[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63086-63087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25054]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Contingent 
Valuation Surveys To Assess Value of Selected Hurricane Sandy 
Restoration Efforts in New York and New Jersey

AGENCY: National Ocean 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 December 22, 
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 Pete Wiley, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, 1305 
East West Hwy., Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-563-1141, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for a new information collection.
    Superstorm Sandy caused significant damage to the New York and New 
Jersey coast. There are numerous ongoing and planned projects to repair 
the damage caused by the storm. The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act 
of 2012 provided NOAA with funding to assess the ecosystem service 
values associated with restoration options being considered in the wake 
of Sandy. Two geographic areas that were particularly impacted by the 
Storm were the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in

[[Page 63087]]

New Jersey and Jamaica Bay in New York. Under this collection effort, 
the NOAA Office for Coastal Management will implement a contingent 
valuation survey to assess the value of the ecosystem services that 
will be generated by restoration projects being implemented in both 
areas. Data will be collected from individuals who reside in the New 
York and New Jersey areas. NOAA will implement two separate surveys: 
One for each geographic area.
    There are a number of restoration projects that are ongoing in the 
Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and in Jamaica Bay. After reviewing 
the scope and focus of many of those restoration projects, NOAA has 
decided to focus on two specific projects. For the Forsythe National 
Wildlife Refuge, NOAA will focus on the work being done under a $15 
million project being conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 
The Forsythe project will focus on restoring and enhancing the salt 
marsh at the Refuge to act as a natural protection from storms and to 
act as a habitat for wildlife. In assessing ecosystem service benefits 
for the Forsythe restoration work, NOAA will focus on the value of the 
salt marsh for storm protection, habitat, and recreation, as well as 
other possible ecosystem services.
    The Jamaica Bay area has a number of planned and ongoing projects. 
NOAA has decided to focus on work being conducted at Spring Creek Park 
on the northern point of Jamaica Bay. The restoration work at the park 
will involve improving habitat and storm and flood protection. NOAA 
will focus on the associated ecosystem services from habitat 
improvements and the added storm and flood protection.
    NOAA is currently contacting and working with partners and 
stakeholders at each site to ensure the relevancy of this work.

II. Method of Collection

    NOAA will collect these data using a web-based survey instrument 
and will be using an online panel. The panel will consist of 
individuals who reside in the two areas. A number of firms maintain 
online panels to use in survey efforts. These firms recruit individuals 
to be part of the panels and target their recruitment efforts to 
develop panels that are representative of the general population. 
Individuals who are part of these panels have agreed to participate in 
online surveys. To access the panel, NOAA will contract with one of the 
firms who maintains an online panel.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-xxxx.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (request for a new information 
collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 400.
    Estimated Time per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 134 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in capital and reporting/
recordkeeping 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: October 16, 2014.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-25054 Filed 10-21-14; 8:45 am]
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