This request is for revision and
extension of a currently approved information collection by the
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS). ONMS manages national
marine sanctuaries pursuant to the purposes and policies of the
National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.). National
marine sanctuary regulations at 15 CFR part 922 list specific
activities that are prohibited in national marine sanctuaries.
These regulations also state that otherwise prohibited activities
may be conducted if a permit is issued by ONMS. Persons desiring a
permit must submit an application (note that requests for baitfish
permits and Tortugas Ecological Reserve North Access permits
require contacting Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and do
not require a completed ONMS permit application), and anyone
obtaining a permit is generally required to submit one or more
reports on the activity allowed under the permit. The recordkeeping
and reporting requirements at 15 CFR part 922 form the basis for
this collection of information. This information is required by
ONMS to protect and manage sanctuary resources. The permit
application collects information about the proposed activities, the
methods proposed to be used, the potential effects to sanctuary
resources, and information on the regulatory review criteria at 15
CFR part 922. ONMS uses this information to evaluate whether the
proposed activities are consistent with the goals and objectives of
the sanctuary and the purposes and policies of the NMSA. Changes to
this information collection include revisions to the permit
application and instructions to collect information about small
businesses to better assess the types of entities engaged in
permitting activities. The estimated number of permits issued per
year also changed from 424 to 567 to reflect the additional
estimated permit numbers if the various proposed national marine
sanctuary designations are finalized. In particular, this is based
on adding an estimated fifteen additional permits and about 59
certifications for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine
Sanctuary (88 FR 58123, August 25, 2023), an estimated five
additional permits for the proposed designation of the National
Marine Sanctuary for the Pacific Remote Islands (88 FR 23624; April
18, 2023), an estimated five additional permits for proposed Lake
Ontario National Marine Sanctuary (88 FR 3334, January 19, 2023),
an estimated five additional permits for proposed Lake Erie
Quadrangle National Marine Sanctuary (88 FR 32198, July 18, 2023),
an estimated nine permits for the proposed sanctuary in the Hudson
Canyon area (87 FR 38387, June 8, 2022), and increasing the numbers
of amendments and Tortugas access permits to reflect more recent
average permit numbers. The number of baitfish permits was
diminished by 35 permits and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
plans to phase out the bait fishing permits over the next three
years (87 FR 42800, July 18, 2022).
US Code:
16
USC 1431 Name of Law: National Marine Sanctuaries Act
The estimated number of permits
issued per year is updated to reflect the additional estimated
permit numbers if the various proposed national marine sanctuary
designations are finalized,.and increasing the numbers of
amendments and Tortugas access permits to reflect more recent
average permit numbers. The number of baitfish permits was
diminished by 35 permits and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
has proposed phasing out the bait fishing permits over the next
three years.
$1,181,859
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Sophie De Beukelaer 831
647-1286
No
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.