[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 247 (Thursday, December 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 70961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27744]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Green Sturgeon ESA 4(d) rule take exceptions and exemptions.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0613.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular.
    Number of Respondents: 45.
    Average Hours per Response: Scientific research or monitoring 
exception, Habitat restoration exception, State research program 
report, and Research applications: 40 hours each; Scientific research 
or monitoring exception report, Habitat restoration exception report, 
and Research reports: 5 hours each; Emergency fish rescue report, and 
Fishery Management and Evaluation Plan report: 20 hours each; Fishery 
Management and Evaluation Plan and Tribal Plan: 160 hours each.
    Burden Hours: 1,510.
    Needs and Uses: The Southern Distinct Population Segment of North 
American green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris; hereafter, ``Southern 
DPS'') was listed as a threatened species in April 2006. Protective 
regulations under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) were 
promulgated for the species on June 2, 2010 (75 FR 30714) (the final 
ESA 4(d) Rule). To comply with the ESA and the protective regulations, 
entities must obtain take authorization before they engage in 
activities that involve take of Southern DPS fish, unless the activity 
is covered by an exception or exemption. ``Take'' is defined as to 
harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or 
collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct. Certain 
activities described in the ``exceptions'' provision of 50 CFR 
223.210(b) are not subject to the take prohibitions if they adhere to 
specific criteria and reporting requirements. Under the ``exemption'' 
provision of 50 CFR 223.210(c), the take prohibitions do not apply to 
scientific research, scientific monitoring, and fisheries activities 
conducted under an approved 4(d) program or plan. Similarly, take 
prohibitions do not apply to tribal resource management activities 
conducted under a Tribal Plan for which the requisite determinations 
described in 50 CFR 223.102(c)(3) have been made.
    To ensure that activities qualify under exceptions to or exemptions 
from the take prohibitions, local, state, and federal agencies, non-
governmental organizations, academic researchers, and private 
organizations are asked to submit detailed information regarding their 
activity on a schedule to be determined by National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS) staff. This information is used by NMFS to (1) track the 
number of Southern DPS fish taken as a result of each action; (2) 
understand and evaluate the cumulative effects of each action on the 
Southern DPS; and (3) determine whether additional protections are 
needed for the species, or whether additional exceptions may be 
warranted. NMFS designed the criteria to ensure that actions meeting 
the criteria would adequately limit impacts on threatened Southern DPS 
fish, such that additional protections in the form of a federal take 
prohibition would not be necessary and advisable.
    Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local, or 
Tribal government; Federal government; business or other for-profit 
organizations.
    Frequency: Written notification describing research, monitoring, 
habitat restoration, or emergency fish rescue and salvage activities, 
on occasion; development of fisheries management and evaluation plans, 
state 4(d) research programs, or tribal fishery management plans, on 
occasion; fisheries management and evaluation plan reports, biannually; 
all other reports, annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. 
Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections 
currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or faxed to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-27744 Filed 12-23-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P