[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 172 (Friday, September 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53018-53019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21125]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Regional 
Economic Data Collection Program for Southwest Alaska

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 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 November 4, 
2014.

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 Chang Seung, (206) 526-4250 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for a new information collection.
    Regional or community economic analysis of proposed fishery 
management policies is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and 
Executive Order 12866, among others. To satisfy these mandates and 
inform policymakers and the public of the likely regional economic 
impacts associated with fishery management policies, appropriate 
economic models and the data to implement them are needed. Much of the 
data required for regional economic analysis of Southwest Alaska 
fisheries are either unavailable or unreliable. Accurate fishery-level 
data on employment, labor income, and expenditures in the Southwest 
Alaska fishery and related industries are not generally available but 
are needed to estimate the role of fisheries and effects of fishery 
policies on local, regional and national economies. The Southwest 
region for this survey includes six boroughs and census areas (BCAs)--
Aleutians East Borough, Aleutians West Census Area, Bristol Bay 
Borough, Dillingham Census Area, Lake and Peninsula Borough, and Kodiak 
Island Borough.
    In 2007-2008, a similar data collection project was administered 
for the Southwest Alaska region by obtaining 2006 annual data. However, 
that data is now outdated and incomplete. In the proposed survey, 2013 
or 2014 annual data for important regional economic variables will be 
collected from fish harvesting and seafood processing businesses 
operating in the region (2012 data on these variables will be collected 
if more recent vessel landings and processed products data are not 
available at the time the data collection begins). The data will be 
used to develop Southwest regional and BCA-level models that will 
provide more reliable impact estimates and significantly improve 
policymakers' ability to assess effects on fishery-dependent 
communities in Southwest Alaska. A departure from the prior survey 
effort is that more information will be collected this time on the 
source locations of business expenditures by catcher vessels and 
seafood processors. The survey will be conducted one time only.
    A mail survey will be used to collect data on employment, labor 
income, and expenditures from owners of 2,731 catcher vessels whose 
boats delivered fish to Southwest Alaska processors. Key informant 
interviews will be conducted to gather additional information from 30 
seafood processors, including catcher-processor and floating processor 
vessels, and 20 local businesses that supply inputs to regional fish 
harvesters and seafood processors. The interviews will be used to 
determine relative expenditures for inputs made in nine geographical 
areas--(1) each of the six BCAs within the Southwest region, (2) non-
Southwest Alaska region, (3) West Coast, and (4) the rest of US and 
elsewhere. Personal interviews with input suppliers will gather 
additional information on (i) the level of supplier sales to regional 
seafood industry businesses, and (ii) the portion of business 
expenditures for labor and non-labor inputs that were made in each of 
the above nine geographical areas.

II. Method of Collection

    Mail surveys and personal or phone interviews will be used.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-xxxx.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (new information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,415.
    Estimated Time per Response: 45 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,061.
    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

[[Page 53019]]

(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: August 29, 2014.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-21125 Filed 9-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P