Notice2024-25840
Agency Information Collection Activities: U.S. Geological Survey Generic Clearance for Water Availability Data Collections
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
November 7, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentGeological Survey
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing a new information collection.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 216 (Thursday, November 7, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 216 (Thursday, November 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88302-88303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25840]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX25DJ70GY10000; OMB Control Number 1028-NEW]
Agency Information Collection Activities: U.S. Geological Survey
Generic Clearance for Water Availability Data Collections
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Information Collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995,
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing a new information
collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
January 6, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request
(ICR) by mail to U.S. Geological Survey, Information Collections
Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#80e7f3ade9eee6efdfe3efecece5e3f4e9efeef3c0f5f3e7f3aee7eff6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5136227c383f373e0e323e3d3d343225383e3f2211242236227f363e27">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1028-NEW in the subject line
of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Katrina Alger by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#412a202d26243301343226326f262e37"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ae1ebe6edeff8cafff9edf9a4ede5fc">[email protected]</span></a> or by
telephone at 608-828-9901. Individuals in the United States who are
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay
services offered within their country to make international calls to
the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require
approval.
[[Page 88303]]
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies to comment on
new, 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 especially interested in public comment addressing the
following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection
of information, including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(4) How the agency might minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of response.
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 can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII from public review,
we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract: Water information is fundamental to national and local
economic well-being, protection of life and property, and effective
management of the Nation's water resources. The USGS works with
partners to monitor, assess, conduct targeted research, and deliver
information on a wide range of water resources and conditions, as
mandated by the SECURE Water Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11, title IX,
subtitle F of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009). This
legislation emphasizes the need for updated, reliable data to support
water resource planning and management, and specifically directs the
USGS to improve assessments and forecasts of water availability,
defined as ``the balance between water supply and demand, as determined
using a set of core components of water quality, quantity, and use.''
This generic clearance will centralize administration of USGS public
data collections in the topic area of water availability--encompassing
both the supply and demand aspects, as well as water quality, access,
and usage patterns--and allow for more systematic and timely
collections that will benefit new and ongoing research programs within
the Water Resources Mission Area.
The USGS plans a variety of qualitative and quantitative data
collection methods under this clearance, which may include surveys,
interviews, and focus groups. The exact nature of the instruments and
samples is dependent on each individual project and details will be
provided for each individual information collection request submitted,
following OMB requirements. The bureau commits to ensuring that all
collections are voluntary, minimally burdensome, noncontroversial, and
only conducted with informed participant consent. All data collected
will protect respondent privacy to the extent permitted by law, with a
particular emphasis on protecting PII. Any information collected will
not be used to influence policy decisions directly and will only be
disseminated in aggregated or anonymized formats, adhering to strict
guidelines for scientific integrity and privacy. Respondents will be
informed of all planned data uses. Measures will be taken to minimize
public burden to the greatest extent possible, including review and
pre-testing of instruments to ensure clarity and relevance, and using
electronic collection means whenever possible.
The research anticipated under this request will be used to advance
both the scientific understanding of our socio-hydrological system, and
bureau priorities to integrate social science, decision science, and
human-centered design more fully into Water Enterprise projects in a
strategic, rigorous, and consistent way. Collection of this information
supports the USGS by improving both national and regional assessments
of water quantity, quality, and use, advancing scientific understanding
of how water availability impacts different groups in different ways,
informing product development to maximize the utility and usability of
USGS water data, and framing future and ongoing research efforts within
the Bureau. Outputs are likely to reduce costs and improve outcomes for
both the bureau and the public by ensuring our science is conducted
efficiently, effectively, and is serving its intended purpose.
Title of Collection: USGS Generic Clearance for Water Availability
Data Collections.
OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: New.
Respondents/Affected Public: State, local, Federal, and Tribal
governments; individuals or households; Universities, businesses, or
other for-profit organizations; not-for-profit institutions;
Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,860.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 15 minutes to 2
hours, depending on information collection method.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 10,000.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: As needed.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $0.
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.
Joseph Nielsen,
Director, Integrated Information Dissemination Division, Water
Resources Mission Area.
[FR Doc. 2024-25840 Filed 11-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P
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