[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 240 (Friday, December 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68144-68145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26829]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Marine Mammal 
Health and Stranding Response Program, Level A Stranding Report, 
Rehabilitation Disposition Data Sheet, and Human Interaction Form

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of 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: To ensure consideration, written or on-line comments must be 
submitted on or before February 11, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, 
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or via the 
internet at [email protected]). All comments received are part of the 
public record. 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Stephen Manley, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 
East-West Highway, #13604, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 427-8476 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for revision and extension of this previously 
approved data collection.
    Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Secretary of 
Commerce (Secretary), who has delegated responsibility under this Act 
to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Assistant 
Administrator for Fisheries, is charged with the protection and 
management of marine mammals and is responsible for collecting 
information on marine mammal strandings, which will be compiled and 
analyzed, by region, to monitor species, numbers, conditions, and 
causes of illnesses and deaths of stranded animals. The Secretary is 
also responsible for collection of information on other life history 
and reference level data, including marine mammal tissue analyses, that 
would allow comparison of the causes of illness and deaths in stranded 
marine mammals by physical, chemical, and biological environmental 
parameters.
    In addition, determinations must be made on the sustainability of 
population stocks, on the impact of fisheries and other human 
activities on marine mammals and endangered species, and on the health 
of marine mammals and related environmental considerations. NOAA's 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has the responsibility to 
carry out these mandates. Section 402(b) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1421a) 
requires the Secretary to collect and update information on strandings. 
It further provides that the Secretary shall compile and analyze, by 
region, the species, numbers, conditions, and causes of illnesses and 
deaths in stranded marine mammals. Section 404(a) of the MMPA (16 
U.S.C. 1421c) mandates that the Secretary respond to unusual marine 
mammal mortality events. Without a historical baseline provided by 
marine mammal information collected from strandings, detection of such 
events could be difficult and the investigation could be impeded. 
Section 401(b) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1421) requires NMFS to facilitate 
the collection and dissemination of reference data on the health of 
marine mammal populations in the wild and to correlate health with 
physical, chemical, and biological environmental parameters. In order 
to perform this function, NMFS must standardize data collection 
protocols for health and correlations. Data and samples collected from 
stranded animals are a critical part of the

[[Page 68145]]

implementation of this mandate of the MMPA.
    Specifically, the data from the Marine Mammal Stranding Report 
(MMSR) forms provide NMFS with information on the morphology, life 
history, biology, general health, health and stranding trends, causes 
of mortality, and distribution of marine mammal species. These data 
provide information which may help in making assessments on the status 
of population stocks. Recording data on gross mortalities may serve as 
an indicator that a particular population is impacted, threatened or at 
increased risk, and when provided in a timely manner, aid in dynamic 
management practices. Stranding data also provide an important baseline 
for detecting and monitoring the impacts of environmental phenomena, 
such as El Ni[ntilde]o and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Minor edits to 
the current version of the form are proposed, including beginning to 
collect live, entangled large whale data in this data collection and 
streamlining the confidence codes.
    The Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Disposition Report (MMRDR) 
provides NMFS with information on the disposition of animals brought in 
for rehabilitation, the success of medical treatment, and the number of 
animals released. This information will assist the Agency in tracking 
marine mammals that move into captive display and in the monitoring of 
rehabilitation and release. The data will also be used to assess the 
burden on stranding network centers. This form will be filled out only 
in the case of live-stranded marine mammals. The form will be required 
from rehabilitation centers in all five NMFS Regions. Each of the NMFS 
regions approves and issues a Letter of Agreement (LOA) or other form 
of agreement to marine mammal rehabilitation centers under Sec.  112(c) 
of the MMPA, which allows the Secretary to enter into agreements in 
order to fulfill the general purposes of the Act, and under Sec.  403 
of the MMPA, which provides specific authority to enter into such 
stranding response agreements. These data will be monitored as part of 
the Rehabilitation Facilities Inspection (RFI) program. No changes are 
proposed to this form.
    The Human Interaction Data Sheet will provide NMFS with consistent 
and detailed information on signs of human interaction in stranded 
marine mammals. This form also includes a subjective section that 
allows the examiner to evaluate the likelihood that human interaction 
contributed to the stranding of the animal. This information will 
assist the Agency in tracking resource conflicts and will provide a 
solid scientific foundation for conservation and management of marine 
mammals. With a better understanding of interactions, appropriate 
measures can be taken to resolve conflicts and stranding data are the 
best source of information regarding the occurrence of different types 
of human interaction. No changes are proposed for this form.

II. Method of Collection

    Paper applications, electronic reports, and telephone calls are 
required from participants, and methods of submittal include internet 
through the NMFS National Marine Mammal Stranding Database; facsimile 
transmission of paper forms; or mailed copies of forms.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0648-0178.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (revision and extension of a 
current information collection).
    Affected Public: State governments; not-for-profit institutions; 
business or other for-profits organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 400.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes for Stranding Reports and 
Rehabilitation Disposition Forms; 45 minutes for the Human Interaction 
Data Sheet.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 14,600.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $203.45.

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,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-26829 Filed 12-12-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P