[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 209 (Monday, October 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54316-54317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23546]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Economic Value 
of the Reduction in the Risk of Whale Strikes in the Channel Islands 
National Marine Sanctuary

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, (301) 713-7261 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    NOAA is sponsoring a class project at the Bren School of Management 
& Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara to estimate 
the market and non-market economic values associated with the reduction 
in risk of whale strikes by different scenarios of changes in traffic 
lanes and/or vessel speeds for major commercial vessels operating in 
the region of southern California where the Channel Islands National 
Marine Sanctuary is located.
    The required information is to conduct surveys of the for hire 
operations that take people out for non-consumptive recreation to watch 
whales or other wildlife to obtain total use by type of activity (e.g. 
whale watching, and other wildlife observation) and the spatial use by 
type of activity. Information will also be obtained on costs-and-
earnings of the operations 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 the reduction in the risk of whale 
strikes. Additional information will be obtained on importance-
satisfaction ratings of key natural resource attributes, facilities and 
services along with demographic profiles of passengers.

[[Page 54317]]

    Note: We have completed the for-hire operations survey and one 
season of the Passenger Survey. We need to complete the second season 
of the Passenger Survey.

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 
whale watching trip. The on-site survey will obtain information on 
demographic profiles, annual number of whale watching trips in the 
Channel Islands region, and their non-market economic use value for 
reductions in the risk of whale strikes. Self-addressed, postage paid 
mail back questionnaires will be used for importance-satisfaction 
ratings and whale watching trip expenditures.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0729.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Affected Public: Business operations and Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 25 for hire operations and 500 
individuals on-site, 250 for importance-satisfaction mail back and 200 
for the expenditure mailback.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours per for hire operation, 20 
minutes per on-site interview of passengers, 20 minutes per importance-
satisfaction mail back and 20 minutes for the expenditure mail back.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 367 total: 50 hours for ``for 
hire'' operations, 167 hours for the on-site survey of passengers, 83 
hours for the importance-satisfaction mail back and 67 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. 2018-23546 Filed 10-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P