[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4637-4638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01217]


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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: Paperwork Submissions Under the Coastal Zone Management Act 
Federal Consistency Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0411.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (extension of a currently approved 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 2,437.
    Average Hours per Response: Federal Agency/License or Permit and

[[Page 4638]]

Assistance and State Response: 8 hours; Federal Assistance Applications 
and State Response: 2 hours; Unlisted Activities Requests and Remedial 
Action Requests: 4 hours each; Public Notices and Listing Notice/
Coordination--State Listings: 1 hour each; Listing Notice/
Coordination--Interstate Listing: 30 hours; Mediation Requests: 2 
hours; and Secretarial Appeals: 210 hours.
    Burden Hours: 35,799.
    Needs and Uses: The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) creates a 
State-federal partnership to improve the management of the nation's 
coastal zone through the development of federally approved State 
coastal management plans (CMPs). The CZMA provides two incentives for 
States to develop federally approved CMPs: (1) The National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has appropriated monies to grant to 
States to develop and implement State CMPs that meet statutory and 
regulatory criteria; and (2) The CZMA requires federal agencies, non-
federal licensees, and State and local government recipients of federal 
assistance to conduct their activities in a manner ``consistent'' with 
the enforceable policies of NOAA-approved CMPs. The latter incentive, 
referred to as the ``federal consistency'' provision, is found at 16 
U.S.C. 1456. NOAA's regulations at 15 CFR part 930 implement NOAA's 
responsibilities to provide procedures for the consistency provision, 
the procedures available for an appeal of a State's objection to a 
consistency certification as provided for in 16 U.S.C. 1456(c)(3)(A) 
and (B) and 1456(d), and changes in the appeal process created by 
Congressional amendments in 1990, 1996 and 2005, and found at 16 U.S.C. 
1465.
    Paperwork and information collection occurs largely outside of NOAA 
by: (1) State and Federal agencies engaged in licensing and permitting 
activities affecting coastal resources, (2) Federal agencies taking 
actions affecting State coastal zones, and (3) Federal agencies 
providing federal assistance to State and local governments in the 
coastal zone. In each of these cases, information is collected by the 
entity making the license, permit, assistance or action decision and 
NOAA's regulations provide for the use of that information already 
required by the State or Federal entity in the consistency process. 
Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 1456, NOAA's regulations require the appropriate 
entity, Federal agency or applicant for license or permit, to prepare a 
consistency determination or certification. This information is 
provided to the relevant State CMP, not to NOAA. Information is 
provided to NOAA only when there is a State objection to a consistency 
certification, when informal mediation is sought by a Federal agency or 
State, or when an applicant for a federal license or permit appeals to 
the Secretary of Commerce for an override to a State CMPs objection to 
a consistency certification. Last, in 1990, Congress required State 
CMPs to provide for public participation in their permitting processes, 
consistency determinations and similar decisions, 16 U.S.C. 
1455(d)(14), and NOAA regulations at part 930 implement that 
requirement.
    A number of paperwork submissions are required by the Coastal Zone 
Management Act (CZMA) federal consistency provision, 16 U.S.C. 1456, 
and implementing regulations. These submissions are intended to provide 
a reasonable, efficient, and predictable means of complying with CZMA 
requirements. The paperwork submission requirements are detailed in 15 
CFR part 930. The information will be used by coastal states with 
federally approved Coastal Zone Management Programs to determine if 
Federal agency activities, Federal license or permit activities, and 
Federal assistance activities that affect a state's coastal zone are 
consistent with the state's coastal management program. Information 
will also be used by NOAA and the Secretary of Commerce for appeals to 
the Secretary by non-federal applicants regarding state CZMA objections 
to federal license or permit activities or Federal assistance 
activities.
    Affected Public: Federal and state agencies, federal license and 
permit applicants, lessees under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, 
state and local governments applying for federal financial assistance.
    Frequency: The frequency of reporting is occasional, as determined 
by the requirements of 16 U.S.C. 1456 and 15 CFR part 930.
    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 fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-01217 Filed 1-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-P