[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56262-56263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25679]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GR17ND00GCT2800; OMB Control Number 1028--New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Phragmites Adaptive 
Management Framework

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
USGS is proposing a new information collection (IC).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 29, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this information collection to 
the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 159, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); or [email protected] (email). Please reference `Information 
Collection 1028--NEW, Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework' in all 
correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clint Moore, USGS Research Wildlife 
Biologist, at (706) 542-1166 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the USGS, in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, provide the general public and other 
Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, 
and continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the 
impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the 
public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format.
    We are soliciting comments on the proposed IC that is described 
below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper 
functions of the USGS; (2) will this information be processed and used 
in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how 
might the USGS enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (5) how might the USGS minimize the 
burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use 
of information technology.
    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 may 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.
    Abstract: The Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework (PAMF) is a 
collaborative effort to confront and reduce the spread of invasive 
Phragmites grass in the Great Lakes watershed. Phragmites is associated 
with reduced water quality, loss of biodiversity, reduced recreational 
opportunities, and increased fire hazards. Reducing or eliminating 
Phragmites throughout the region will reverse these deleterious effects 
and help achieve the comprehensive restoration goals for the Great 
Lakes basin (see the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at https://www.glri.us/). The PAMF initiative uses the principles of adaptive 
management, a learning-based form of management in which data gathered 
following a treatment action are used to improve the predictive models 
that inform the decision-making process itself. Identified as a 
priority by the multi-national Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative 
(http://www.greatlakesphragmites.net/), PAMF is a network of public and 
private cooperators who share a common desire to reduce or eradicate 
invasive Phragmites on lands that they manage. Membership in PAMF is 
voluntary and occurs after the cooperator has decided to treat 
Phragmites. A process is being developed to deliver site-specific 
guidance to participants that will both help them understand what 
treatment approach is most likely to achieve their management 
objectives and support regional adaptive learning through improvements 
and feedbacks to underlying scientific models. Cooperators will monitor 
and report vegetation characteristics on lands enrolled in the program, 
and they will report attributes about treatments

[[Page 56263]]

applied. The data will be used in analytical routines that will 
indicate a best treatment action to apply based on measured conditions 
and will update the set of predictive models that underlie the decision 
support tool. USGS is providing scientific leadership to the initiative 
through the development of models, monitoring design, data systems, and 
a workflow to process the collected data into management guidance.
    Title: Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework.
    OMB Control Number: 1028--NEW.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Affected Public: General public, private-sector business entities, 
NGOs, governmental entities (Federal, State, Local, Tribal, 
Provincial).
    Frequency of Collection: Information is collected twice annually 
for each enrolled parcel, for as long as participant is enrolled in the 
program.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 200.
    Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 400.
    Estimated Time per Response: An individual is expected to complete 
one response in about 4 hours, including review of training materials, 
traversing the property to observe conditions, and entering information 
into a web-based form.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 1,600.
    Respondent's Obligation: Participation is voluntary but is required 
to obtain treatment guidance.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: 
None.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to 
respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.
    The authorities for this action are Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Russell Strach,
Center Director, USGS Great Lakes Science Center.
[FR Doc. 2017-25679 Filed 11-27-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4338-11-P