[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61379-61380]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24183]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R7-MM-2013-N229; FF07CAMM00 FXFR133707PB000]


Proposed Information Collection; Incidental Take of Marine 
Mammals During Specified Oil and Gas Industry Activities

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) 
described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act 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 IC is scheduled to expire 
on January 31, 2014. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC, 
we must receive them by December 2, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the IC to the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 2042-
PDM, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail); or [email protected] (email). Please include ``1018-0070'' in the subject line 
of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this IC, contact Hope Grey at [email protected] (email) or 703-
358-2482 (telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This information collection includes requirements associated with 
specified oil and gas industry activities and their incidental taking 
of polar bears and Pacific walruses in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. 
The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 
1361 et seq.) imposed, with certain exceptions, a moratorium on the 
taking of marine mammals. Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA directs the 
Secretary of the Interior to allow, upon request by citizens of the 
United States, the taking of small numbers of marine mammals incidental 
to specified activities (other than commercial fishing) if the

[[Page 61380]]

Secretary makes certain findings and prescribes specific regulations 
that, among other things, establish permissible methods of taking.
    Applicants seeking to conduct activities must request a Letter of 
Authorization (LOA) for the specific activity and submit onsite 
monitoring reports and a final report of the activity to the Secretary. 
This is a nonform collection. Regulations at 50 CFR 18.27 outline the 
procedures and requirements for submitting a request. Specific 
regulations governing authorized activities in the Beaufort Sea are in 
50 CFR part 18, subpart J. Regulations governing authorized activities 
in the Chukchi Sea are in 50 CFR part 18, subpart I. These regulations 
provide the applicant with a detailed description of information that 
we need to evaluate the proposed activity and determine whether or not 
to issue specific regulations and, subsequently, LOAs.
    We use the information to verify the finding required to issue 
incidental take regulations, to decide if we should issue an LOA, and, 
if issued, what conditions should be in the LOA. In addition, we 
analyze the information to determine impacts to polar bears and Pacific 
walruses and the availability of those marine mammals for subsistence 
purposes of Alaska Natives.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0070.
    Title: Incidental Take of Marine Mammals During Specified Oil and 
Gas Industry Activities, 50 CFR 18.27 and 50 CFR Part 18, Subparts I 
and J.
    Service Form Number: None.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: Oil and gas industry companies.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit 
(incidental take regulations and/or a LOA).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 20.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

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                                                                      Completion
                                                       Number of       time per      Total annual
                     Activity                           annual         response      burden hours
                                                       responses        (hours)
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Application for procedural regulations \1\........               2             125             250
LOA Requests......................................              30               8             240
Onsite Monitoring and Observation Reports.........             300             1.5             450
Final Monitoring Report...........................              30              10             300
Polar Bear Den Report.............................               4              40             160
                                                   -------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals........................................             366  ..............           1,400
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\1\ Occurs once every 5 years.

III. Comments

    We invite comments concerning this information collection on:
     Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
     The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 
collection of information;
     Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this IC. Before including your address, phone number, 
email address, or other personal identifying information in your 
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your 
personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.

    Dated: September 27, 2013.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-24183 Filed 10-2-13; 8:45 am]
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