Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Community Quota Entity (CQE) Program, 50644-50645 [2018-21815]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50644-50645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21815]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska 
Community Quota Entity (CQE) Program

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 December 10, 
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 [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Gabrielle Aberle, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    The Community Quota Entity (CQE) Program provides eligible 
communities in Alaska the means for starting or supporting commercial 
fisheries activities that will result in an ongoing, regionally based, 
fisheries-related economy. Under the Community Quota Entity Program, 46 
eligible communities are authorized to form nonprofit entities called 
CQEs to participate in certain Federal limited access privilege 
programs.
    Under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) CQE Program, CQEs may 
purchase commercial halibut and sablefish quota share (QS) for lease to 
residents of the eligible community. Under the Charter Halibut Limited 
Access Program, CQEs may request community charter halibut permits 
(CHPs) for use in southeast Alaska and the central Gulf of Alaska. 
Under the License Limitation Program (LLP), CQEs may request non-trawl 
groundfish LLP licenses endorsed for Pacific cod in the central or 
western Gulf of Alaska.
    This information collection contains the applications and reporting 
requirements for CQEs. This collection contains applications used by a 
nonprofit corporation to become a CQE; by CQEs to receive nontrawl 
groundfish LLP licenses and CHP permits; by CQEs to transfer or receive 
IFQ QS; by CQEs to transfer IFQ to an eligible community resident or 
non-resident; and by CQEs to transfer between commercial halibut IFQ 
and halibut guided angler fish (GAF). In addition, this collection 
contains two reporting requirements: An annual report and an 
authorization letter. Annually each CQE must submit a report describing 
its business operations and fishing activities for each eligible 
community it represents. CQEs requesting LLP groundfish licenses must 
annually submit an authorization letter that assigns each community LLP 
license to a user and vessel.

[[Page 50645]]

II. Method of Collection

    The applications are available as fillable PDFs on the NMFS Alaska 
Region website at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries-applications that may be downloaded, printed, faxed or mailed to NMFS. 
The CQE annual report must be mailed. The CQE authorization letter may 
be submitted as an attachment to an email.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0665.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; Individuals or 
households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 75.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 200 hours for Application for a Non-
profit Corporation to be Designated as a CQE; 2 hours each for 
Application to transfer QS IFQ to or from a CQE, Application for CQE to 
Transfer IFQ to an Eligible Community Resident or Non-resident, and 
Application for Transfer between IFQ and GAF by a CQE; 20 hours for 
Application for a CQE to Receive a Nontrawl Groundfish LLP License; 40 
hours for CQE Annual Report; 1 hour each for Application for Community 
Charter Halibut Permit and CQE LLP Authorization Letter.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,884 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $264 in recordkeeping and 
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: October 3, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-21815 Filed 10-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-12-P