[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48599-48600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20850]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of Uses 
of NOAA Ecological Forecasting Products in Western Lake Erie, the Gulf 
of Mexico, and Chesapeake Bay

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 November 26, 
2018.

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 Lonnie Gonsalves, NOAA National Ocean Service, National 
Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 1305 East West Hwy., Rm 8325, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910 (240) 533-0303, and [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for a new information collection.
    In recent years, harmful algal blooms (HABs) and waterborne 
pathogens such as Vibrio vulnificus have caused major health, 
ecological, and economic concerns. HABs and other waterborne pathogens 
can lead to a number of impacts including impaired drinking water, 
reduced recreational opportunities, and human health impacts from 
either ingesting affected fish/water or contact with the bloom. To 
better serve the public and its stakeholders, NOAA has developed 
forecasts of HABs extent and severity in the western Lake Erie and in 
the Gulf of Mexico and is finalizing development of a forecast for 
Vibrio vulnificus in Chesapeake Bay. These forecast products are 
designed to provide stakeholders and the public with information that 
can be used to make better decisions that would mitigate the impacts of 
HABs and waterborne pathogens.
    This request is for a set of related surveys to collect information 
on how stakeholders use NOAA's ecological forecast products in western 
Lake Erie, the Gulf of Mexico (the western shore of Florida and the 
Texas coastline), and Chesapeake Bay. The surveys are designed to 
collect similar information from the public and other stakeholders 
across the three geographic regions covered by the forecast products. 
The information from these surveys will assist NOAA in understanding 
how stakeholders, including the public, would use the forecast 
products. This information will help NOAA further improve upon 
research, development, and delivery of forecast products nation-wide.
    For western Lake Erie and the Gulf of Mexico, NOAA plans two 
related surveys in each region. First, NOAA will collect information 
from the public on how using the information in the forecast products 
would affect decisions related to fishing, swimming and boating. A 
companion survey would ask charter boat operators on Lake Erie how 
information in the forecast would affect their decisions regarding 
fishing operations. These activities (fishing, swimming and boating) 
reflect the types of activities likely to be affected by HABs in each 
area. Drinking water is also at risk in Lake Erie due to HABs, but NOAA 
has information on how drinking water facilities respond to HABS and is 
also discussing use of the forecast products with a small (fewer than 
10) number of drinking water facilities.
    For Chesapeake Bay, NOAA would implement one survey focused on 
recreational swimmers. The primary risk posed by Vibrio vulnificus is 
through contact with the bacterium; thus, NOAA determined that focusing 
on recreational swimmers use of the forecast product would be the most 
productive approach.

II. Method of Collection

    NOAA plans to collect these data using an online data collection 
firm to select public samples and administer the survey via the 
internet. For the charter boat surveys, NOAA will work with charter 
boat associations in the Lake Erie and Gulf of Mexico areas to 
distribute the survey link to their memberships. Data collection will 
focus on a small sample of drinking water and natural resource 
managers, public health officials, charter boat operators, and the 
public. NOAA is not concerned with collecting statistically 
representative data at this time as the limited sampling will 
adequately address how the public may use the data from the 
aforementioned HAB and pathogen forecasts.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-xxxx.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (new information collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 600.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.

[[Page 48600]]

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 150 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: September 20, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-20850 Filed 9-25-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P