[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 14 (Monday, January 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6876-6877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01475]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Socioeconomics of Coral Reef Conservation

AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before March 26, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0646 in the subject line of your 
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise 
sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Mary Allen, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Coral Reef 
Conservation Program, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 
Telephone (240) 533-0784 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for the revision and extension of a currently 
approved information collection under OMB Control Number 0648-0646. The 
information collection is part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring 
Program (NCRMP), which was established by the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program 
(CRCP) under the authority of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. 
The CRCP was created to safeguard and ensure the welfare of the coral 
reef ecosystems along the coastlines of America's states and 
territories. In accordance with its mission goals, NOAA developed a 
survey to track relevant information regarding each jurisdiction's 
population, social and economic structure, the benefits of coral reefs 
and related habitats, the impacts of society on coral reefs, and the 
impacts of coral management on communities. The survey is repeated in 
each jurisdiction every five to seven years in order to provide 
longitudinal data and information for managers to effectively conserve 
coral reefs for current and future generations.
    The purpose of this information collection is to obtain human 
dimensions information from residents in the seven United States (U.S.) 
jurisdictions containing coral reefs: Florida, U.S. Virgin Islands 
(USVI), Puerto Rico, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Specifically, NOAA is seeking 
information on the behaviors and activities related to coral reefs, as 
well as information on perceptions of coral reef conditions and 
attitudes toward specific reef conservation activities. Each survey has 
a core set of questions that are the same for all jurisdictions to 
allow for information to be tracked over time. To account for 
geographical, cultural and linguistic differences between 
jurisdictions, the survey questions include items that are specific to 
the local context and developed based on jurisdictional partner 
feedback.
    We intend to use the information collected through this instrument 
for research purposes, as well as for measuring and improving the 
results of our reef protection programs. Because many of our efforts to 
protect reefs rely on education and changing attitudes toward reef 
protection, the information collected will allow CRCP to ensure that 
programs are designed appropriately at the start, future program 
evaluation efforts are as successful as possible, and outreach efforts 
are targeting the intended recipients with useful information.
    Pursuant to a request from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB), this collection of information is being revised to restructure 
these surveys as a hybrid-generic collection.

II. Method of Collection

    Information will be collected using the most efficient and 
effective methodology that is feasible in the individual jurisdiction. 
For the three

[[Page 6877]]

years covered by this clearance, data will be collected via in-person 
interviews in American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0646.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission [Revision and extension of an 
existing information collection].
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 9,840.
    Estimated Time per Response: 20 minutes per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,093 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2021-01475 Filed 1-22-21; 8:45 am]
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