Notice2023-28121
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
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 21, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88375-88376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28121]
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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
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 September 22, 2023 (88 FR 65367) during a 60-day
comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public
comments.
Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
Title: Implementation of Vessel Speed Restrictions to Reduce the
Threat of Ship Collisions with North Atlantic Right Whales.
OMB Control Number: 0648-0580.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular submission. Extension of a current
information collection.
Number of Respondents: 3,624.
Average Hours per Response: Five minutes for safety deviation
logbook entry; one hour for electronic survey; two hours and 30 minutes
for focus groups.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 674.
Needs and Uses: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is
requesting renewal of a currently approved collection of information.
On October 10, 2008, NMFS published a final rule with regulations
(0648-AS36) implementing seasonal speed restrictions along the east
coast of the U.S. to reduce the incidence and severity of vessel
collisions with endangered North Atlantic right whales (73 FR 60173).
The final rule contained a mandatory collection-of-information
requirement subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Specifically,
50 CFR 224.105(c) requires a logbook entry to document that a deviation
from the speed limit was necessary for safe maneuverability under
certain conditions. On November 18, 2021, the information collection
was revised to include a voluntary survey 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. NOAA collects
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 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.
Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations.
Frequency: Logbook: As needed; Surveys and Focus Groups: Once
Respondent's Obligation: Logbook entries are required to lawfully
deviate from the speed regulations; survey is voluntary.
[[Page 88376]]
Legal Authority: Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.;
and Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.
This information collection request may be viewed at
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a>. 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 <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search
function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB
Control Number 0648-0580.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-28121 Filed 12-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 21, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.