[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 2, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50689-50690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18195]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request: Socioeconomics 
of Ocean Recreation Operations in the Monterey Bay, Greater Farallones 
and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries

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 October 3, 2016.

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 Dr. Danielle Schwarzmann 240-533-0705 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for a new information collection to benefit natural 
resource managers in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary 
(GFNMS), Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS) and the 
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). The National Ocean 
Service (NOS), Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) proposes to 
collect information from wildlife watching operations to ascertain the 
market value of marine wildlife via the ocean recreational industry in 
the region that serves passengers aboard their vessels that take people 
out for non-consumptive recreation in and around the three sanctuaries.
    Up-to-date socioeconomic data is needed to support the conservation 
and management goals of GFNMS, CBNMS and MBNMS to strengthen and 
improve conservation of marine wildlife, including whales, pinnipeds, 
sea otters, and seabirds within the jurisdiction of the sanctuary and 
to satisfy legal mandates under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 
U.S.C. 1431 et seq), Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq), 
Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq), National 
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321), Executive Order 12866 (EO 
12866), and other pertinent statutes.
    GFNMS, CBNMS and MBNMS have identified a lack of baseline 
socioeconomic information on ocean recreation businesses. The 
information is not available to assess the possible economic benefits 
of marine wildlife protection to the local economy, or the potential 
impact on ocean recreation businesses. The type of data targeted for 
this collection; that is, information on costs and earnings from the 
marine wildlife watching industry, are only currently available for 
recreational and commercial fishing. Thus, current economic information 
on the importance of marine wildlife to the local tourism industry is 
required. We already have approval for the survey of for hire 
operations in MBNMS under OMB Control No. 0648-0726. The primary focus 
for this survey will be to gather data on the non-consumptive, market 
value of marine wildlife. Specifically, researchers will collect data 
to determine the contribution of marine wildlife watching operations to 
the economy in the regions.
    A second component of the proposed research is the survey of 
passengers of the for hire operations. The primary focus of this survey 
is to obtain demographic profiles of users, spending on wildlife 
viewing trips to estimate the economic impact/contribution to the local 
economy and the non-market economic value of the use and how those 
values change with changes in user and natural resource attributes. 
This information will be required for all three sanctuaries.

II. Method of Collection

    For the for hire operations, a research team goes into the business 
to fill-out forms using records provided by the businesses and answers 
to questions in a face-to-face interview.
    For passengers aboard the operations vessels, respondents have a 
choice of either electronic or paper forms. Methods of submittal 
include email of electronic forms, and mail and facsimile transmission 
of paper forms.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-XXXX.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (request for a new information 
collection).
    Affected Public: For profit organizations; individuals or 
households.
    For-Hire Operation Survey:
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 30.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2.5 hours per survey
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 75 hours.
    Passenger Survey:
    Estimated Number of Respondents Survey: 3,000.
    Total Annual Burden Hours All Surveys: 2,120 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: Other than burden hours 
there will be no cost to the public.

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)

[[Page 50690]]

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: July 27, 2016.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-18195 Filed 8-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P