Notice2026-15956
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and National Marine Sanctuary Permit Application and Reports for Permits
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
August 6, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
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 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 150 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 150 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50806-50808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-15956]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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; Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea Marine National Monument and
National Marine Sanctuary Permit Application and Reports for Permits
AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 50807]]
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 the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB).
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before October 5, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b7f9f8f6f699e7e5f6f7d9d8d6d699d0d8c1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ca84858b8be49a988b8aa4a5ababe4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0548 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise
sensitive personally identifiable information or any other type of
protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
to Phillip Howard, Permit Specialist, NOAA Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176 Honolulu, HI 96818, (808-
725-5800), and <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bcccd4d5d0d0d5cc92d4d3cbddced8fcd2d3dddd92dbd3ca"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b8c8d0d1d4d4d1c896d0d7cfd9cadcf8d6d7d9d996dfd7ce">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This request is for the revision and extension of an approved
information collection. The collection is being revised to restructure
current fields, eliminate redundant questions, and establish a more
logical layout. These updates aim to minimize administrative burden and
deliver a more intuitive, streamlined application experience for users.
This request also extends the permit application to include authorities
under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.).
On June 15, 2006, President Bush established the
Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea Marine National Monument by issuing
Presidential Proclamation 8031 (71 FR 36443, June 26, 2006), as amended
on February 28, 2007 by Presidential Proclamation 8112 (72 FR 10031,
March 6, 2007), under the authority of the Antiquities Act (54 U.S.C.
320301 et seq.). The Secretary of Commerce, through the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has primary
responsibility regarding the management of the marine areas of the
Monument, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior.
Similarly, the Secretary of the Interior, through the Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS), has sole responsibility for management of the areas of
the Monument that overlay the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge,
the Battle of Midway National Memorial, and the Hawaiian Islands
National Wildlife Refuge, in consultation with the Secretary of
Commerce.
On August 29, 2006, NOAA and FWS published a final rule codifying
the provisions of Presidential Proclamation 8031, which include
restrictions and prohibitions regarding activities in the Monument (71
FR 51134). Specifically, the regulations prohibit access to the
Monument except when passing through without interruption, as allowed
under a permit issued by NOAA and the FWS, for emergency response and
law enforcement purposes, and for activities and exercises of the Armed
Forces. Vessels passing through the Monument without interruption are
required to notify NOAA and FWS upon entering into and leaving the
monument.
Individuals wishing to access the Monument to conduct certain
regulated activities must first apply for and be granted a permit
issued by NOAA and FWS. These agencies have since worked extensively
with the State of Hawaii to ensure the permitting requirements and
processes of all three entities are sufficiently coordinated and to
ensure applicants for permits for Monument activities require only a
single application and receive one, combined agency permit.
On January 16, 2025, NOAA designated the marine areas of the
Monument as a national marine sanctuary pursuant to the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act (90 FR 4856; 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.). The designation
and regulations for Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea National Marine
Sanctuary (PNMS) became effective on March 3, 2025, with a notification
published on March 24, 2025 (90 FR 13410). The purpose of this
designation was to provide comprehensive and coordinated conservation
and management of the marine areas of Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea to
protect nationally significant biological, cultural, and historical
resources. Additionally, the purpose of the designation was to
implement the provisions of Executive Order 13178, Presidential
Proclamation 9478, and the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. NOAA is applying the authorities
under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to this permit application
and this associated information collection.
The information submitted by permit applicants will be used to
decide whether to approve or deny a permit application. In making this
decision, the agencies will consider such factors as:
<bullet> the professional qualifications and financial ability of
the applicant as related to the proposed activity;
<bullet> the duration of the activity and its effects;
<bullet> the appropriateness of the methods and procedures proposed
by the applicant for the conduct of the activity;
<bullet> the extent to which the conduct of the activity may
diminish or enhance the qualities for which the Monument and National
Marine Sanctuary was designated;
<bullet> the end value of the activity; and
<bullet> other such matters as agency staff deem appropriate.
In addition to informing the agencies' decisions on permit
applications, information submitted in permit applications and reports
submitted pursuant to permit conditions may also be used by the
agencies to inform--
<bullet> decision making on a permit amendment request or another
permit application; or
<bullet> other management actions (e.g., emergency response and
enforcement).
In terms of frequency of use, the information submitted in permit
applications will, in general, only be used at the time the application
is submitted to make a final decision on the application. Some of the
information may also be used subsequent to the initial decision making
to inform management actions or decision making. For example, a survey
of a project location by one permit applicant may be used by the
agencies in the future to respond to a vessel grounding in the same
area to facilitate the agencies' decision in response to that matter.
Information submitted in a report will be used to periodically assess
the permittee's compliance with permit terms and conditions and to
assist in evaluating the appropriateness of the permitted activity.
II. Method of Collection
Respondents have a choice of either electronic or paper forms.
Methods of submission include email of electronic forms and mail of
paper forms.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648-0548.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission, revision and extension of a
current information collection.
Affected Public: Individuals, non-profit institutions; Federal,
State, local,
[[Page 50808]]
government, Native Hawaiian organizations; business or other for-profit
organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 192.
Estimated Time per Response: Average time across all permit types:
7 hours. Permit modification requests and final reports: 10 hours; and
annual reports: 5 hours. Time per response for entry and exit
notifications: 5 minutes. Time per response for VMS certification: 5
minutes per response.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 170
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $5,905 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs and vessel monitoring system installation and
maintenance.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits, or
Mandatory.
Legal Authority: 54 U.S.C. 320301 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.;
16 U.S.C. 742f, 16 U.S.C. 742l; 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.
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 Information Collection Review. 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,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2026-15956 Filed 8-5-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 6, 2026.
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.