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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 240 / Friday, December 13, 2019 / Notices
implementation of this mandate of the
MMPA.
Specifically, the data from the Marine
Mammal Stranding Report (MMSR)
forms provide NMFS with information
on the morphology, life history, biology,
general health, health and stranding
trends, causes of mortality, and
distribution of marine mammal species.
These data provide information which
may help in making assessments on the
status of population stocks. Recording
data on gross mortalities may serve as
an indicator that a particular population
is impacted, threatened or at increased
risk, and when provided in a timely
manner, aid in dynamic management
practices. Stranding data also provide
an important baseline for detecting and
monitoring the impacts of
environmental phenomena, such as El
Nin˜o and Harmful Algal Blooms
(HABs). Minor edits to the current
version of the form are proposed,
including beginning to collect live,
entangled large whale data in this data
collection and streamlining the
confidence codes.
The Marine Mammal Rehabilitation
Disposition Report (MMRDR) provides
NMFS with information on the
disposition of animals brought in for
rehabilitation, the success of medical
treatment, and the number of animals
released. This information will assist
the Agency in tracking marine mammals
that move into captive display and in
the monitoring of rehabilitation and
release. The data will also be used to
assess the burden on stranding network
centers. This form will be filled out only
in the case of live-stranded marine
mammals. The form will be required
from rehabilitation centers in all five
NMFS Regions. Each of the NMFS
regions approves and issues a Letter of
Agreement (LOA) or other form of
agreement to marine mammal
rehabilitation centers under § 112(c) of
the MMPA, which allows the Secretary
to enter into agreements in order to
fulfill the general purposes of the Act,
and under § 403 of the MMPA, which
provides specific authority to enter into
such stranding response agreements.
These data will be monitored as part of
the Rehabilitation Facilities Inspection
(RFI) program. No changes are proposed
to this form.
The Human Interaction Data Sheet
will provide NMFS with consistent and
detailed information on signs of human
interaction in stranded marine
mammals. This form also includes a
subjective section that allows the
examiner to evaluate the likelihood that
human interaction contributed to the
stranding of the animal. This
information will assist the Agency in

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tracking resource conflicts and will
provide a solid scientific foundation for
conservation and management of marine
mammals. With a better understanding
of interactions, appropriate measures
can be taken to resolve conflicts and
stranding data are the best source of
information regarding the occurrence of
different types of human interaction. No
changes are proposed for this form.

Paper applications, electronic reports,
and telephone calls are required from
participants, and methods of submittal
include internet through the NMFS
National Marine Mammal Stranding
Database; facsimile transmission of
paper forms; or mailed copies of forms.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0648–0178.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
(revision and extension of a current
information collection).
Affected Public: State governments;
not-for-profit institutions; business or
other for-profits organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
400.
Estimated Time per Response: 30
minutes for Stranding Reports and
Rehabilitation Disposition Forms; 45
minutes for the Human Interaction Data
Sheet.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 14,600.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $203.45.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval of this information collection;

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they also will become a matter of public
record.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Chief Information Officer, Commerce
Department.
[FR Doc. 2019–26829 Filed 12–12–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

II. Method of Collection

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
chapter 35).
Agency: National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Title: Pacific Coast Groundfish
Fishery Rationalization Social Study.
OMB Control Number: 0648–0606.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular (extension of
an existing collection).
Number of Respondents: 410.
Average Hours per Response: 1.
Burden Hours: 127.
Needs and Uses: NOAA Fisheries
needs to comply with legal
requirements in the Magnuson Stevens
Conservation and Management Act
(MSA), the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), Executive Order
12898, and the Regulatory Flexibility
Act to account for the sustained
participation and the impacts of
individuals and fishing communities
participating in the use of marine
resources and fishing activities. In order
to fully understand the impacts of
fisheries management actions on
participating individuals and
communities, it is necessary to
communicate with them, and maintain
a regular standard of monitoring. This is
accomplished through surveys to see if
any impacts that have been identified
have changed or been addressed. This
survey identifies sociocultural impacts
of the catch shares program, which
extends beyond income and fishing
indicators, and identifies quality of life
and family impacts that can be directly
attributed to changes in behaviors
related to fishing regulations. Survey
participants are able to communicate
their successes and concerns. New data
collections are compared to past data
collections to measure change over time
as well as identify new trends occurring

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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 240 / Friday, December 13, 2019 / Notices

in the fishery. Information obtained
through this study informs fisheries
managers, is utilized in management
reviews, is communicated back to the
end users, and is made available to the
public. This data collection also
complies with the aforementioned legal
requirements, and greatly increases our
knowledge of fishing communities.
Affected Public: Individuals or
Households; Business or other for-profit
organizations.
Frequency: Once every 5 years.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
This information collection request
may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow
the instructions to view Department of
Commerce collections currently under
review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Chief Information Officer, Commerce
Department.
[FR Doc. 2019–26925 Filed 12–12–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Notice of Availability of a Draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for the Coral Reef
Conservation Program
Office for Coastal Management
(OCM), National Ocean Service (NOS),
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of
Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement; Request for comments.
AGENCY:

The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Office for Coastal Management has
prepared a draft programmatic
environmental impact statement (PEIS)
in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA) for its Coral Reef Conservation
Program (CRCP), which is managed by
NOAA’s National Ocean Service in
Silver Spring, MD, and implemented in
coastal areas and marine waters of
Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin
Islands, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, Guam,
the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the
U.S. Pacific Remote Islands, and

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SUMMARY:

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targeted international regions including
the wider Caribbean, the Coral Triangle,
the South Pacific, and Micronesia.
Publication of this document begins the
public comment period for the draft
PEIS.
DATES: Written comments on the draft
PEIS will be accepted on or before
January 27, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the CRCP’s draft PEIS by any of the
following methods:
• Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: Go to
http://www.regulations.gov/NOAANOS-201-0127. Click the ‘‘Comment
Now!’’ icon, complete the required
fields, and enter or attach your
comments.
• Mail: Please direct written
comments to Harriet Nash, Deputy
Director, NOAA’s Coral Reef
Conservation Program, Office for Coastal
Management, 1305 East-West Highway,
N/OCM6, Room 10404, Silver Spring,
MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz
Fairey, NMFS Office of Habitat
Conservation, NOAA Coral Reef
Conservation Program, 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910,
liz.fairey@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA has
prepared a draft PEIS for coral reef
conservation and restoration activities
conducted by NOAA’s Coral Reef
Conservation Program (CRCP)
throughout parts of the United States,
including the South Atlantic Ocean,
Gulf of Mexico, and Remote Pacific
Islands, and priority international areas
(i.e., wider Caribbean, Coral Triangle,
South Pacific, and Micronesia). The
draft PEIS assesses the direct, indirect,
and cumulative environmental impacts
of NOAA’s proposed action to continue
funding and otherwise conducting coral
reef conservation and restoration
activities through the CRCP’s existing
programmatic framework and related
procedures. The CRCP is implemented
consistently with the requirements of
the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000
(CRCA) and Executive Order 13089.
Projects implemented or funded by
NOAA vary in terms of their size,
complexity, geographic location, and
NOAA involvement, and often benefit
diverse coral species, habitats, and
ecosystem types. The CRCP conducts
research and monitoring to gather data
on the existence and condition of coral
reef ecosystems to support conservation
and restoration efforts. NOAA
implements the CRCP across four of its
line offices (i.e., National Ocean Service,
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric
Research, National Marine Fisheries
Service, and National Environmental

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Satellite, Data, and Information Service)
and in coordination with other federal
agencies, state and local agencies,
private conservation organizations, and
research and academic institutions. A
significant amount of this support is
administered through grants and
cooperative agreements. CRCP activities
are prioritized based on available
funding and the responsiveness to the
priorities in its strategic plan, including
jurisdictional needs. The draft PEIS
identifies and evaluates the general
environmental impacts, issues, and
concerns related to the comprehensive
management and implementation of the
CRCP, including potential mitigation.
NOAA anticipates that some
environmental effects will be caused by
site-specific, project-level activities
implementing the CRCP; therefore, the
final PEIS will be used to support tiered,
site-specific National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) reviews by
narrowing the scope of environmental
impacts and facilitating focused,
project-level reviews. NOAA also
intends for this draft PEIS to establish
a tiered environmental decision-making
framework that will support efficient
compliance with other statutes
protecting natural resources such as the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) and
Marine Mammal Protection Act to the
extent they apply. Since the CRCP will
use the Final PEIS to conduct tiered
analyses, this document does not
evaluate the environmental impacts of
any project-level activities. The draft
PEIS analyzes three program-level
alternatives:
• No Action Alternative: The No
Action Alternative would involve
continued operation of the CRCP based
on minimizing the three primary threats
to coral reefs (i.e., fishing impacts, landbased sources of pollution, and climate
change) and supporting research and
possible application of novel coral
restoration and intervention techniques
to respond rapidly to imminent threats,
such as increased bleaching and disease,
to corals and coral reef ecosystems.
CRCP operations would include
monitoring, research activities,
watershed and coral reef restoration,
reduction of physical impacts to coral
reefs, outreach and education, and
program support. The CRCP would
continue to be implemented using
available appropriations, across four
NOAA line offices, using a mix of
internal and external funding, across
existing geographic areas, and in
collaboration with similar partners. The
CRCP would continue to conduct
program activities with mandatory
mitigation measures developed in

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