[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 155 (Monday, August 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55014-55015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17375]


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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; Generic Clearance for NOAA Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing 
Projects

    The Department of Commerce will submit the following information 
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite 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. Public comments were previously requested via the 
Federal Register on August 26, 2022 (87 FR 52511) during a 60-day 
comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public 
comments.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.
    Title: Generic Clearance for NOAA Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing 
Projects.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-XXXX.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (a new collection).
    Total anticipated respondents: 672,000.
    Average Minutes per Response: 9.3.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3.5 million.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for a new generic clearance for 
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) citizen science 
and crowdsourcing (CSC) projects, which require OMB approval under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act. Once approved, this clearance will allow NOAA 
to:
    1. Increase its ability be responsive to the Citizen Science and 
Crowdsourcing Act (15 U.S.C. 3724), as well as the other laws, 
Executive Orders (EOs) and Federal policies or plans, which authorize 
and/or support NOAA's CSC Projects;
    2. Come into compliance with the PRA more rapidly and efficiently; 
and, therefore.
    3. Obtain additional scientific information and be able to continue 
to use previously obtained scientific information that support its 
mission to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, ocean, 
and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to 
conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.
    NOAA relies on scientific information. CSC projects allow NOAA to 
collect qualitative and quantitative data that help inform scientific 
research and monitoring, validate models or tools, support STEM 
learning, and enhance the quantity and quality of data collected to 
support NOAA's mission. NOAA would use the information gathered under 
this generic clearance to support the activities listed above and that 
might provide unprecedented avenues for conducting breakthrough 
research.

[[Page 55015]]

    The information collected under this generic clearance would be 
from voluntary participants who actively seek to participate on their 
own initiative through an open and transparent process (NOAA would not 
require participation and often would not select participants) and the 
data would be available to support the scientific research (including 
assessments, tools, models, etc.) of NOAA and its partners. Its 
partners include states, tribal or local entities, business or other 
for-profit organizations, and not-for-profit institutions or 
organizations. In collaborating with other federal agencies and/or non-
federal entities, NOAA could sponsor citizen science or crowdsourcing 
projects to collect information that supports its mission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations; Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local, or 
Tribal government; Federal government; and Farms.
    Frequency: Ongoing with an average of about 33 responses per 
respondent each year.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act; 16 U.S. 
Code 742f(c); DOC's DAO 202-311; Coast and Geodetic Survey Act (CGSA); 
Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA); Digital Coast Act (DAC); Endangered 
Species Act (ESA); Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control 
Act (HABHRCA); Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(MSA); Marine Debris Act (MDA); Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA); 
National Environmental Education Act (NEEA); National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA); National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA); Ocean and 
Coastal Mapping Integration Act (OCMIA); Organic Act of 1890 (OA); 
Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act (WRFIA); 15 U.S.C. ch. 
9: (National Weather Service).
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of 
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of 
this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently 
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search 
function and entering the title of the collection.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-17375 Filed 8-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-P