This request is for a revision and
extension of a currently approved information collection under OMB
Control Number 0648-0646. Pursuant to a request from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), this collection of information is
being revised to restructure these surveys as a hybrid-generic
collection. This information collection is part of the National
Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP), which was established by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef
Conservation Program (CRCP) under the authority of the Coral Reef
Conservation Act of 2000. The administration of this program has
potential economic and cultural impacts on the lives of nearby
residents and citizens. In accordance with its mission goals, NOAA
developed a survey to track relevant information regarding each
jurisdiction’s population, social and economic structure, the
benefits of coral reefs and related habitats, the impacts of
society on coral reefs, and the impacts of coral management on
communities. The purpose of this information collection is to
obtain human dimensions information from residents in the seven
U.S. jurisdictions containing coral reef ecosystems: Florida, U.S.
Virgin Islands (USVI), Puerto Rico, Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam,
and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The
survey has a core set of questions that are the same for all
jurisdictions to allow for information to be tracked over time. The
survey also includes questions that are specific to the local
context and developed in collaboration with jurisdictional
partners. Survey administration is repeated in each jurisdiction
every five to seven years in order to provide longitudinal
information for managers to effectively conserve coral reefs for
current and future generations.
This ICR is being revised from
a regular ICR to a hybrid-generic. By changing the collection to a
generic, it is required that we enter the total estimated burden
over the period of the collection rather than an annualized
figure.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.