[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 4 (Tuesday, January 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 672-673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00005]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Applications 
and Reports for Registration as a Tanner or Agent

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 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 March 9, 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 Jerod Cook, (907) 772-2285; [email protected] or 
Robert Marvelle (907) 586-9329; [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) 
mandates the protection and conservation of marine mammals and makes 
the taking, killing or serious injury of marine mammals, except under 
permit or exemption, a violation of the Act. An exemption is provided 
for Alaskan natives to take marine mammals if the taking is for 
subsistence or for creating and selling authentic native articles of 
handicraft and

[[Page 673]]

clothing. Possession of marine mammals and marine mammal parts by other 
than Alaskan natives is therefore prohibited (exception, 50 CFR 216.26: 
Beach found non-Endangered Species Act (ESA) teeth or bones that have 
been registered with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)). 
As native handicrafts are allowed by the MMPA to enter interstate 
commerce, an exemption is also needed to allow non-natives to handle 
the skins or other marine mammal produce, whether to tan the pinniped 
hide or to act as an agent for the native to sell his handicraft 
products. The information is necessary for law enforcement purposes to 
ensure that only Alaska Indians, Aleuts, or Eskimos are submitting 
marine mammal hides or parts for tanning.
    The information required by 50 CFR 216.23 is of two types. 
Applications: Information is required to identify the applicant as a 
tanner/agent in order to preclude prosecution under the MMPA and to 
determine that he/she has an acceptable record keeping program to 
accurately account for those marine mammal products received. This 
information serves as a deterrent for those individuals who might use 
this registration program for entering prohibited marine mammal 
products into interstate commerce. Reports: Information is also needed 
annually to evaluate the agent/tanner's activities during the year, and 
his/her procedures for bookkeeping and yearly inventory to assure NMFS, 
the Marine Mammal Commission, and the general public that prohibited 
marine mammal products were not being transshipped through registered 
agents.
    The reporting requirements are: Report in writing to the Assistant 
Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS, any changes in the facts stated in 
Registrant's applications for this Certificate of Registration within 
30 days of such change; maintain current records of each transaction 
authorized stating the marine mammals or marine mammal parts or 
products involved, from whom received, any processing accomplished, to 
whom returned, and the date of each such transaction. These records 
shall be kept separate and apart from other records maintained in the 
ordinary course of business and shall be retrained for not less than 
three years; and annually, during the month of January, send certified 
copies of such records (annual report) to the Assistant Administrator 
for Fisheries.

II. Method of Collection

    Paper documentation is submitted to meet the requirements found at 
50 CFR 216.23(c).

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0648-0179.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of an existing 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 50.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours for an application and 2 hours 
for a report.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 100.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $175.00.

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. 2020-00005 Filed 1-6-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P