0448 SS 060608 rev

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
CORAL REEF CONSERVATION PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0448

A.

JUSTIFICATION

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (Act) (P.L. 106-562; 16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) was
passed to provide a framework for conserving coral reefs. Program implementation guidelines
were published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2002 (67 FR 19396). The Coral Reef
Conservation Grant Program, under the Act, provides funds to a broad-based group of applicants
with experience in coral reef conservation to conduct activities to protect and conserve coral reef
ecosystems.
The OMB Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) clearance is for: 1) requests for a waiver of matching
funds and 2) comments from authorities with jurisdiction over the area of proposed projects.
Requests for a Waiver of Matching Funds
This provision requires applicants that are requesting a waiver of matching funds to provide a
detailed justification explaining the need for the waiver, including attempts to obtain sources of
matching funds, how the benefit of the project outweighs the public interest in providing a
match, and any other extenuating circumstances preventing the availability of a match.
Comments from Authorities with Jurisdiction Over the Area of Proposed Projects
This provision requests comments on proposed projects from authorities with jurisdiction over
the area where the project will be carried out. Specifically, agencies will be requested to
comment on: the extent to which the project is consistent with locally-established coral reef
conservation priorities and projects; whether the project has been coordinated with existing or
planned projects; suggestions for improving project coordination and/or technical approach;
whether the applicant will need to obtain a permit or other authorization from the agency for the
project; and appropriate staff points of contact.
2. Explain how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information will be
used. If the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support
information that will be disseminated to the public, then explain how the collection
complies with all applicable Information Quality Guidelines.
Requests for a Waiver of Matching Funds
The Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program publishes requests for proposals once each fiscal
year in the Federal Register. Information describing the eligibility requirements for a waiver of
matching funds is described in the Announcement for Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) for
the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program. The FFO can be obtained at
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http://www.grants.gov or http://www.coralreef.noaa.gov/grants.html . Only those applicants
requesting a waiver of matching funds are required to submit the waiver request information as
part of the grant application. Respondents are either required to submit grant proposals
electronically through www.grants.gov (for awards administered by NOAA) or encouraged to
email their letters justifying the need for a waiver (for awards administered by DOI, i.e.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and American Samoa). The information
is reviewed by staff to determine if a waiver of matching funds is justified.
Comments from Authorities with Jurisdiction Over the Area of Proposed Projects
Proposals received in response to the annual solicitation will be faxed or mailed to the agencies
or authorities with jurisdiction over the area where the project will be carried out. These entities
will have the opportunity to comment on each proposal. Comments from the appropriate
authorities indicate whether the proposed project(s) are aligned, conflicting, or duplicative of
local priorities, initiatives, and strategies. The reviews will be used to determine if projects are
consistent with local priorities and will be factored into the proposal evaluation process.
As explained in the preceding paragraphs, the information gathered has utility. NOAA National
Ocean Service will retain control over the information and safeguard it from improper access,
modification, and destruction, consistent with NOAA standards for confidentiality, privacy, and
electronic information. The information collection is designed to yield data that meet all
applicable information quality guidelines. Prior to dissemination, the information will be
subjected to quality control measures and a pre-dissemination review pursuant to Section 515 of
Public Law 106-554.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Applicants and reviewers will be encouraged to submit their information electronically. Match
waiver requests either will be submitted as part of an application package electronically through
www.grants.gov or emailed to coral.grants@noaa.gov. Additionally, a database is currently
being developed that will track projects funded through the Coral Reef Conservation Grant
Program and will ease the burden on grantees to prepare and submit required bi-annual progress
reports.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.
The information is collected on a specific proposal-by-proposal basis and is not otherwise
available. We have not identified any duplication.
5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe
the methods used to minimize burden.
Small businesses and entities are not expected to be involved.

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6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is
not conducted or is conducted less frequently.
If the information collection was not conducted or conducted less frequently, the reviewing
agency personnel would: 1) have a difficult time assessing whether the applicants’ projects
outweigh the public interest in requiring a match, and 2) be unable to determine a project’s
consistency with local conservation priorities.
The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 mandates both of these requirements, and if not able to
collect this information NOAA would be unable to appropriately carry out its mandate.
7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a
manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
There are no special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner
inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
8. Provide information on the PRA Federal Register Notice that solicited public comments
on the information collection prior to this submission. Summarize the public comments
received in response to that notice and describe the actions taken by the agency in response
to those comments. Describe the efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to
obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of
instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data
elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.
A Federal Register Notice, published on April 4, 2008 (73 FR 18779), solicited public comment.
No comments were received.
9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No payments or gifts to respondents are provided.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
No assurance of confidentiality is provided to respondents.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual
behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered
private.
No sensitive questions are asked.

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12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.
The annual burden for the respondents is 112 hours.
Match Waiver Request:
14 respondents x ½ hour per request x 1 responses = 7 hours.
(14 average match waiver requests received per year)

Proposal Comment:
14 respondents x 1 ½ hour per request x 5 responses = 105 hours
(Two reviewers per jurisdiction with authority to comment x 7 jurisdictions = 14 respondents
providing comments on an average of 5 project proposals per year).
Annual Responses: 84.
Annual Burden Hours: 112.
13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to the respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection (excluding the value of the burden hours in #12
above).
The annual recipient cost burden from this collection is estimated to be $50.00 per year for the
estimated five respondents not using electronic submission. Specifically, this includes costs to
mail or fax comments. All other comments are submitted electronically. The total is $250.00.
14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.
The annualized cost burden to the Federal government to respond by mail or fax to those
submissions not sent electronically for this collection is estimated to be $250.00 per year. All
government responses to review submissions submitted electronically are likewise sent
electronically.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or
14 of the OMB 83-I.
The responses and hours required for the collection of information are adjusted, based on
responses during the past 3 years, to provide a more accurate estimate of the number of
respondents and a more realistic estimation of the time required per response. There are fewer
applicants, but also, each commenting respondent is now estimated to submit 5 comments per
year, rather than 3. The net increase in hours is 34. Reduced costs (from $1,900 to $250) are due
to increasing use of electronic submission for waiver requests and proposal comments:
previously, each respondent’s costs were estimated at $50, but now only five respondents per
year are expected to mail or fax responses.
16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and
publication.
This collection will not be published.
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17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection, explain the reasons why display would be inappropriate.
This collection does not seek approval to not display the expiration date.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19 of the
OMB 83-I.
There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
This collection does not employ statistical methods.

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