Papahânaumokuâkea Marine
National Monument Permit Applications and Reports for Permits
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
11/22/2023
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
12/31/2023
1,003
1,003
1,343
1,343
53,333
53,333
This is a request for extension of an
existing information collection. On June 15, 2006, President Bush
established the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument by
issuing Presidential Proclamation 8031 (71 FR 36443, June 26,
2006), as amended on February 28, 2007 by Presidential Proclamation
8112 (72 FR 10031, March 6, 2007), under the authority of the
Antiquities Act (54 U.S.C. § 320301 et seq.). The Secretary of
Commerce, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), has primary responsibility regarding the
management of the marine areas of the Monument, in consultation
with the Secretary of the Interior. Similarly, the Secretary of the
Interior, through the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), has sole
responsibility for management of the areas of the Monument that
overlay the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, the Battle of
Midway National Memorial, and the Hawaiian Islands National
Wildlife Refuge, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce.
Presidential Proclamations 8031 and 8112 include restrictions and
prohibitions regarding activities in the Monument. Specifically,
the Proclamations prohibit access to the Monument except when
passing through without interruption or as allowed under a permit
issued by NOAA and the FWS. Vessels passing through the Monument
without interruption are required to notify NOAA and FWS upon
entering into and leaving the monument. Individuals wishing to
access the Monument to conduct certain regulated activities must
first apply for and be granted a permit issued by NOAA and FWS. On
August 29, 2006, NOAA and FWS published a final rule codifying the
provisions of Presidential Proclamation 8031 (71 FR 51134). These
agencies have since worked extensively with the State of Hawaii to
ensure the permitting requirements and processes of all three
entities are sufficiently coordinated and to ensure applicants for
permits for Monument activities require only a single application
and receive one, combined agency permit. The information submitted
by permit applicants will be used to decide whether to approve or
deny a permit application. In making this decision, the agencies
will consider such factors as: ● the professional qualifications
and financial ability of the applicant as related to the proposed
activity; ● the duration of the activity and its effects; ● the
appropriateness of the methods and procedures proposed by the
applicant for the conduct of the activity; ● the extent to which
the conduct of the activity may diminish or enhance the qualities
for which the Monument was designated; ● the end value of the
activity; and ● other such matters as agency staff deem
appropriate. In addition to informing the agencies’ decisions on
permit applications, information submitted in permit applications
and reports submitted pursuant to permit conditions may also be
used by the agencies to inform— ● administrative appeals of permit
decisions; ● decision making on a permit amendment request or
another permit application; or ● other management actions (e.g.,
emergency response and enforcement). In terms of frequency of use,
the information submitted in permit applications will, in general,
only be used at the time the application is submitted to make a
final decision on the application. Some of the information may also
be used subsequent to the initial decision making to inform
management actions or decision making. For example, a survey of a
project location by one permit applicant may be used by the
agencies in the future to respond to a vessel grounding in the same
area to facilitate the agencies’ decision in response to that
matter. Information submitted in a report will be used to
periodically assess the permittee’s compliance with permit terms
and conditions and to assist in evaluating the appropriateness of
the permitted activity.
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.