[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 149 (Friday, August 4, 2023)] [Notices] [Pages 51851-51853] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2023-16617] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Geological Survey [GX23BA000AD0100; OMB Control Number 1028-0103] Agency Information Collection Activities; USA National Phenology Network--The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to renew an information collection. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 3, 2023. ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request (ICR) by mail to the U.S. Geological Survey, Information Collections Clearance Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by email to [email protected]. Please reference Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1028-0103 in the subject line of your comments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information about this ICR, contact Melanie J. Steinkamp by email at [email protected], or by telephone at 703-261-3128. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on 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 soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the following questions: is the collection necessary to the proper functions of the USGS? Will this information be processed and used in a timely manner? Is the estimate of burden accurate? How might the USGS enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? How might the USGS minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology? [[Page 51852]] 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 personally identifiable information (PII) in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment-- including your PII--may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Abstract: The USA National Phenology Network (NPN) is a program sponsored by the USGS that uses standardized forms for tracking plant- and animal activity as part of a project called Nature's Notebook. The Nature's Notebook forms are used to record phenology (e.g., timing of leafing or flowering of plants and reproduction or migration of animals) as part of a nationwide effort to understand and predict how plants and animals respond to environmental variation and changes in weather and climate. Contemporary data collected through Nature's Notebook are quality-checked, described, and made publicly available and are used to inform decision-making in a variety of contexts including agriculture, drought monitoring, and wildfire-risk assessment. Phenological information is also critical for the management of wildlife, invasive species, and agricultural pests, as well as for understanding and managing risks to human health and welfare, including allergies, asthma, and vector-borne diseases. Participants may contribute phenology information to Nature's Notebook through a browser-based web application or via mobile applications for iPhone and Android operating systems which meet Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) and Privacy Act requirements. The web- application interface consists of several components: user registration, a searchable list of 1,756 observable plant and animal species, and a ``profile'' that contains information about each species including its description and the appropriate monitoring protocols. The application also consists of a series of interfaces for registering an observer, a site, and plants and animals found at a site, and a data- entry page that mimics downloadable datasheets that can be taken into the field. Title of Collection: USA National Phenology Network--The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program. OMB Control Number: 1028-0103. Form Number: None. Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection. Respondents/Affected Public: Members of the public registered with Nature's Notebook, state cooperative extension employees, and Tribal members. Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 6,640. Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 4,094,800. Estimated Completion Time per Response: When joining the program, responders spend 13 minutes each to register and read guidelines, and 210 minutes to complete the Observer Certification Course. After that, responders may spend about two minutes on each observation and submission of a phenophase status record. Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 141,418. Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary. Frequency of Collection: On occasion; depends on the seasonal activity of plants and animals. Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: $11,484 Table: Annual Responses and Burden Hours: 4,102,436 responses, 141,418 burden hours. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Response type responses Completion time per response Annual burden (projected) (minutes) (hours) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Registrations.............................. 6,640 13 minutes (3 minutes to register + 1,439 10 minutes to read guidelines). Certification Course *..................... 996 210 minutes (to complete the 3,486 Observer Certification Course). Observation records........................ 4,094,800 2 minutes (includes observation and 136,493 reporting time). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total.................................. 4,102,436 ................................... 141,418 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Note that the Certification Course is optional, and we estimate a completion rate of 15% during the clearance period. Table--Annual Non-Hour Burden Costs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Estimated number of respondents Non-hour Cost per unit expected to use burden cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clipboard..................................... $2.23 1,328........................... $2,961 Pencils....................................... 0.10 1,328........................... 133 Flags......................................... 0.05 1,328........................... 66 Markers....................................... 0.10 1,328........................... 133 Stakes........................................ 0.30 1,328........................... 398 Tags.......................................... 0.30 1,328........................... 398 Popsicle Sticks............................... 0.30 1,328........................... 398 Average Marking Material Cost................. 0.19 ................................ .............. Cost Per Response............................. 2.52 Total Non-Hour Burden Cost...... 4,489 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [[Page 51853]] An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The authorities for this action are the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.). Melanie J. Steinkamp, Program Coordinator, USGS Species Management Research Program. [FR Doc. 2023-16617 Filed 8-3-23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4338-11-P