[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 164 (Friday, August 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58248-58250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18292]


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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; Assessing Public Preferences and Values To Support Coastal and 
Marine Management

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 October 24, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-XXXX in the subject line of your

[[Page 58249]]

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 Sarah Gonyo, Economist, 1305 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 
20910, 240-621-1999, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for a new information collection, which will 
include focus groups and pre-test to help guide revisions necessary to 
the survey instrument, to directly support decision-makers with the 
National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). The proposed data 
collection involves surveying randomly selected residents (aged 18 
years and older) from households in counties surrounding the NERRs. The 
purpose of this information collection is to obtain data on the 
opinions, values, attitudes, and behaviors of visitors to National 
Ocean Service (NOS) special places, as well as residents from 
surrounding areas. The initial surveys will be conducted for the 
Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia (CBNERR-
VA), Weeks Bay NERR (WBNERR), and Grand Bay NERR (GNDNERR), and the 
survey will be repeated regularly in other NERRs based on information 
needs and budget.
    The NERRS is a federal-state partnership program for the 
stewardship, education, and research of unique estuarine sites. This 
data collection supports the NERRS' vision of establishing healthy 
estuaries and coastal watersheds where human and ecological communities 
thrive. The NERRS has identified five priority research areas, 
including a focus on social science and economic processes within each 
NERR site. However, limited data exist characterizing stakeholder 
activities, attitudes, knowledge, and preferences, including their 
spatial aspects. Gathering such data is essential for effective 
management of stakeholder groups, regulatory proposals, and resource 
management decisions.
    Designated in 1986, WBNERR is located along the eastern shore of 
Mobile Bay in Baldwin County, Alabama. CBNERR-VA, designated in 1991, 
comprises four reserve sites within the York River in the southern 
Chesapeake Bay subregion. Finally, GNDNERR was established in 1999 and 
is in the Grand Bay Savannah Complex along the Mississippi-Alabama 
state line in Jackson County, Mississippi. All three NERRS prioritize 
public access and responsible use to protect ecosystems, identifying 
public sites, minimizing conflicts, and evaluating visitor use. 
Therefore, information is needed on who uses these NERR sites, their 
motivations, management preferences, and why some do not visit. This 
data supports conservation and management goals, strengthens decision-
making, increases capacity, and extends education and outreach. It is 
also required by NOAA to meet objectives related to ocean and coastal 
planning and management. The data benefits state and local officials as 
well.
    NOAA's mission is to provide science, service and stewardship for, 
among other activities, management of the nation's oceans and coasts. 
NOAA supports ``comprehensive ocean and coastal planning and 
management'' in order to facilitate use of oceans and coasts, while 
also ensuring ``continued access to coastal areas, sustained 
ecosystems, maintained cultural heritage, and limited cumulative 
impacts.'' NOAA is subject to and supports mandates of the Coastal Zone 
Management Act (CZMA) (16 U.S.C. 1452(303)(2)(D)), which encourages the 
wise use of coastal resources, including energy activity. The CZMA also 
encourages the inclusion and participation of the public in carrying 
out the tenets of the act (16 U.S.C. 1452(303)(4)). The National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 1502.6) mandates federal 
agencies to use social science data to assess the impacts of federal 
actions on the human environment. Consequently, up-to-date sociological 
data is needed to support federal agency obligations under each of 
these acts.
    Finally, NOAA is responding to Executive Orders 13707 and 13985. 
Executive Order 13707, Using Behavioral Science Insights to Better 
Serve the American People, requests federal agencies to, among other 
actions: ``identify policies, programs, and operations where applying 
behavioral science insights may yield substantial improvements in 
public welfare, program outcomes, and program cost effectiveness'' and 
``develop strategies for applying behavioral science insights to 
programs and, where possible, rigorously test and evaluate the impact 
of these insights.'' Executive Order 13985, On Advancing Racial Equity 
and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, 
requires the federal government to allocate resources ``in a manner 
that increases investment in underserved communities, as well as 
individuals from those communities.''

II. Method of Collection

    Information will be collected with a combination of mail 
recruitment with push-to-web and mail-back survey instrument.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-XXXX.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular Submission [New information collection].
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Focus groups: 144; Questionnaire: 
10,256.
    Estimated Time per Response: Focus groups: 1 hour; Questionnaire: 
20 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,528.48.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) (16 U.S.C. 
1452(303)(2)(D)), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 
1502.6).

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

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cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-18292 Filed 8-24-23; 8:45 am]
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