Endangered and Threatened Species; Initiation of 5-Year Reviews for the Endangered Fin Whale, Endangered Gray Whale Western North Pacific Distinct Population Segment, and Endangered Sei Whale, 4032-4033 [2018-01619]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 19 / Monday, January 29, 2018 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and
Technology
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Proposed Information Collection;
Comment Request; Weather
Modification Activities Reports
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35).
Agency: National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Commerce.
Title: Proposed Information
Collection; Comment Request;
Organization of Scientific Area
Committees for Forensic Science
(OSAC) Membership Application.
OMB Control Number: 0693–0070.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular.
Number of Respondents: 1,000 per
year.
Average Hours per Response: 30
minutes.
Burden Hours: 500 per year.
Needs and Uses: The information
requested will allow NIST to fill new
positions created within the
Organization of Scientific Area
Committees for Forensic Science
(OSAC) and to replace positions vacated
by resignation or rotation. Over 550
OSAC Members participate in the OSAC
with up to 1⁄3 of them being eligible for
reappointment or replacement each
year. This effort provides a coordinated
U.S. approach to the development of
scientifically sound forensic science
standards and ensures broad
participation from forensic science
practitioners, researchers, metrologists,
quality assurance experts, defense, and
prosecution.
Affected Public: Individuals or
households.
Frequency: Once a year.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
This information collection request
may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow
the instructions to view Department of
Commerce collections currently under
review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department Lead PRA Officer, Office of the
Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018–01566 Filed 1–26–18; 8:45 am]
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National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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 30, 2018.
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 pracomments@doc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection
instrument and instructions should be
directed to Kandis Boyd, (301) 734–
1026 or weather.modification@
noaa.gov.
SUMMARY:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Type of Review: Regular submission
(reinstatement without change).
Affected Public: Business or other
non-profit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
55.
Estimated Time per Response: 30
minutes per report (2 reports each).
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 55.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $275 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 23, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
I. Abstract
[FR Doc. 2018–01533 Filed 1–26–18; 8:45 am]
This request is for reinstatement,
without changes, of a current
information collection.
Section 6(b) of Public Law 92–205
requires that persons who engage in
weather modification activities (e.g.,
cloud seeding) provide reports prior to
and after the activity. They are also
required to maintain certain records.
The requirements are detailed in 15 CFR
part 908. NOAA uses the data for
scientific research, historical statistics,
international reports and other
purposes.
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II. Method of Collection
Respondents have a choice of either
electronic or paper forms. Methods of
submittal include email of electronic
forms, mail and facsimile transmission
of paper forms.
III. Data
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RIN 0648–XF974]
Endangered and Threatened Species;
Initiation of 5-Year Reviews for the
Endangered Fin Whale, Endangered
Gray Whale Western North Pacific
Distinct Population Segment, and
Endangered Sei Whale
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of initiation of 5-year
reviews; request for information.
AGENCY:
NMFS announces its intent to
conduct 5-year reviews for the
endangered fin whale (Baleaenoptera
physalus), the endangered gray whale
SUMMARY:
OMB Control Number: 0648–0025.
Form Number: NOAA Forms 17–4
and 17–4A.
PO 00000
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
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29JAN1
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 19 / Monday, January 29, 2018 / Notices
(Eschrichtius robustus) Western North
Pacific distinct population segment
(DPS), and the endangered sei whale
((Baleaenoptera borealis). NMFS is
required by the Endangered Species Act
(ESA) to conduct 5-year reviews to
ensure that the listing classifications of
the species are accurate. The 5-year
reviews must be based on the best
scientific and commercial data available
at the time. We request submission of
any such information on the fin whale,
gray whale Western North Pacific DPS,
and the sei whale, particularly,
information on the status, threats, and
recovery of the species that has become
available since the previous status
review for the fin whale in 2011, the
gray whale Western North Pacific DPS
in 1991, and the sei whale in 2012.
DATES: To allow us adequate time to
conduct this review, we must receive
your information no later than March
30, 2018. However, we will continue to
accept new information about any listed
species at any time.
ADDRESSES: You may submit
information on this document identified
by NOAA–NMFS–2018–0008 by either
of the following methods:
• Electronic submission: Submit
electronic information via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov. To submit
information via the e-Rulemaking
Portal, first click the ‘‘submit a
comment’’ icon, then enter NOAA–
NMFS–2018–0008 in the keyword
search. Locate the document you wish
to respond to from the resulting list and
click on the ‘‘Submit a Comment’’ icon
on the right of that line.
• Mail or hand-deliver: Submit
written comments to Endangered
Species Conservation Division, Office of
Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 EastWest Highway, Room 13535, Silver
Spring, MD 20910; Attn: Therese
Conant.
Instructions: Information must be
submitted by one of the above methods
to ensure that the information is
received, documented, and considered
by NMFS. Information sent by any other
method, to any other address or
individual, or received after the end of
the specified period, may not be
considered. All information received is
a part of the public record and will
generally be posted for public viewing
on www.regulations.gov without change.
All personal identifying information
(e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential
business information, or otherwise
sensitive or protected information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. NMFS will
accept anonymous submissions (enter
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:19 Jan 26, 2018
Jkt 244001
‘‘N/A’’ in the required fields if you wish
to remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Therese Conant at the above address, by
phone at (916) 930–3627 or
therese.conant@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
notice announces our active review of
the fin whale, gray whale Western North
Pacific DPS, and sei whale. Section
4(c)(2)(A) of the ESA requires that we
conduct a review of listed species at
least once every five years. The
regulations in 50 CFR 424.21 require
that we publish a notice in the Federal
Register announcing species currently
under active review. On the basis of
such reviews under section 4(c)(2)(B),
we determine whether a species should
be delisted or reclassified from
endangered to threatened or from
threatened to endangered. As described
by the regulations in 50 CFR 424.11(d),
delisting a species must be supported by
the best scientific and commercial data
available and only considered if such
data substantiates that the species is
neither endangered nor threatened for
one or more of the following reasons: (1)
The species is considered extinct; (2)
the species is considered to be
recovered; or (3) the original data
available when the species was listed, or
the interpretation of such data, were in
error. Any change in Federal
classification would require a separate
rulemaking process. The fin whale, gray
whale, and sei whale were listed as
endangered under the ESA on December
2, 1970 (35 FR 18319).
Background information on the fin
whale, gray whale Western North
Pacific DPS, and sei whale including the
endangered listing, is available on the
NMFS Office of Protected Species
website at: https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/finwhale, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/
species/gray-whale, https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/seiwhale.
Determining if a Species Is Threatened
or Endangered
Section 4(a)(1) of the ESA requires
that we determine whether a species is
endangered or threatened based on one
or more of the five following factors: (1)
The present or threatened destruction,
modification, or curtailment of its
habitat or range; (2) overutilization for
commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes; (3) disease or
predation; (4) the inadequacy of existing
regulatory mechanisms; or (5) other
natural or manmade factors affecting its
continued existence. Section 4(b) also
requires that our determination be made
PO 00000
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4033
on the basis of the best scientific and
commercial data available after
conducting a review of the status of the
species and after taking into account
those efforts, if any, being made by any
State or foreign nation, to protect such
species.
Public Solicitation of New Information
To ensure that the 5-year reviews are
complete and based on the best
available scientific and commercial
data, we are soliciting new information
from the public, governmental agencies,
Tribes, the scientific community,
industry, environmental entities, and
any other interested parties concerning
the status of fin whale, gray whale
Western North Pacific DPS, and the sei
whale. Categories of requested
information include: (1) Species biology
including, but not limited to, population
trends, distribution, abundance,
demographics, and genetics; (2) habitat
conditions including, but not limited to,
amount, distribution, and important
features for conservation; (3) status and
trends of threats; (4) conservation
measures that have been implemented
that benefit the species, including
monitoring data demonstrating
effectiveness of such measures; (5) need
for additional conservation measures;
and (6) other new information, data, or
corrections including, but not limited
to, taxonomic or nomenclatural changes
and improved analytical methods for
evaluating extinction risk.
If you wish to provide information for
the 5-year reviews, you may submit
your information and materials
electronically or via mail (see
ADDRESSES section). We request that all
information be accompanied by
supporting documentation such as
maps, bibliographic references, or
reprints of pertinent publications. We
also would appreciate the submitter’s
name, address, and any association,
institution, or business that the person
represents; however, anonymous
submissions will also be accepted.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: January 24, 2018.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office
of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–01619 Filed 1–26–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4032-4033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01619]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RIN 0648-XF974]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Initiation of 5-Year Reviews
for the Endangered Fin Whale, Endangered Gray Whale Western North
Pacific Distinct Population Segment, and Endangered Sei Whale
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of initiation of 5-year reviews; request for
information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to conduct 5-year reviews for the
endangered fin whale (Baleaenoptera physalus), the endangered gray
whale
[[Page 4033]]
(Eschrichtius robustus) Western North Pacific distinct population
segment (DPS), and the endangered sei whale ((Baleaenoptera borealis).
NMFS is required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to conduct 5-year
reviews to ensure that the listing classifications of the species are
accurate. The 5-year reviews must be based on the best scientific and
commercial data available at the time. We request submission of any
such information on the fin whale, gray whale Western North Pacific
DPS, and the sei whale, particularly, information on the status,
threats, and recovery of the species that has become available since
the previous status review for the fin whale in 2011, the gray whale
Western North Pacific DPS in 1991, and the sei whale in 2012.
DATES: To allow us adequate time to conduct this review, we must
receive your information no later than March 30, 2018. However, we will
continue to accept new information about any listed species at any
time.
ADDRESSES: You may submit information on this document identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2018-0008 by either of the following methods:
Electronic submission: Submit electronic information via
the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov. To submit
information via the e-Rulemaking Portal, first click the ``submit a
comment'' icon, then enter NOAA-NMFS-2018-0008 in the keyword search.
Locate the document you wish to respond to from the resulting list and
click on the ``Submit a Comment'' icon on the right of that line.
Mail or hand-deliver: Submit written comments to
Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13535, Silver Spring, MD
20910; Attn: Therese Conant.
Instructions: Information must be submitted by one of the above
methods to ensure that the information is received, documented, and
considered by NMFS. Information sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the specified
period, may not be considered. All information received is a part of
the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive or protected information submitted
voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept
anonymous submissions (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish
to remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Therese Conant at the above address,
by phone at (916) 930-3627 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces our active review of
the fin whale, gray whale Western North Pacific DPS, and sei whale.
Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the ESA requires that we conduct a review of
listed species at least once every five years. The regulations in 50
CFR 424.21 require that we publish a notice in the Federal Register
announcing species currently under active review. On the basis of such
reviews under section 4(c)(2)(B), we determine whether a species should
be delisted or reclassified from endangered to threatened or from
threatened to endangered. As described by the regulations in 50 CFR
424.11(d), delisting a species must be supported by the best scientific
and commercial data available and only considered if such data
substantiates that the species is neither endangered nor threatened for
one or more of the following reasons: (1) The species is considered
extinct; (2) the species is considered to be recovered; or (3) the
original data available when the species was listed, or the
interpretation of such data, were in error. Any change in Federal
classification would require a separate rulemaking process. The fin
whale, gray whale, and sei whale were listed as endangered under the
ESA on December 2, 1970 (35 FR 18319).
Background information on the fin whale, gray whale Western North
Pacific DPS, and sei whale including the endangered listing, is
available on the NMFS Office of Protected Species website at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/fin-whale, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/gray-whale, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/sei-whale.
Determining if a Species Is Threatened or Endangered
Section 4(a)(1) of the ESA requires that we determine whether a
species is endangered or threatened based on one or more of the five
following factors: (1) The present or threatened destruction,
modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range; (2)
overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes; (3) disease or predation; (4) the inadequacy of
existing regulatory mechanisms; or (5) other natural or manmade factors
affecting its continued existence. Section 4(b) also requires that our
determination be made on the basis of the best scientific and
commercial data available after conducting a review of the status of
the species and after taking into account those efforts, if any, being
made by any State or foreign nation, to protect such species.
Public Solicitation of New Information
To ensure that the 5-year reviews are complete and based on the
best available scientific and commercial data, we are soliciting new
information from the public, governmental agencies, Tribes, the
scientific community, industry, environmental entities, and any other
interested parties concerning the status of fin whale, gray whale
Western North Pacific DPS, and the sei whale. Categories of requested
information include: (1) Species biology including, but not limited to,
population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics;
(2) habitat conditions including, but not limited to, amount,
distribution, and important features for conservation; (3) status and
trends of threats; (4) conservation measures that have been implemented
that benefit the species, including monitoring data demonstrating
effectiveness of such measures; (5) need for additional conservation
measures; and (6) other new information, data, or corrections
including, but not limited to, taxonomic or nomenclatural changes and
improved analytical methods for evaluating extinction risk.
If you wish to provide information for the 5-year reviews, you may
submit your information and materials electronically or via mail (see
ADDRESSES section). We request that all information be accompanied by
supporting documentation such as maps, bibliographic references, or
reprints of pertinent publications. We also would appreciate the
submitter's name, address, and any association, institution, or
business that the person represents; however, anonymous submissions
will also be accepted.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: January 24, 2018.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-01619 Filed 1-26-18; 8:45 am]
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