[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 55 (Friday, March 20, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15948-15949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05668]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

15 CFR Part 902

50 CFR Part 216

[Docket No. 200312-0077]
RIN 0648-BH25


Subsistence Taking of Northern Fur Seals on the Pribilof Islands; 
Correction

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule; correcting amendment; effective date for 
collection-of-information requirements.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is correcting a final rule published on October 2, 2019, 
that revised the subsistence use regulations for the Eastern Pacific 
stock of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus). NMFS also is 
announcing approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of 
collection-of-information requirements subject to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) and associated with the regulations revised in the 
final rule. The final rule incorrectly stated that the collection-of-
information requirements subject to the PRA had been approved by the 
OMB at the time the final rule was published. On January 7, 2020, OMB 
approved the collection-of-information requirements subject to the PRA. 
The intent of this final rule is to correct this information and to 
inform the public of the effectiveness of the collection-of-information 
requirements associated with the subsistence use regulations revised in 
the October 2, 2019, final rule.

DATES: This rule is effective March 20, 2020.
    The date of approval of the information collection requirements in 
50 CFR 216.72 and 50 CFR 216.74 published October 2, 2019 at 84 FR 
52372 is corrected to January 7, 2020 as of March 20, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or 
other aspects of the collection-of-information requirements contained 
in this rule may be submitted by mail to NMFS Alaska Region, P.O. Box 
21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; by email to [email protected]; 
or by fax to 202-395-5806.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Williams, NMFS Alaska Region, 
907-271-5117, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The taking of northern fur seals is 
prohibited by the Fur Seal Act (FSA, 16 U.S.C. 1151-1175), unless 
expressly authorized by the Secretary of Commerce through regulation. 
Section 105(a) of the FSA authorizes the promulgation of regulations 
with respect to the taking of fur seals on the Pribilof Islands as the 
Secretary of Commerce deems necessary and appropriate for the 
conservation, management, and protection of the fur seal population (16 
U.S.C. 1155(a)). Regulations governing the subsistence use of northern 
fur seals are located at 50 CFR 216.71-216.74 and authorize 
Pribilovians to take fur seals on the Pribilof Islands if such taking 
is for subsistence uses and not accomplished in a wasteful manner (50 
CFR 216.71).

Background

    NMFS published a proposed rule on August 14, 2018 (83 FR 40192), to 
revise the subsistence use regulations for northern fur seals on the 
Pribilof Islands based on the petition from the Aleut Community of St. 
Paul Island, Tribal Government (ACSPI) (77 FR 41168; July 12, 2012). 
The final rule revising the subsistence use regulations at 50 CFR 
216.71-216.74 published in the Federal Register on October 2, 2019 (84 
FR 52372). The requirements of the final rule (84 FR 52372), other than 
the collection-of-information requirements associated with the 
subsistence use regulations (hunt and harvest reporting for St. Paul 
and St. George Islands), were effective on September 27, 2019. The 
final rule incorrectly stated that the collection-of-information 
requirements subject to the PRA had been approved by the OMB under OMB 
Control Number 0648-0699 (Annual Northern Fur Seal Subsistence Harvest 
Reporting) at the time the final rule was published. On January 7, 
2020, OMB approved these collection-of-information requirements under 
OMB Control Number 0648-0699 (Annual Northern Fur Seal Subsistence 
Harvest Reporting). Accordingly, this rule announces the approval and 
effective date of the collection-of-information requirements associated 
with the subsistence use regulations found at 50 CFR 216.72 and 50 CFR 
216.74.

OMB Revisions to PRA References in 15 CFR 902.1(b)

    Section 3507(c)(B)(i) of the PRA requires that agencies inventory 
and display a current control number assigned by the Director of OMB, 
for each agency's information collection. Section 902.1(b) identifies 
the location of NOAA regulations for which OMB approval numbers have 
been issued. Because this final rule revises collection-of-information 
requirements, 15 CFR 902.1(b) is revised to reference correctly the 
sections resulting from this final rule.

Classification

Administrative Procedure Act

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good 
cause to waive the requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity 
for public comment pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(B) as such requirement is unnecessary and contrary to the public 
interest. This action simply provides notice of OMB's approval of the 
collection-of-information requirements at issue, which has already 
occurred, and renders those collection-of-information requirements 
effective. Thus this action does not involve any further exercise of 
agency discretion by NMFS or OMB. Moreover, the public was already 
provided with notice and opportunity to comment during the public 
comment period for the proposed rule, which began on August 14, 2018, 
and ended on September 13, 2018, and during the public comment period 
for the 2019 Final SEIS for Management of the Subsistence Harvest of 
Northern Fur Seals on St. Paul Island, Alaska. Additional opportunity 
for public comment at this point would not be meaningful and would be 
duplicative. Any further delay to allow for public comment is therefore 
unnecessary and would result in public confusion.
    For the same reasons, the AA also finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 
553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in effective date and make this 
rule effective immediately upon publication.

Executive Order 12866

    This final rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This final rule contains collection-of-information requirements 
subject to the PRA, and which OMB approved on

[[Page 15949]]

January 7, 2020, under OMB Control Number 0648-0699. NMFS obtained OMB 
Control Number 0648-0699 for hunt and harvest reports associated with 
the regulations at 50 CFR 216.72 and 50 CFR 216.74, which apply to both 
St. Paul and St. George Islands. For St. Paul Island, public reporting 
burden for hunt and harvest reporting is estimated to average 40 hours 
per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching 
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and 
completing and reviewing the collection of information. There are no 
significant changes to the collection-of-information requirements for 
St. Paul or St. George.
    Send comments regarding these burden estimates or any other aspect 
of this data collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, 
to NMFS Alaska Region (see ADDRESSES) and by email to 
[email protected], or fax to 202-395-5806.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number. All currently approved NOAA 
collections of information may be viewed at http://www.cio.noaa.gov/services_programs/prasubs.html.

List of Subjects

15 CFR Part 902

    Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

50 CFR Part 216

    Alaska, Marine Mammals, Pribilof Islands, Reporting and 
Recordkeeping Requirements.

    Dated: March 12, 2020.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
    For the reasons set out in the preamble, NMFS amends 15 CFR part 
902 as follows:

PART 902--NOAA INFORMATION COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE 
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT: OMB CONTROL NUMBERS

0
1. The authority citation for part 902 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.


0
2. In Sec.  [thinsp]902.1, in the table in paragraph (b), under the 
entry ``50 CFR'', add entry ``216.72'' in alphanumeric order to read as 
follows:


Sec.  [thinsp]902.1   OMB control numbers assigned pursuant to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *

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                                                            Current OMB
                                                          control number
  CFR part or section where the information collection     (all numbers
                 requirement is located                     begin with
                                                              0648-)
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                                * * * * *
50 CFR:
 
                                * * * * *
    216.72..............................................           -0699
 
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[FR Doc. 2020-05668 Filed 3-19-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P