[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59657-59658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24738]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    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 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Elwha River Dam Removal and Floodplain Restoration Ecosystem 
Service Valuation Pilot.
    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number(s): NA.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (request for a new information 
collection).
    Number of Respondents: 164.
    Average Hours per Response: 1 hour for interviews, 2 hours for 
focus groups and stakeholder meetings.
    Burden Hours: 304.
    Needs and Uses: NOAA is requesting approval to conduct focus 
groups, stakeholder meetings and one-on-one interviews to develop and 
test the Elwha River Dam Removal and

[[Page 59658]]

Floodplain Restoration Ecosystem Service Valuation Survey. The planned 
removal of two hydroelectric dams on the Elwha River would be one of 
the largest dam removal projects in U.S. history. This project, along 
with restoration actions planned for the floodplain and drained 
reservoir basins, would have numerous impacts to people of the 
surrounding region. Impacted groups include recreators who engage in 
river activities such as fishing and rafting, reservoir users, and 
members of American Indian Tribes for whom the river has cultural, 
environmental, and economic significance. The dam removal and 
restoration actions could also have value to people throughout the 
Pacific Northwest and the U.S., regardless of whether they visit the 
Elwha River or Olympic Peninsula. Such nonuse value may be significant 
because the dam removal and habitat restoration will restore the river 
to more natural conditions and will restore threatened and endangered 
populations of salmon and other fish species. This project will also 
address an important gap in research on indirect and nonuse values 
provided by habitat restoration and protection.
    To ensure the survey questions and policy scenarios presented in 
this survey are accurate, easily understood, and the least burdensome, 
it is important to test the survey with small focus groups and in one-
on-one interviews.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: One-time only.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: [email protected].
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected].

    Dated: September 21, 2011.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-24738 Filed 9-26-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P