Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Socioeconomics of Commercial Fishers and For Hire Diving and Fishing Operations in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 910-911 [2016-145]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 5 (Friday, January 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 910-911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-145]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Socioeconomics 
of Commercial Fishers and For Hire Diving and Fishing Operations in the 
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 8, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at JJessup@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Dr. Vernon R. Leeworthy (240) 533-0647 or 
Bob.Leeworthy@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 911]]

I. Abstract

    This request is for reinstatement with change of a currently 
approved information collection.
    The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431, et seq.) 
authorizes the use of research and monitoring within National Marine 
Sanctuaries (NMS). In 1996, the Flower Gardens Bank National Marine 
Sanctuary (FGBNMS) was added to the system of NMS via 15 CFR part 922, 
subpart L. In 2001, Stetson Bank was added in a revision of 15 CFR part 
922.
    The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) specifies that each NMS 
should revise their management plans on a five-year cycle. The FGBNMS 
has begun the management plan review process. The NMSA also allows for 
the creation of Sanctuary Advisory Councils (SACs). SACs are comprised 
of representatives of all NMS stakeholders. Management Plan Review 
(MPR) is a public process and the SACs, along with a series of public 
meetings, are used to help scope out issues in revising the management 
plans and regulations. SAC Working Groups are often used to evaluate 
management or regulatory alternatives. In the current MPR for the 
FGBNMS, two major issues have emerged: Boundary expansion and research-
only areas. In addition, several new or modified regulations are being 
considered to meet specific needs for diver safety and resource 
protection (no anchoring/mooring buoy use requirement and a more 
stringent pollution discharge regulation).
    To address each one these issues, a socioeconomic panel composed of 
NOAA staff and social scientists from other agencies, or from 
universities, developed information and tools to assess the 
socioeconomic impacts of management strategies and regulatory 
alternatives. The information and tools developed in this process will 
also provide the necessary information for meeting agency requirements 
for socioeconomic impact analyses under the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA), Executive Order 12086 (Regulatory Impact Review) and 
an Initial and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analyses (impacts on small 
businesses). Our initial plan, as the first step in the assessment 
process, was to interview three key sanctuary user groups--commercial 
fishers, for-hire recreational dive operations and for-hire 
recreational fishing operations (charter and party/head boat 
operations)--with questions focusing on: (1) General information, 
economic information and trip costs and (2) knowledge, attitudes and 
perceptions of sanctuary management strategies and regulations.
    In 2011-2012, the for-hire dive and fishing industry interviews 
were completed. The commercial fisheries interviews were completed in 
2013.
    The FGBNMS management and SAC now want to evaluate moving the scope 
of boundary expansion eastward; this will require us to gather the same 
information for the three user groups in areas east of the original 
data collection.

II. Method of Collection

    Interviews will be conducted face-to-face and recorded on paper 
forms.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0597.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (reinstatement with change of a 
currently approved collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 27.
    Estimated Time per Response: Three hours per interview.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 81.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: January 4, 2016.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-145 Filed 1-7-16; 8:45 am]
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