[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 209 (Monday, October 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54317-54318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23545]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Economic Value 
of Non-Consumptive Recreation Use From Those Accessing the Monterey Bay 
National Marine Sanctuary via For Hire Operation Boats

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

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 28, 
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 Dr. Vernon R. (Bob) Leeworthy, 240-533-0647 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection. The collection was approved three years ago but had not 
begun.
    NOAA is mentoring student interns from the Monterey Institute for 
International Studies to estimate the market and non-market economic 
values associated with non-consumptive recreation uses (e.g. whale 
watching, other wildlife observation, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, beach 
activities, surfing, wind-surfing, kite boarding, paddle boarding, 
etc.) in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) for those 
accessing the MBNMS via ``for hire'' operation boats.
    The required information is to conduct surveys of the for hire 
operations that take people out for non-consumptive recreation to 
obtain total use by type of activity and the spatial use by type of 
activity. Information will also be obtained on costs-and-earnings of 
the operations, knowledge, attitudes & perceptions of sanctuary 
management strategies and regulations, and demographic information on 
owner/captains and crews. Surveys will also be conducted of the 
passengers aboard the for hire operation boats to obtain their market 
and non-market economic use values for non-consumptive recreation use 
and how those value change with changes in natural resource attribute 
conditions and user characteristics. Additional information will be 
obtained on importance-satisfaction ratings of key natural resource 
attributes, facilities and services, knowledge, attitudes and 
perceptions of management strategies and regulations, and demographic 
profiles of passengers. This survey was not started during the 2015-
2018 OMB approval period.

II. Method of Collection

    For the for hire operations, a team of students will go to the 
operations offices and collect the information. For the passengers, 
surveys will be conducted at the docks after the completion of their 
trips. The on-site survey will obtain information on demographic 
profiles, annual number of trips in the MBNMS for non-consumptive 
recreation, and their non-market economic use value. Self-addressed, 
postage paid mail back questionnaires will be used for importance-
satisfaction ratings, knowledge, attitudes and perceptions, and trip 
expenditures.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0726.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension).
    Affected Public: Business operations and Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 50 for hire operations and 1,000 
individuals on-site, 500 for importance-satisfaction/knowledge, 
attitudes and perceptions mail back and 400 for the expenditure 
mailback.

[[Page 54318]]

    Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours per for hire operation, 20 
minutes per on-site interview of passengers, 20 minutes per importance-
satisfaction/knowledge, attitudes & perceptions mail back, and 20 
minutes for the expenditure mail back.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 733 total: 100 hours for ``for 
hire'' operations, 333 hours for the on-site survey of passengers, 167 
hours for the importance-satisfaction/knowledge, attitudes & 
perceptions mail back and 133 hours for the expenditure mail back.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping/
reporting 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 24, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-23545 Filed 10-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P