USA National Phenology Network – The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
User Registration Form and Instruction	New
The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program Form and Instruction	New
GS12000919 - Emergency Justification LTR - Signed 7-5-2012.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-07-05
typical_one_day_datasheet.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-06-08
Instructions.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-06-05
NPN-NN list of unique datasheets.xls Supplementary Document	2012-06-05
8enterobs.jpg Supplementary Document	2012-06-05
1login.jpg Supplementary Document	2012-06-05
Typical Example of Datasheet Packet for Plants and Animals.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-06-05
NPN_Supporting Statement B.docx Supporting Statement B	2012-06-25
National Phenology Network Supporting Statement A.doc Supporting Statement A	2012-06-25

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
202835	User Training Videos Instruction	New
202623	User Registration Form and Instruction	New
202585	The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program Form and Instruction	New

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1028-0103	ICR Reference No: 201206-1028-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: DOI/GS	Agency Tracking No:
Title: USA National Phenology Network – The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 07/20/2012
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 07/13/2012
	Date Received in OIRA: 07/06/2012
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	01/31/2013	6 Months From Approved
Responses	501,130	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	17,032	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN), established in 2007 by USGS in collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental organizations, is a national-scale science and monitoring initiative focused on phenology (i.e., the study of seasonal life-cycle events such as leafing, flowering, reproduction and migration) as a tool to understand how plants, animals and landscapes respond to environmental variation and change. Information collected by the USA-NPN through it's national observing system, Nature's Notebook, is used by researchers and federal, state and local agencies and resource managers to: understand and support climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation; inform management and assessment of habitats and plant and animal species; identify, assess, and forecast change in ecosystems and effects of climate change; identify relationships between environments and wildlife and human health; integrate data and products for science-based stewardship of natural resources; and provide for youth and public stewardship and engagement.

Emergency Justfication: According to the emergency processing procedures, the USGS has determined that: (1) The collection of information is essential to the USGS meeting its mission requirement of collecting natural resource information and conducting systematic analyses and investigations to inform natural resource decision making. And; (2) The USGS cannot reasonably comply with normal clearance procedures under the PRA because public harm is reasonably likely to result if normal clearance procedures are followed; moreover, the use of normal clearance procedures is reasonably likely to prevent or disrupt the collection of information. It would be a detriment to the public to cease collecting this information while OMB approval is being pursued because: (1) critical baseline information is being collected to create a continuous record of phenology on a national scale, (2) other federal organizations charged with management, inventory and monitoring of natural resources (e.g., National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) are using the program to meet their own mission obligations, (3) the 4700 registered observers, who volunteer their time and effort to make these collections need to see a continuous and ongoing effort on the part of the government to support and maintain such a highly visible program. The use of normal clearance procedures is reasonably likely to disrupt the collection of information because it would require suspension of the Nature’s Notebook program for at least 120 days. Such delays will negatively impact investments already made as well as the continuity of the dataset which is intended to span at least three decades.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 43 USC 31 et seq., 1879 Name of Law: Organic Act
   US Code: 16 USC 661-667e Name of Law: Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
   US Code: 16 USC 742a-742j Name of Law: Fish and Wildlife Act
   US Code: 16 USC 703-712 Name of Law: Migratory Bird Treaty Act
   US Code: 43 USC 1701 Name of Law: Federal Land Policy and Management Act
   US Code: 16 USC 742I Name of Law: Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act
   US Code: 7 USC 136 Name of Law: Endangered Species Act
   US Code: 16 USC 31 Name of Law: Marine Mammal Protect Act
   US Code: 16 USC 931-939c Name of Law: Great Lakes Fishery Act
   PL: Pub.L. 101 - 580 1000 Name of Law: Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control
   US Code: 33 USC 2201 Name of Law: Water Resources Development Act of 1990
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments

Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 3

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program	N/A, N/A, N/A	Android Observation Submission Forms ,   iPhone Observation Submission Forms ,   Web Observation Submission Forms
User Training Videos
User Registration	N/A	User Registration

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	501,130	0	0	501,130	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	17,032	0	0	17,032	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: This is a new information collection request

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $362,012

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? Yes Part B of Supporting Statement

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(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;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

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.

Certification Date: 07/06/2012

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