2521ss09 Smith River Justification

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing Projects” (OMB Control Number: 2080-0083)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Montana’s Smith River Algae Project

PURPOSE: In recent years, citizens have reported nuisance algal growth on the Smith River in Montana, but algal growth has been difficult to locate and verify. The Smith River is rugged and remote and only accessible by a minimum three-day float. Floaters are required to apply for a permit to be able to float the river. These characteristics make it difficult for government agencies to collect information on the river. The purpose of this project is better characterize algal blooms on Smith River. This project will have citizen scientists take photos of algae growth in the Smith River, Montana over space and time during the summer 2018 season. EPA is partnering with Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and and Parks (FWP) on this project to collect information on the river.

Project Contacts:

EPA – Jason Gildea, [email protected]
Montana DEQ – Eric Urban, [email protected]
Montana FWP – Trevor Selch, [email protected]

NEED AND AUTHORITY FOR COLLECTION: The need and authority is due to Section 303 of the Clean Water Act, which requires EPA or delegated authorities to monitor and assess conditions of waterbodies in the U.S.

USES OF RESULTING DATA: Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will compile and review the photos to understand algae growth on the river. The information will then be used to guide targeted sampling and assessment efforts in 2019.

DATA COLLECTION METHODS: Montana DEQ, FWP, and EPA have developed an App (with EPA contractor support) which will allow the user to take a photo and answer questions about the algae conditions in the photo. The app will transmit photos and survey questions to a DEQ server once participants are back in cell phone range. Montana DEQ will be responsible for App maintenance and storage of all information collected during this project.

PARTICIPANT UNIVERSE:

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Participation Time per response	Burden Hours
Citizens with Permits to Float the Smith River	2000	1	1 hr	2000 hours
Totals	2000	1	1 hr	2000 hours

AGENCY COST: 

• Contractor Support for App development: $50,000

• GS-13 EPA Employee ($45/hr) x 100 hours = $4500

• Total Cost: $54,500

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: All data analyses will be performed by Montana DEQ, including summary statistics, summary of responses, creation of a geodatabase with geo-referencing of photos and answers.

Contractor: Tetra Tech, Inc. is providing app development support.

Tetra Tech, Inc.
10306 Eaton Pl.
Ste. 340
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 385-6000

Project Manager: Kevin Kratt. [email protected]

DATA QUALITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES: A QAPP is developed for the project following EPA QA/R-5, EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans

ADMINISTRATION OF THE INSTRUMENT: (Check all that apply)

[ X ] Web-based or Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

INSTRUMENT: Append a copy of the questionnaire or a screen shot of the website or app that includes the information collection.

CONTACT NAME: Jason Gildea EMAIL: [email protected]

Guidance: Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing Projects” (OMB Control Number: 2080-0083)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Provide the name of the collection that is the subject of the request.

PURPOSE: Provide a brief description of the purpose of this collection and how it will be used. If this is part of a larger study or effort, please include this in your explanation.

NEED AND AUTHORITY FOR COLLECTION: In this section, describe why the information is needed and under what legal authority it will be collected. Then, to establish legal authority, cite the principal authorities and explain how they relate to the collection.

USES OF RESULTING DATA: In this section, describe how the information you collect will fulfill a need. If your ICR is a renewal, you must include a discussion of how the Agency has made use of the information already received.

DATA COLLECTION METHODS: To demonstrate that the information you collect will be useful - accurate, reliable, and retrievable - once collected, describe the collection methodology and management.

PARTICIPANT UNIVERSE: To calculate the total burden and costs, you must estimate the number of respondents to complete each activity. The total number of respondents is also referred to as the respondent universe. In estimating the respondent universe, you should consult industry reports, census data, or a previously completed Information Collection Request. The public comment period or your consultations (with nine or fewer respondents) may also provide some information on the approximate number of respondents.

You should note that the respondent universe may vary among the activities listed because not all respondents must complete each activity.

AGENCY COST: To estimate agency costs, multiply burden hours per activity by labor rates. The cost to employ Federal government workers is published annually by the Office of Personnel Management. Estimate the cost to the Federal government for just the information collection, not the project as a whole. In your write-up for this section, briefly explain how you derived your Agency burden and cost estimates.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Briefly explain your statistical analysis. In your discussion, confirm that the anticipated survey results will satisfy the survey objectives and your program's information needs.

Also, if you plan to use a contractor for any aspect of the survey, state the name and address of the firm, and indicate on which component(s) (i.e., design, tabulation, etc.) the contractor will provide support.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE INSTRUMENT: Check all that apply.

INSTRUMENT: Append a copy of the information collection or a screen shot of the website or app that includes the information collection.