0479 ss ren 090309rev Part A

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
NATIONAL ESTUARIES RESTORATION INVENTORY
OMB CONTROL NO.: 0648-0479

A.

JUSTIFICATION

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
This renewal request for an existing information collection is needed to assist in the
administration of the National Estuaries Restoration Inventory (NERI). The Estuary Restoration
Act (ERA) of 2000 (Act) was signed into law in November 2000 and makes restoring our
nation's estuaries a national priority. The Act promotes the restoration of one million acres of
estuarine habitat by 2010 by leveraging limited federal resources with state, local, and private
funding. As part of the Act, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is
required to develop and maintain the NERI, a database of estuary restoration projects. The
purpose of the database is to provide information to improve restoration methods, provide
information for reports transmitted to Congress (Section 108 (b)), and track the acres of habitat
restored toward the million-acre goal. Project information collected and maintained is made
available to the public through various queries and reports. The database contains project
information for projects funded through the ERA as well as non-ERA project data that meet
quality control requirements and data standards established under the Act. This information
collection is a requirement only for those parties receiving ERA funds. The entry of project
information is optional for projects that are not funded through the ERA but meet project
requirements for the NERI.
The NERI was originally developed using another project tracking database housed in the
NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Restoration Center. The existing
Restoration Center Database (RCDB) was developed to track habitat restoration projects
implemented and/or funded by the Restoration Center. Many projects within the RCDB meet the
project requirements for the National Estuaries Restoration Inventory. Therefore, relevant data
fields from the Restoration Center database are copied into NERI on an annual basis to avoid
duplication of effort and unnecessary burden to respondents. This process will become fully
automated early in Fiscal Year 2010.
A separate Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) request for the Restoration Center’s Communitybased Restoration Program (CRP) is approved under Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Control Number 0648-0472 (current renewal expires 8-31-2012). This request requires
recipients of CRP funding to provide information regarding the status and success of funded
projects in the form of periodic performance reports and final reports. Information collected by
this request will continue to be tracked using the RCDB. Details on the CRP request are
available in Question 4.

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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.
The purpose of the NERI is to collect information on estuary habitat restoration projects to track
project success and to improve restoration methods. The information collected by the database
has been used by Restoration Center staff and the ERA Work Group for reports transmitted to
Congress, briefings to the ERA Council, as well as responses to other inquiries for data. Reports
to Congress take place every two years, beginning in the fall of 2003. Reports to Congress
consist of an overview of the status of the database including acres of habitat restored,
monitoring information, and database maintenance efforts. The initial Report to Congress
provided only a briefing of the status of the inventory, as it was still in development. Since then,
NERI data, e.g. sum of acres restored, has been used in presentations at several ERA Council
meetings. Requests for information have also been made by upper level NOAA management,
other federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and members of the public.
To facilitate these requests for information, the information contained in NERI is accessible to
the public via on-line query forms and reports on the NERI Web site (https://neri.noaa.gov).
Parties receiving ERA funds are required to enter information into NERI on-line through the
NERI Web site (https://neri.noaa.gov). A summary of the questions asked for the database is
below.
Data entry is optional for all other parties with projects eligible to be submitted to NERI. Efforts
are also underway to dynamically import eligible project data from existing federal databases,
including NOAA’s RCDB, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Habitat
Information Tracking System (HabITS), and the United States (U.S.) Army Corps of Engineers’
Ecosystem Restoration Business Portal system that is currently under development.
NOAA is actively working to promote the use of the inventory via outreach to the habitat
restoration community. These efforts consists of: (1) presentations at various conferences,
meetings, etc., (2) approaching restoration practitioners via professional list serves, phone calls,
etc., (3) announcing and promoting use of published spatial data through various data catalogs
and mapping services (Geospatial One-Stop, state and local mapping applications, etc.).
The information collection by NERI consists of:
(a) General Information – Basic project information such as project title, whether the project is
funded by the ERA and if not, whether it meets the specific requirements to be counted as an
ERA project, a topic sentence describing the project, the current status of the project including
the implementation start and completion dates and the size of the project. In addition, this area
identifies specific questions for ERA-funded projects such as the primary partner, lead federal
agency, date of the funding agreement, and whether the project qualifies as an innovative
technology project, which is defined by the Estuary Restoration Act.

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(b) Abstract – a detailed description of the project with background about the site, historic
impacts to the site, project information, and additional information about partners, acres restored,
timeline, etc.
(c) Contact Information – basic details necessary to identify and contact project managers such
as name, title, address, organization, city, state, zip code, phone and fax numbers, e-mail, and
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for Web sites.
(d) Geographic Location – details on the physical location of the project site including city,
county, state/territory/province (for Canadian projects), region, zip code, Unites States
Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC), longitude, latitude, USGS
topographic quadrangle, congressional district, and whether a Geographic Information System
(GIS) layer is available for the project boundary.
(e) Project Benefits – details on expected benefits of the restoration project including
descriptions of benefits, whether the benefit has been achieved, and additional comments.
(f) Habitat Types – a listing of habitat types restored as well as number of acres restored (by
acres created, re-established, or rehabilitated) and benefited (acres enhanced or protected) for
each habitat type, as well as stream miles (the linear extent of rivers and streams that is made
accessible for diadromous* and migratory fish passage), and methods used for obtaining acreage
and stream mile values. The method for obtaining acreage and stream miles is an important field
because it helps to determine the reliability of a reported value.
(g) Restoration Techniques – list of techniques used in the project. Descriptions of each
technique and its success are also provided to highlight the benefits and pitfalls of using various
restoration methods.
(h) Monitoring and Success Criteria – list of monitoring parameters used in the project. Detailed
monitoring information will also be provided including monitoring frequency, methods, start and
end dates, as well as success criteria used for determining project success.
(i) Restoration Plans – Title, date, lead organizations, URL, and type of restoration plan that the
project contributes to.
(j) Project Budget – project support provided by Federal and non-Federal entities as well as the
original proposed cost estimate for the project, and the final actual cost of the restoration. This
information will allow restoration practitioners to compare the costs of project implementation
and how actual costs exceed projections.
(k) Project Partners – details on support (e.g. planning, funding, technical assistance) provided
by other organizations including partner name, type of partner, and URL.
(l) Project Photos – Images showing the progress of the project such as before, during and after
pictures of the restoration. Each image will contain a caption, credit, and date. These pictures
will be used for dynamic project Web pages that will be available on the NERI Web site.

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The information collected by NERI is available to the public on-line through the NERI Web site.
Therefore, the Section 515 Information Quality Guidelines apply to this information collection
and comply with all applicable information quality guidelines, i.e., OMB, Department of
Commerce, and NOAA guidelines. Several measures have been taken to ensure compliance. The
database is a publicly accessible site but is password protected and limited to users with eligible
projects to enter into the database. Several business rules have also been created to ensure that
information entered into the database cannot be tampered with by other users (e.g. unless
permissions are otherwise granted, restoration practitioners can only edit projects that they
originally entered into the database). New projects first undergo a screening process where they
must meet a few basic requirements prior to being accepted into the database. Database
administrators review all new projects submitted through the data entry interface prior to
accepting them into the database. Upon acceptance, restoration practitioners can edit and update
their project information.
The information collected by NERI undergoes an additional quality assurance/quality control
(QA/QC) process prior to being disseminated to the public for queries and reports. For
manually-entered projects, each individual project is reviewed by database administrators prior
to being made available to the public. For projects imported through existing tracking systems
such as NOAA’s RCDB or USFWS’s HabITS databases, the quality of project information is
ensured by the source data administrator (through NOAA or USFWS)). Data from these sources
will be imported annually, at minimum, after undergoing QA/QC procedures specific to each
data source’s respective agency. This process is repeated whenever a project is updated. The
data import process is currently a manual process consisting of the source data administrator
generating an export file according to predefined specifications which is then emailed to the
NERI administrator for importing into NERI. A Web service feature is under development that
will allow the source data administrator to run the import directly at their desired frequency.
NERI is not a comprehensive set of all restoration projects occurring in the nation. Data is
currently limited to projects funded through a subset of existing Federal programs that have been
incorporated into the application, as well as those to be submitted voluntarily by project
proponents. Therefore, much of the data is not completely generated by NOAA, but originates
from the project manager or another Federal database. A description of the data collection,
information sources, QA/QC, and dissemination processes as well as an overview of data sources
and limitations will be made available upon request and is also provided on the NERI Web site.
As explained in the preceding paragraphs, the information gathered has utility. NMFS 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. See response to Question 10 of this Supporting Statement for more information on
confidentiality and privacy. The information collection is designed to yield data that meet all
applicable information quality guidelines. As described above, 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.
*Species that use both marine and freshwater habitats during their life cycle.

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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.
The collection of information for the National Estuaries Restoration Inventory (NERI) is
completely automated. Restoration practitioners can electronically submit project information via
an online data entry form located on the NERI Web site (https://neri.noaa.gov). They enter
project information into the NERI from Federal, State, local and tribal governments, not-forprofit institutions, and other entities across the country. The practitioners may have different
levels of technical expertise. Therefore, NERI is designed to be easily accessible and has a userfriendly, intuitive interface for both data queries and data entry via the Internet. It allows users to
update project entries without specific technical database training. The database contains a
comprehensive on-line user’s guide, a data dictionary, specific instructions, and examples for
each field. Users have the option of using a Portable Document Format (PDF) form to assist
them in collecting project information for the database. The purpose of this form is to assist
restoration practitioners in information collection and is not intended to be a substitute for
entering information into the database. This form is available for saving and printing on the
NERI Web site. The information collected is made available for queries and reports on the NERI
Web site without the need for a username and password.
The PRA statement, with the OMB Control Number, Expiration Date, and additional information
about the collection, is available for respondents on both the PDF form as well as the NERI Web
site.
To obtain project coordinate information (longitude and latitude), restoration practitioners may
choose to use hand-held Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or numerous on-line mapping
applications, but these options are not required for projects. Users are requested to state how
acreage and stream mile measurements were obtained (e.g. GPS, land surveys, aerial
photography) in the data entry form.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.
NMFS’ Restoration Center maintains an existing database of restoration projects that is used to
track projects funded and implemented by the Restoration Center. Restoration Center staff using
materials from progress reports and direct conversations with restoration practitioners populates
this database. A separate Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) request for the Restoration Center’s
Community-based Restoration Program (CRP) is approved under Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) Control Number 0648-0472 (current renewal expires 08/31/2012). This request
requires recipients of CRP funding to provide information regarding the status and success of
funded projects in the form of periodic performance reports and final reports. The information is
used to populate the Restoration Center’s existing database (RCDB).
Many projects within the RCDB meet the project requirements for the National Estuaries
Restoration Inventory. Therefore, relevant data fields from the Restoration Center database are
copied into NERI on an annual basis to avoid duplication of effort and unnecessary burden to
respondents. The NERI information request is a similar request for information but since it is a
different program, it does not encompass the same projects or the same data fields as the CRP
request. Therefore, a separate request is needed for NERI.
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5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe
the methods used to minimize burden.
Only projects funded through the Estuary Restoration Act are required to submit project
information into NERI. A pre-formatted PDF of the data fields is provided to assist in the
collection of information prior to being entered into the database. Specific instructions and
definitions for data fields are also provided on the data entry form and the NERI Web site.
Technical support is also available via e-mail. The information to be collected is very basic and
should not be a burden for small entities receiving ERA funding to produce.
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 is not collected it will be more difficult to provide accountability on the
expenditure of Federal funds for estuary habitat restoration activities under the ERA. It will also
be more difficult to validate performance measures, and timely responses to any Freedom of
Information Act requests would be inhibited.
7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a
manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
NA.
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 June 1, 2009 (74 FR 26202) solicited public comment on
this renewal request. No comments were received.
Consultations with interested and affected persons are an integral part of this information
collection. We have been in coordination with national and regional restoration entities such as
Restore America’s Estuaries, the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, and the
Gulf of Mexico Foundation, to ensure the application meets their tracking needs. Although these
entities are not required to submit their project information since they have not received ERA
funding, they are all interested in using data from the application to show restoration efforts at
the national and regional levels. In addition, members of the ERA Working Group which consist
of other federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency,
have provided input on how to improve the information collection and efforts have been made to
incorporate the majority of these suggestions into the application. Most of these suggestions
involved formatting changes to remove less critical data elements that reduce data entry burden
on respondents.
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9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No payments or gifts will be provided to any respondents.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
The information collection does not request any proprietary or confidential information. No
confidentiality is provided.
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 information of a sensitive nature is collected.
12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.
The three-year burden for this collection is estimated to be 308 hours (annualized to 103 hours)
as detailed below. However, it should be noted that data collected for the NERI database is
intended to provide information to restoration practitioners throughout the country, including
those entering the data. Therefore, the burden of data collection is expected to be offset (and in
some cases exceeded) by the benefits accrued to restoration practitioners from having access to a
national database for project tracking and data queries.
For the Fiscal Year 2009, less than $3 million in funding was available through the ERA for
estuary habitat restoration projects. NOAA expects no more than 10 restoration projects to be
awarded ERA funding in FY2010. Assuming continued project funding under the ERA, NOAA
expects between 1-10 new awards to be made annually. Based on recent activity, NOAA
estimates that 5-10 additional projects will be entered to the database annually on a voluntary
basis. In addition, funded respondents will be required to return to NERI in the following year to
update their entries. While updates are not required for voluntary submissions, of the 10
voluntary records submitted, 7 are expected to be updated after initial entry. Using these
assumptions for both mandatory and voluntary projects and assuming that one project is entered
or updated by a single respondent, NOAA estimates that in year one of the next three years, up to
20 new projects will be entered into the database. In year two, an additional 20 projects will be
entered into the database and an existing 17 projects will be updated. In year three, another 20
projects will be added to the database and an existing 17 projects will be updated. Annualizing
over three years (20, 20 + 17, 20 + 17), there would be 32 respondents and responses per year.
For new projects, the total response time per project is estimated at four hours: approximately
three hours spent collecting project information and writing the project abstract and one hour for
entering information into the database. For projects that are already in the database and are being
updated, the total response time per project is estimated at two hours: 1 hour and 30 minutes for
collecting new project information and 30 minutes to update the information in the database.
Assuming approximately 20 new projects being entered into the database each year and 17
existing projects updated the second and third years, the total annualized burden would be 308
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hours (20 x 4 hours = 80 for each year, 80 + 17 x 2 (34) hours for the second and third years),
annualized to 103 hours per year.
These totals include the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, and
gathering and maintaining project information needed to answer database questions based on
information that awardees should have readily available, and the one-time need to use a GPS or
internet URL to determine latitude and longitude coordinates of project sites.
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 Question
12 above).
No capital or start-up costs are expected to result from this collection by the respondents.
Operations and maintenance costs are expected to be limited to Internet and computer access for
submitting project information to the NERI database. It is expected that existing computer
equipment and Internet connections will be used by respondents at little to no additional cost.
Therefore, there is no annual cost burden to respondents.
14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.
It is anticipated that one contractor will devote 25% of his/her time annually to project
information QA/QC and database maintenance. One full-time employee (FTE) will devote
approximately 50% of his/her time annually for oversight, reporting, QA/QC, data imports, as
well as coordination of outreach activities (see Question 2 for details) to build more interest in
the application. One Oracle database contractor will devote 25% of his/her time to implement
changes and maintain the application. With an annual average salary of $75,000 for the
contractor at 25% time ($18,750), an annual salary of $80,000 for an FTE at 50% time
($40,000), and an annual salary for an Oracle database contractor of $75,000 at 25% time
($18,750), the annualized cost to the Federal government to conduct this information collection
is estimated to be $77,500. No significant equipment, overhead, printing or other costs should be
involved with the processing of this information collection.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.
The current estimate of burden (103 hours annually) for the information collection renewal is
684 hours less than the previous burden estimate of 787 hours. This estimated decrease is a
result of a previous overestimate of the burden, due to the following reasons: (1) as of March
2009, only ten projects have been selected for funding through the Estuary Restoration Act
(ERA), two of which have been completed. (2) Very few voluntary submissions have been
provided, in part, because NOAA has focused efforts on importing data for existing projects
funded by Federal agencies from those agencies’ internal tracking systems. Most of the few
projects that had been manually submitted for inclusion in NERI already had project entries in
the database. (3) Currently, all of the data in the inventory (except the ERA-funded project
records) is imported from existing tracking systems. The time required to input this data does not
fit under our burden hours since Federal staff are doing the primary data collection and data
entry.

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16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and
publication.
The results of this collection will not be published.
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.
NA.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19 of the
OMB 83-I.
There are no exceptions.

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