Justification - Right Whale Sightings Advisory System

Project Title: Right Whale Sightings Advisory System

Program Office Sponsoring or Conducting this CSC Project: NMFS/NEFSC/READ/Protected Species Branch

Authority for this CSC Project: MMPA, ESA and CCSA

Purpose of this CSC Project: This project improves population estimates for right whales by informing whale aerial surveys about the locations of right whales.

Type(s) of Information Collected and From Whom It Is Collected: This project collects whale sighting information including time, location and species sighted. Recreational boaters and beach walkers collect this information.

Use of the Information: NMFS uses this information to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of its whale aerial surveys and, therefore, it is used to improve population estimates and the conservation of right whales.

Method(s) of Information Collection: The voluntary participants provide this information by phone to a whale sighting hotline.

Affected Public: Individuals and business or other for-profit organizations

Estimated Average Annual Number of Participants: 80

Estimated Average Annual Number of Responses per Participant: 1

Estimated Average Minutes per Response: 5

Estimated Average Annual Burden Hours: 7

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Participants in this CSC Project: $0

Estimated Average Annual Costs to the Federal Government: $9,182

Estimated Average Annual Number of Federal Government Employees (FTEs): 0.08

Gifts or Payments (SSA Item 9): We do not plan to provide a gift or payment to the voluntary participants.

Annual and Multi-Year Schedules (SSA Item 16): This has been an ongoing project for 20 years. It has no end date and generates no reports.

Display OMB Control No. and Expiration Date (SSA Item 17): Displaying that information is not appropriate because people just call the hotline number.

Statistical Methods: This CSC project will not employ statistical methods.

Approval for Pretesting: This CSC project will not require pretesting

Supplemental Documents: The supplemental document for this CSC project is a copy of website pages with the web-based app data entry form with instructions and outreach information.

CERTIFICATION: I certify the following are true.

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The collection will not include highly influential scientific information, ,which is information NOAA or OMB determines: (i) could have a potential impact of more than $500 million in any year, or (ii) is novel, controversial, or precedent setting or has significant interagency interest.

5. The collection complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

6. The collection will provide qualitative and quantitative data that help inform scientific research and monitoring, validate models or tools, support STEM learning, and enhance the quantity and quality of data collected to support NOAA’s mission.

Name: Tim Cole