[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 53 (Monday, March 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15202-15203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05850]


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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; Implementation of Vessel Speed Restrictions To Reduce the 
Threat of Ship Collisions With North Atlantic Right Whales

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 May 21, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0580 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 Jean Higgins, Protected Species Conservation Branch Chief, Greater 
Atlantic Regional Office, 55 Greater Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 
01930, 978-281-9345, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for a revision to a currently approved information 
collection.
    On October 10, 2008, NMFS published a final rule (0648-AS36) 
implementing seasonal speed restrictions along the east coast of the 
U.S. to reduce the incidence and

[[Page 15203]]

severity of vessel collisions with North Atlantic right whales (73 FR 
60173). The final rule contained a mandatory collection-of-information 
requirement subject to the Paperwork Reduction act (PRA), which 
collects information about safety deviations from the rule in alignment 
with 50 CFR 224.105(c). The restrictions are in effect seasonally in 
discrete areas along the U.S. eastern seaboard. NMFS provided a safety 
exception to the restrictions due to poor weather or sea conditions. 
Ships' captains are required to make an entry into the vessel's 
Official Logbook when an exception is necessary.
    This revision to the current information collection includes a 
voluntary survey effort of vessel operators to evaluate their ability 
and willingness to: (1) Comply with North Atlantic right whale 
mandatory speed restrictions, and (2) cooperate with voluntary speed 
reduction efforts to protect North Atlantic right whales, which are 
promoted through NMFS outreach efforts. We will collect information 
from two types of vessels (pleasure yachts and large ocean going 
vessels) in two different areas of the North Atlantic right whales' 
range using voluntary online surveys and small focus groups. The 
surveys will collect information about vessel operators' time spent on 
the water, experience and knowledge about large whales, knowledge of 
North Atlantic vessel strike reduction efforts, opinions about these 
whales and conservation efforts, and their preferred means of receiving 
information. Results from this information collection will be used to 
develop effective outreach to these vessel communities, with the long-
term goal of improving the communities' compliance with mandatory 
measures and cooperation with voluntary measures that support North 
Atlantic right whale vessel strike reduction conservation efforts.

II. Method of Collection

    New survey information will be collected in two ways. Surveys will 
be administered electronically. Focus group information will be 
collected either in person or virtually during 2.5-hour face-to-face or 
virtual meetings.
    The information collection requires an entry into the vessel's hard 
copy logbook.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0580.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission [revision of a current 
information collection].
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,342.
    Estimated Time per Response: One hour for electronic surveys, 2.5 
hours for focus groups, 5 minutes for logbook entries.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 273.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: 0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Logbook entry--Mandatory. Survey--
Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: US Code: 16 U.S.C. 1531-1543. Name of Law: 
Endangered Species Act.

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. 2021-05850 Filed 3-19-21; 8:45 am]
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