA Policy (64 FR 32726), the conservation goal of the proposed CCAA is to encourage enhancement and protection of greater sage-grouse habitat on non-Federal lands by either maintaining or modifying existing land uses so that they are consistent with the conservation needs of the greater sagegrouse. We can meet this conservation goal with the use of a CCAA by giving non-Federal landowners incentives to implement conservation measures, primarily through regulatory certainty concerning land-use restrictions that might otherwise apply should the greater sage-grouse become listed under the ESA. We have made a preliminary determination that the proposed CCAA and permit issuance are eligible for categorical exclusion under NEPA. The basis for our preliminary determination is contained in an EAS, which is available for public review (see ADDRESSES). Public Comments We request data, comments, new information, or suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental agencies, the scientific community, Tribes, industry, or any other interested party on this notice. We particularly seek comments on the following: (1) VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:24 Aug 06, 2015 Jkt 235001 Biological information concerning the greater sage-grouse; (2) relevant data concerning this species; (3) additional information concerning the range, distribution, population size, and population trends of the greater sagegrouse; (4) current or planned activities in the covered area and their possible impacts on the species; (5) identification of any other environmental issues that should be considered with regard to the proposed permit action; and (6) information regarding the adequacy of the CCAA pursuant to the requirements for permits at 50 CFR parts 13 and 17. Public Availability of Comments All comments and materials we receive become part of the public record associated with this action. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifiable information (PII) in your comments, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your PII—may be made publically available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so. Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting documentation we used in preparing the draft EAS, will be available for public inspection by appointment, during normal business hours, at our Reno Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES). Next Steps We will evaluate the permit application, associated documents, and comments we receive to determine whether the permit application meets the requirements of section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA and NEPA and their implementing regulations. We will also evaluate whether issuance of an EOS permit would comply with section 7 of the ESA by conducting an intra-Service section 7 consultation on the proposed permit action. If we determine that all requirements are met, we will sign the proposed CCAA and issue an EOS permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA to Smith Creek Ranch LTD for incidental take of greater sage-grouse that is likely to occur with implementation of the CCAA. We will not make our final decision until after the end of the 30-day public comment period, and we will fully consider all comments we receive during the public comment period. Authority We provide this notice in accordance with the requirements of section 10(c) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and their PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 47511 implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and 40 CFR 1506.6, respectively). Edward D. Koch, Field Supervisor, Reno Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Reno, Nevada. [FR Doc. 2015–19469 Filed 8–6–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Geological Survey [GX15BA02EEW0200] Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments; USA National Phenology Network— The Nature’s Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior. ACTION: Notice of a revision of a currently approved information collection. AGENCY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 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 collection is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2016. DATES: To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive them on or before October 6, 2015. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648–7197 (fax); or gs-info_collections@usgs.gov (email). Please reference ‘Information Collection 1028–0103, USA National Phenology Network—The Nature’s Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program’ in all correspondence. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jake Weltzin, U.S. Geological Survey, 1955 East 6th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 (mail); (520) 626–3821 (phone); or jweltzin@usgs.gov (email). You may also find information about this ICR at www.reginfo.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: I. Abstract The USA–NPN is a program sponsored by the USGS that uses E:\FR\FM\07AUN1.SGM 07AUN1 47512 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 152 / Friday, August 7, 2015 / Notices tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES standardized forms for tracking plant and animal activity as part of a project called Nature’s Notebook. The Nature’s Notebook forms are used to record phenology (e.g., timing of leafing or flowering of plants and reproduction or migration of animals) as part of a nationwide effort to understand and predict how plants and animals respond to environmental variation and changes in weather and climate. Contemporary data collected through Nature’s Notebook are quality-checked, described and made publicly available; data are used to inform decision-making in a variety of contexts, including agriculture, drought monitoring, and wildfire risk assessment. Phenological information is also critical for the management of wildlife, invasive species, and agricultural pests, and for understanding and managing risks to human health and welfare, including allergies, asthma, and vector-borne diseases. Participants may contribute phenology information to Nature’s Notebook through a browser-based web application or via mobile applications for iPhone and Android operating systems, meeting GPEA requirements. The web application interface consists several components: User registration, a searchable list of 1,016 plant and animal species which can be observed; a ‘‘profile’’ for each species that contains information about the species including its description and the appropriate monitoring protocols; a series of interfaces for registering as an observer, registering a site, registering plants and animals at a site, generating datasheets to take to the field, and a data entry page that mimics the datasheets. II. Data OMB Control Number: 1028–0103. Form Number: Various (4 forms). Title: USA National Phenology Network—The Nature’s Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program. Type of Request: Notice of an extension of a currently approved information collection. Affected Public: Members of the public, registered with Nature’s Notebook. Respondent’s Obligation: None. Participation is voluntary. Frequency of Collection: On occasion. During the Spring and Fall seasons when phenology is changing quickly, we recommend respondents make observations twice per week. Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: We project that 6,478 responders will register with Nature’s Notebook, and of those 648 will watch the training videos. The same 6,478 responders will contribute 2,627,155 VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:24 Aug 06, 2015 Jkt 235001 observation records. In total, this will result in 2,634,269 responses. Estimated Time per Response: When joining the program, responders spend 13 minutes each to register and read guidelines and 83 minutes to watch all training videos. After that responders may spend about 2 minutes per record to observe and submit phenophase status record. Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 89,871. Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’ Burden: We estimate the total annual non-hour cost burden to be $11,447. This cost applies to new observers and includes material used to mark sites or plants during the first observation. Marking helps to ensure reporting consistency for future observations. Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an agency 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 and current expiration date. III. Request for Comments We are soliciting comments as to: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) how to minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record. Before including your personal mailing address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personally identifiable information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personally identifiable information from public view, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Jake Weltzin, Program Manager, Status & Trends Program and Executive Director, USA National Phenology Network. [FR Doc. 2015–19400 Filed 8–6–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4311–AM–P PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Geological Survey [GX15EE000101000] Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments: National Spatial Data Infrastructure Cooperative Agreements Program (NSDI CAP) U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior. ACTION: Notice of a new information collection. AGENCY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 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. DATES: To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive them on or before October 6, 2015. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648–7197 (fax); or gs-info_collections@usgs.gov (email). Please reference ‘Information Collection 1028—NEW, NSDI CAP in all correspondence. SUMMARY: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brigitta Urban-Mathieux, Federal Geographic Data Committee Office of the Secretariat, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Mail Stop 590, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); 703–648– 5175 (phone); or burbanma@usgs.gov (email). You may also find information about this ICR at www.reginfo.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract Respondents are submitting proposals to acquire funding for projects to help build the infrastructure necessary for the geospatial data community to effectively discover, access, share, manage, and use digital geographic data. The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) consists of the technologies, policies, organizations, and people necessary to promote cost-effective production, and the ready availability and greater utilization of geospatial data among a variety of sectors, disciplines, and communities. Specific NSDI areas of emphasis include: Metadata E:\FR\FM\07AUN1.SGM 07AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 152 (Friday, August 7, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47511-47512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19400]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX15BA02EEW0200]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments; 
USA National Phenology Network--The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal 
Observing Program

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a revision of a currently approved information 
collection.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) 
described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 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 
collection is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2016.

DATES: To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive 
them on or before October 6, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this information collection to 
the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648-
7197 (fax); or gs-info_collections@usgs.gov (email). Please reference 
`Information Collection 1028-0103, USA National Phenology Network--The 
Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program' in all 
correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jake Weltzin, U.S. Geological Survey, 
1955 East 6th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 (mail); (520) 626-3821 (phone); 
or jweltzin@usgs.gov (email). You may also find information about this 
ICR at www.reginfo.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The USA-NPN is a program sponsored by the USGS that uses

[[Page 47512]]

standardized forms for tracking plant and animal activity as part of a 
project called Nature's Notebook. The Nature's Notebook forms are used 
to record phenology (e.g., timing of leafing or flowering of plants and 
reproduction or migration of animals) as part of a nationwide effort to 
understand and predict how plants and animals respond to environmental 
variation and changes in weather and climate. Contemporary data 
collected through Nature's Notebook are quality-checked, described and 
made publicly available; data are used to inform decision-making in a 
variety of contexts, including agriculture, drought monitoring, and 
wildfire risk assessment. Phenological information is also critical for 
the management of wildlife, invasive species, and agricultural pests, 
and for understanding and managing risks to human health and welfare, 
including allergies, asthma, and vector-borne diseases. Participants 
may contribute phenology information to Nature's Notebook through a 
browser-based web application or via mobile applications for iPhone and 
Android operating systems, meeting GPEA requirements. The web 
application interface consists several components: User registration, a 
searchable list of 1,016 plant and animal species which can be 
observed; a ``profile'' for each species that contains information 
about the species including its description and the appropriate 
monitoring protocols; a series of interfaces for registering as an 
observer, registering a site, registering plants and animals at a site, 
generating datasheets to take to the field, and a data entry page that 
mimics the datasheets.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1028-0103.
    Form Number: Various (4 forms).
    Title: USA National Phenology Network--The Nature's Notebook Plant 
and Animal Observing Program.
    Type of Request: Notice of an extension of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Members of the public, registered with Nature's 
Notebook.
    Respondent's Obligation: None. Participation is voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion. During the Spring and Fall 
seasons when phenology is changing quickly, we recommend respondents 
make observations twice per week.
    Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: We project that 6,478 
responders will register with Nature's Notebook, and of those 648 will 
watch the training videos. The same 6,478 responders will contribute 
2,627,155 observation records. In total, this will result in 2,634,269 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: When joining the program, responders 
spend 13 minutes each to register and read guidelines and 83 minutes to 
watch all training videos. After that responders may spend about 2 
minutes per record to observe and submit phenophase status record.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 89,871.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
estimate the total annual non-hour cost burden to be $11,447. This cost 
applies to new observers and includes material used to mark sites or 
plants during the first observation. Marking helps to ensure reporting 
consistency for future observations.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency 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 and current expiration date.

III. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting comments as to: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its 
duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and (d) how to minimize the burden 
on the respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice 
are a matter of public record. Before including your personal mailing 
address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable 
information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire 
comment, including your personally identifiable information, may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personally identifiable information from 
public view, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Jake Weltzin,
Program Manager, Status & Trends Program and Executive Director, USA 
National Phenology Network.
[FR Doc. 2015-19400 Filed 8-6-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4311-AM-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.