[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 105 (Thursday, May 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 24977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11626]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Permits for Incidental Taking of Endangered or Threatened 
Species.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0230.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (extension of a currently approved 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 48.
    Average Hours per Response: 80 hours for a permit application 
(including Habitat Conservation Plans), 40 minutes for transfer of an 
incidental take permit; 8 hours for a permit report, 30 minutes for a 
Certificate of Inclusion and 10 hours for a watershed plan.
    Burden Hours: 795.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for an extension of a currently 
approved information collection.
    The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 
imposed prohibitions against the taking of endangered species. In 1982, 
Congress revised the ESA to allow permits authorizing the taking of 
endangered species incidental to otherwise lawful activities. The 
corresponding regulations (50 CFR part 222.222) established procedures 
for persons to apply for such a permit. In addition, the regulations 
set forth specific reporting requirements for such permit holders.
    The regulations contain three sets of information collections: (l) 
Applications for incidental take permits, (2) applications for 
certificates of inclusion, and (3) reporting requirements for permits 
issued. Certificates of inclusion are only required if a general permit 
is issued to a representative of a group of potential permit 
applicants, rather than requiring each entity to apply for and receive 
a permit.
    The required information is used to evaluate the impacts of the 
proposed activity on endangered species, to make the determinations 
required by the ESA prior to issuing a permit, and to establish 
appropriate permit conditions.
    When a species is listed as threatened, section 4(d) of the ESA 
requires the Secretary to issue whatever regulations are deemed 
necessary or advisable to provide for conservation of the species. In 
many cases those regulations reflect blanket application of the section 
9 take prohibition. However, the National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) recognizes certain exceptions to that prohibition, including 
habitat restoration actions taken in accord with approved state 
watershed action plans. While watershed plans are prepared for other 
purposes in coordination with or fulfillment of various state programs, 
a watershed group wishing to take advantage of the exception for 
restoration activities (rather than obtaining a section 10 permit) 
would have to submit the plan for NMFS review.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit; not-for-profit institutions, and state, local, or tribal 
government.
    Frequency: Annually and on occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. 
Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections 
currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: May 24, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-11626 Filed 5-30-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P