[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 45 (Thursday, March 7, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14775-14776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05325]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of 
Coastal Managers To Assess Needs for Ecological Forecasts

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 May 6, 2013.

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 Elizabeth Turner (603) 862-4680 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for a new survey of coastal managers to determine 
their needs and potential uses for ecological forecasts or scenarios. 
Coastal managers would be staff from state agencies who deal with 
issues such as coastal water quality and habitat management. The survey 
will be conducted under a cooperative agreement between the NOAA 
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) and HDR, Inc., an 
environmental consulting firm. NOAA has a long history of conducting 
operational modeling and forecasting, mostly in the National Weather 
Service

[[Page 14776]]

for weather and climate and the National Ocean Service for tides and 
currents. Expanding this capacity to include forecasting of ecological 
trends and conditions can be critical to many coastal management 
applications. This survey will help to assess coastal managers' needs 
for ecological forecasts and scenarios, and how such forecasts may be 
used in management contexts.

II. Method of Collection

    Coastal managers will be emailed a link to an internet survey. The 
survey will be a one-time needs assessment, and will not be repeated on 
a regular basis.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (request for a new information 
collection).
    Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; state, local, or 
tribal governments; business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 33.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 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: March 4, 2013.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-05325 Filed 3-6-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JS-P