[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 147 (Wednesday, July 31, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61401-61402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16770]


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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; Application Forms for Membership on a National Marine 
Sanctuary Advisory Council

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. 
This notice pertains to a requested revision and extension of the 
approved collection of information for national marine sanctuary 
advisory council applications. 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 September 30, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0397 in the subject line of your 
comments. All comments received are part of the public record and will 
generally be posted on https://www.regulations.gov without change. 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 Sage Riddick, National Advisory Council Coordinator, Office of 
National Marine Sanctuaries, 1305 East West Highway, SSMC4, 10th Floor, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910, (240) 560-3365, and [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This is a request for revision and extension of an approved 
information collection. Section 315 of the National Marine Sanctuaries 
Act (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1445a) allows the Secretary of Commerce to 
establish one or more advisory councils to advise and make 
recommendations to the Secretary regarding the designation and 
management of national marine sanctuaries. Executive Order 13178 
(December 4, 2000) similarly established a Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve 
Council pursuant to the NMSA for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 
Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. Councils are individually chartered for 
each site, or for the sanctuary system, to meet its specific needs. 
Once an advisory council has been chartered, a sanctuary superintendent 
starts a process to recruit members for that council by providing 
notice to the public and requesting interested parties to apply for the 
available seat(s) (e.g., Research, Education) and position(s) (i.e., 
council member or alternate). The information obtained through this 
application process will be used to determine the qualifications of the 
applicant for membership on the advisory council.
    Two application forms are currently associated with this 
information collection: (a) National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council 
Application form; and (b) National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council 
Youth Seat Application form. Application form instructions will specify 
requirements imposed upon the agency when reviewing applicants as 
potential council members or alternates. Questions posed to applicants 
have been reviewed and an additional two questions are being added to 
solicit information on eligibility for a potential stipend program to 
decrease financial barriers to joining advisory councils. An additional 
section for demographic questions is also being added to include the 
newly updated Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for 
Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and 
Ethnicity and Recommendations on the Best Practices for the Collection 
of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data on Federal Statistical 
Surveys, and to learn more about our applicants. Existing questions may 
be reordered, reworded, and at times, condensed to improve the 
organization of applicant responses and, thereby, simplify the 
applicant review process. We do not believe that such revisions to the 
application would appreciably change the average annual number of 
respondents or the reporting burden for the information requirements 
supporting solicitation of new advisory council members. To request and 
obtain a copy of the proposed application forms without charge, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

II. Method of Collection

    Complete applications may be submitted electronically via email 
(with attachments), by mail, online application, or by facsimile 
transmission.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0397.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (revision and extension of a 
currently approved collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit organizations; not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 900.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.25 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,125 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $450.00.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1445a).

[[Page 61402]]

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 Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-16770 Filed 7-30-24; 8:45 am]
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