[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 52 (Friday, March 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14956-14957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05695]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[PPWOIRADA1/PRCRFRFR6.XZ0000/PR.RIRAD1801.00.1; OMB Control Number 
1093-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; DOI Generic Clearance 
for Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Activities

AGENCY: Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Department of the Interior (DOI, Interior) are proposing a new 
information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
May 18, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) by mail to Jeffrey Parrillo, Departmental Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240; or by email 
to [email protected]. Please reference Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) Control Number 1093-New Citizen Science in the subject 
line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Jeffrey Parrillo, Departmental Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240; 
by telephone at 202-208-7072, or by email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all 
information collections require approval under the PRA. We may not 
conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection 
of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

[[Page 14957]]

    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies to comment on 
new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This 
helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements 
and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public 
understand our information collection requirements and provide the 
requested data in the desired format. We are especially interested in 
public comment addressing the following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    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 can 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.
    Abstract: Interior is requesting a new generic clearance process 
that would significantly streamline OMB approval enabling its bureaus 
and offices to conduct crowdsourcing and citizen science and 
crowdsourcing activities. This new generic clearance is needed in order 
to be more responsive to the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act (15 
U.S.C. 3724), as well as the following Secretarial Orders:
     3347, ``Conservation Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation'';
     3356, ``Hunting, Fishing, Recreational Shooting, and 
Wildlife Conservation Opportunities and Coordination with States, 
Tribes, and Territories'';
     3357, ``Conservation Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation'';
     3366, ``Increasing Recreational Opportunities on Lands and 
Waters Managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior''; and
     3370, ``Improving Conservation Stewardship of and 
Increasing Public Access to Urban National Wildlife Refuges.''
    Interior relies on scientific information such as those data 
contributed through crowdsourcing and citizen science activities. 
Crowdsourcing and citizen science is scientific research conducted, in 
whole or in part, by amateur (or nonprofessional) scientists. 
Crowdsourcing and citizen science projects enable participants to make 
a direct contribution to research, increase their scientific 
understanding, and directly immerse themselves in learning about 
environmental issues. Additional crowdsourcing and citizen science 
projects help provide opportunities to maximize the amount of available 
data that can be analyzed by professional researchers.
    Crowdsourcing and citizen science techniques will allow Interior 
and its bureaus to collect qualitative and quantitative data that might 
help inform land management decisions, scientific research, 
assessments, or environmental screening; validate environmental models 
or tools; or enhance the quantity and quality of data collected across 
the country's diverse communities and ecosystems to support the 
Department's mission. Information gathered under this generic clearance 
will be used by Interior's bureaus to support the activities listed 
above and might provide unprecedented avenues for conducting 
breakthrough research.
    The generic clearance will apply to any DOI crowdsourcing and 
citizen science collections designed to furnish usable information to 
DOI managers and planners concerning approved research efforts in areas 
managed by the DOI. To qualify for the DOI generic clearance, each 
information request must show clear ties to DOI management and planning 
needs in areas managed by the Interior and its bureaus. All collections 
must be reviewed by the bureau and Department Information Collection 
Clearance Officers and approved by OMB before a collection is 
administered.
    Interior encourages its bureaus to collaborate with non-federal 
entities to use crowdsourcing and citizen science and crowdsourcing 
methods to collect this type of information. All collections must 
comply with Agency policies and the scope of this generic clearance. 
The scope of this generic clearance includes, but is not limited to, 
the natural, applied, social, and cultural sciences as they apply to 
crowdsourcing and citizen science activities. New collections not 
within the scope of this generic clearance will require a separate 
information collection request to OMB for approval.
    Title of Collection: DOI Generic Clearance for Crowdsourcing and 
Citizen Science Activities.
    OMB Control Number: 1093-New.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: New.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals/households; private 
sector; and, State, local, and Tribal governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 1,000,000.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 3,000,000.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: 5 minutes.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 250,000.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Jeffrey Parrillo,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-05695 Filed 3-18-21; 8:45 am]
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