[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52872-52873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21521]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Western Alaska 
Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program

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 December 2, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, Government 
Information Specialist, NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, 
NC 28801 (or via the internet at [email protected]). Comments will 
generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable 
Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by 
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. 
You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Gabrielle Aberle, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668. Telephone (907) 586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 52873]]

I. Abstract

    This request is for revision and extension of a current information 
collection.
    The Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program is an 
economic development program associated with federally managed 
fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI). The purpose of 
the program is to provide eligible western Alaska communities with the 
opportunity to participate and invest in fisheries in the BSAI, to 
support economic development in western Alaska, to alleviate poverty 
and provide economic and social benefits to residents of western 
Alaska, and to achieve sustainable local economies in western Alaska. 
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act allocates 
a portion of the annual catch limit for each directed fishery of the 
BSAI management area among six non-profit entities (CDQ groups) that 
represent 65 western Alaska communities. The CDQ groups administer the 
CDQ allocations, investments, and economic development projects. The 
CDQ groups use the revenue derived from the harvest of their fisheries 
allocations to fund economic development activities and provide 
employment opportunities.
    One component, the Annual Statement of Compliance, is being added 
to this collection. If this revision and extension is approved, this 
information collection will contain the following forms and components 
used for managing the CDQ fisheries:
     The Annual Statement of Compliance is a document required 
under section 305(i)(l)(E)(v) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act. Section 305(i)(l)(E)(v) requires that 
each year each CDQ group, following approval by its board of directors 
and signed by its chief executive officer, shall submit a written 
statement to the Secretary of Commerce and the State of Alaska that 
summarizes the purposes for which it made investments during the 
preceding year.
     The CDQ Vessel Registration System is an online system 
used by the CDQ groups to add small hook-and-line catcher vessels to 
the CDQ vessel registration list. Registered vessels are exempt from 
the requirements to obtain and carry a License Limitation Program 
license under regulations at 50 part 679. This system is also used to 
remove vessels from the CDQ vessel registration list.
     The Groundfish/Halibut CDQ and Prohibited Species Quota 
(PSQ) Transfer Request form is used to transfer annual amounts of 
groundfish and halibut CDQ and PSQ, except Bering Sea Chinook salmon, 
between two CDQ groups. This form is completed by the transferring and 
receiving CDQ groups.
     The Application for Approval of Use of Non-CDQ Harvest 
Regulations is used by a CDQ group, an association representing CDQ 
groups, or a voluntary fishing cooperative to request approval to use 
non CDQ harvest regulations when the CDQ regulations are more 
restrictive than the regulations otherwise required for participants in 
non-CDQ groundfish fisheries.
     An appeals process is provided for an applicant who 
receives an adverse initial administrative determination (IAD) related 
to its Application for Approval of Use of Non-CDQ Harvest Regulations. 
No such adverse IADs have been issued to date.

II. Method of Collection

    The CDQ Vessel Registration System is accessed online through eFISH 
on the NMFS Alaska Region website at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login. The Groundfish/Halibut CDQ and PSQ Transfer 
Request may be submitted through eFISH, or by mail or fax. The Annual 
Statement of Compliance and the Application for Approval of Use of Non-
CDQ Harvest Regulations may be submitted by email, fax, mail, or 
commercial carrier. Appeals may be submitted by fax, mail, or 
commercial carrier.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0269.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular Submission (Revision of a currently 
approved collection).
    Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; Business or other 
for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 6.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5 minutes to register and 5 minutes to 
print letter for CDQ Vessel Registration System; 35 minutes for 
Groundfish/Halibut CDQ and PSQ Transfer Request; 5 hours for 
Application for Approval of Use of Non-CDQ Harvest Regulations; and 4 
hours each for Appeals and the Annual Statement of Compliance.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 49 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $8 in recordkeeping and 
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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-21521 Filed 10-2-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P