[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 67790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27621]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 220 / Wednesday, November 14, 2012 / 
Notices  

[[Page 67790]]



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: Socioeconomics of Commercial Fishers and For Hire Diving and 
Fishing Operations in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine 
Sanctuary.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0597.
    Form Number(s): NA.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 27.
    Average Hours per Response: 3.
    Burden Hours: 80.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for an extension of a currently 
approved information collection.
    The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 USC 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 not begun due 
to lack of funding; we have the funding now and expect to complete 
these interviews. The for-hire dive and fishing industries are dynamic 
with entry and exit of businesses. We estimate the possibility of up to 
four new businesses over the next three years.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: One time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: [email protected].
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0336, 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: November 8, 2012.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-27621 Filed 11-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P