Geological Survey – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), through the BroadbandUSA program, in conjunction with Next Century Cities will hold a one-day regional broadband summit, ``Digital New England,'' to share information to help communities build their broadband capacity and utilization. The summit will present best practices and lessons learned from broadband network infrastructure build-outs and digital inclusion programs from Maine and surrounding states, including projects funded by NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and State Broadband Initiative (SBI) grant programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.\1\ The summit will also explore effective business and partnership models.

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Finance Committee will hold a Special Meeting via telephone conference (teleconference) on August 5, 2015.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will convene a meeting of a privacy multistakeholder process concerning the commercial use of facial recognition technology on July 28, 2015.

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on June 9-10, 2015 at the South Interior Building Auditorium, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20240. The meeting will be held in the first floor Auditorium. The NGAC, which is composed of representatives from governmental, private sector, non-profit, and academic organizations, was established to advise the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) on management of Federal geospatial programs, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), and the implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16. Topics to be addressed at the meeting include:

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. This collection consists of 27 forms. As part of the requested extension, we will make several revisions to the number of the associated collection instruments. These revisions include: (1) Deleting USGS Form 9-4053-A, USGS Form 9-4073-A, and USGS Form 9-4097- A; (2) changing USGS Form 9-4094-A and USGS Form 9-4095-A from monthly and annual to annual-only reporting forms; (3) changing USGS Form 9- 4057-A and USGS Form 9-4060-A from quarterly and annual to annual-only reporting forms; and (4) decreasing the average burden time for USGS Form 9-4074-A from 2 hours to 1 hour. 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 August 31, 2015.

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 September 30, 2015.

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on March 17-18, 2015 at the South Interior Building Auditorium, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20240. The meeting will be held in the first floor Auditorium. The NGAC, which is composed of representatives from governmental, private sector, non-profit, and academic organizations, was established to advise the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) on management of Federal geospatial programs, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), and the implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16. Topics to be addressed at the meeting include: Leadership Dialogue FGDC Report (NSDI Strategic Plan Implementation, National Geospatial Data Asset Management Plan, Geospatial Platform) Crowd-Sourced Geospatial Data Geospatial Privacy 3D Elevation Program Landsat Subcommittee Activities The meeting will include an opportunity for public comment on March 18. Comments may also be submitted to the NGAC in writing. Members of the public who wish to attend the meeting must register in advance. Please register by contacting Lucia Foulkes at the U.S. Geological Survey (703-648-4142, lfoulkes@usgs.gov). Registrations are due by March 13, 2015. While the meeting will be open to the public, registration is required for entrance to the South Interior Building, and seating may be limited due to room capacity.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the information collection request (ICR) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 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 ICR.

In accordance with the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, we announce that the Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science will hold a meeting.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the ACWI. This meeting is to discuss broad policy-related topics relating to national water initiatives, and the development and dissemination of water information, through reports from ACWI subgroups. The agenda will include updates from ACWI's various subcommittees; a report on the 9th National Monitoring Conference, which was held earlier this year in Cincinnati, Ohio; a presentation of the water chapter of the Third National Climate Assessment; and a report on the Hydrologic Frequency Analysis Work Group's progress on revising Bulletin 17B, Guidelines For Determining Flood Flow Frequency. The ACWI was established under the authority of the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-92-01 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the ACWI is to provide a forum for water information users and professionals to advise the Federal Government on activities and plans that may improve the effectiveness of meeting the Nation's water information needs. Member organizations help to foster communications between the Federal and non-Federal sectors on sharing water information. Membership, limited to 35 organizations, represents a wide range of water resources interests and functions. Representation on the ACWI includes all levels of government, academia, private industry, and professional and technical societies. For more information on the ACWI, its membership, subgroups, meetings and activities, please see the Web site at: https://ACWI.gov.

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.

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) proposes to withdraw the Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS), Parts 1-7, https:// www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/FGDC-standards-projects/SDTS/ index html, as an FGDC-endorsed standard. FGDC maintenance authority agencies were asked to review the relevance of the SDTS, and they responded that the SDTS is no longer used by their agencies. The SDTS had provided a common mechanism for transferring digital geospatial data among different systems and for sharing and integrating data from many diverse sources. For more information about the SDTS, refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. The FGDC seeks comment from any organization that continues to provide data in the SDTS format and would prefer to retain the SDTS as an FGDC-endorsed standard. Alternatively, it seeks comment from any organization that supports withdrawal of the SDTS Parts 1-7 as an FGDC- endorsed standard. FGDC Standards Directive 9, Maintenance, https://www.fgdc.gov/standards/process/standards-directives/di rective- 09, requires a 90-day public comment period for proposals to withdraw FGDC-endorsed standards.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 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 IC is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2013.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 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.

The Department of the Interior is seeking nominations to serve on the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC). The NGAC is a Federal Advisory Committee established under the authority of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The Committee provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior through the Federal Geographic Data Committee related to management of Federal geospatial programs, development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and the implementation of Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16 and Executive Order 12906. The Committee reviews and comments upon geospatial policy and management issues and provides a forum for views of non-Federal stakeholders in the geospatial community.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 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 July 31, 2013.

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is conducting a public review of the draft National Shoreline Data Content Standard. The FGDC has developed a draft National Shoreline Data Content Standard that provides a framework for shoreline data development, sharing of data, and shoreline data transformation and fusion. The FGDC Coastal and Marine Spatial Data Subcommittee, chaired by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sponsored development of the draft standard. The FGDC Coordination Group, comprised of representatives of Federal agencies, has approved releasing this draft standard for public review and comment. The draft National Shoreline Data Content Standard defines attributes or elements that are common for shoreline data development and provides suggested domains for the elements. The functional scope includes definition of data models, schemas, entities, relationships, definitions, and crosswalks to related standards. The draft National Shoreline Data Content Standard is intended to enhance the shoreline framework by providing technical guidance on shoreline semantics, data structures and their relationships to builders and users of shoreline data. The geographical scope of the draft standard comprises all shorelines of navigable waters within the United States and its territories. The primary intended users of the National Shoreline Data Content Standard are the mapping, shoreline engineering, coastal zone management, flood insurance, and natural resource management communities. The FGDC invites all stakeholders to comment on this draft standard to ensure that it meets their needs. The draft National Shoreline Data Content Standard may be downloaded from https://www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/FGDC-standards- projects/shoreline-data-content/ revisedDraftNationalShorelineDataContentStandard. Comments shall be submitted using the content template at https://www.fgdc.gov/standards/ process/standards-directives/template.doc. Instructions for completing the comment template are found in FGDC Standards Directive 2d, Standards Working Group Review Guidelines: Review Comment Template, https://www.fgdc.gov/standards/process/standards-directives/di rective- 2d-standards-working-group-review-guidelines-review-comment-t emplate. Comments that concern specific issues/changes/additions may result in revisions to the National Shoreline Data Content Standard. Reviewers may obtain information about how comments were addressed upon request. After formal endorsement of the standard by the FGDC, the National Shoreline Data Content Standard and a summary analysis of the changes will be made available to the public on the FGDC Web site, www.fgdc.gov.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we (The U.S. Geological Survey) are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the information collection request (ICR) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 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 ICR.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is inviting comments on an information collection request (ICR) that we have sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The Information Collection, which is summarized below, describes the nature and the estimated burden of the collection. 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 ICR. This collection is scheduled to expire on February 28, 2013.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is inviting comments on an information collection request (ICR) that we have sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR concerns the paperwork requirements for the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR) USGS Competitive Grant Program. 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 ICR. This collection is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2013.

Pursuant to Public Law 106-503, the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC) will hold its next meeting on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines, Ballroom B, in Golden, Colorado. The Committee is comprised of members from academia, industry, and State government. The Committee shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on matters relating to the USGS's participation in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. The Committee will receive reports on the status of activities of the Program and progress toward Program goals and objectives. The Committee will assess this information and provide guidance on the future undertakings and direction of the Earthquake Hazards Program. Meetings of the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee are open to the public.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 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, 2013.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for an extension of a currently approved information collection (IC) for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP). The NCGMP has two components: Educational (EDMAP) and State (STATEMAP). This notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of this collection which is scheduled to expire on August 31, 2012.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) for renewal of the currently approved paperwork requirements for the Mineral Resources Program's (MRP) Mineral Resource External Research Program (MRERP). This notice provides the public and other Federal agencies an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these project narrative and report requirements. This collection is scheduled to expire on August 31, 2012.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is inviting comments on an information collection request (ICR) that we have sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR concerns the paperwork requirements for the ``North American Breeding Bird Survey.'' 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 ICR. This Information Collection is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2012.