80 FR 47511 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments; USA National Phenology Network-The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 152 (August 7, 2015)

Page Range		47511-47512
FR Document		2015-19400

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. This collection is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2016.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 152 (Friday, August 7, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 152 (Friday, August 7, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47511-47512]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19400]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX15BA02EEW0200]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments; 
USA National Phenology Network--The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal 
Observing Program

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a revision of a currently approved information 
collection.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) 
described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 
1995, and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and 
respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal 
agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. This 
collection is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2016.

DATES: To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive 
them on or before October 6, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this information collection to 
the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648-
7197 (fax); or [email protected] (email). Please reference 
`Information Collection 1028-0103, USA National Phenology Network--The 
Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program' in all 
correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jake Weltzin, U.S. Geological Survey, 
1955 East 6th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 (mail); (520) 626-3821 (phone); 
or [email protected] (email). You may also find information about this 
ICR at www.reginfo.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The USA-NPN is a program sponsored by the USGS that uses

[[Page 47512]]

standardized forms for tracking plant and animal activity as part of a 
project called Nature's Notebook. The Nature's Notebook forms are used 
to record phenology (e.g., timing of leafing or flowering of plants and 
reproduction or migration of animals) as part of a nationwide effort to 
understand and predict how plants and animals respond to environmental 
variation and changes in weather and climate. Contemporary data 
collected through Nature's Notebook are quality-checked, described and 
made publicly available; data are used to inform decision-making in a 
variety of contexts, including agriculture, drought monitoring, and 
wildfire risk assessment. Phenological information is also critical for 
the management of wildlife, invasive species, and agricultural pests, 
and for understanding and managing risks to human health and welfare, 
including allergies, asthma, and vector-borne diseases. Participants 
may contribute phenology information to Nature's Notebook through a 
browser-based web application or via mobile applications for iPhone and 
Android operating systems, meeting GPEA requirements. The web 
application interface consists several components: User registration, a 
searchable list of 1,016 plant and animal species which can be 
observed; a ``profile'' for each species that contains information 
about the species including its description and the appropriate 
monitoring protocols; a series of interfaces for registering as an 
observer, registering a site, registering plants and animals at a site, 
generating datasheets to take to the field, and a data entry page that 
mimics the datasheets.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1028-0103.
    Form Number: Various (4 forms).
    Title: USA National Phenology Network--The Nature's Notebook Plant 
and Animal Observing Program.
    Type of Request: Notice of an extension of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Members of the public, registered with Nature's 
Notebook.
    Respondent's Obligation: None. Participation is voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion. During the Spring and Fall 
seasons when phenology is changing quickly, we recommend respondents 
make observations twice per week.
    Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: We project that 6,478 
responders will register with Nature's Notebook, and of those 648 will 
watch the training videos. The same 6,478 responders will contribute 
2,627,155 observation records. In total, this will result in 2,634,269 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: When joining the program, responders 
spend 13 minutes each to register and read guidelines and 83 minutes to 
watch all training videos. After that responders may spend about 2 
minutes per record to observe and submit phenophase status record.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 89,871.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
estimate the total annual non-hour cost burden to be $11,447. This cost 
applies to new observers and includes material used to mark sites or 
plants during the first observation. Marking helps to ensure reporting 
consistency for future observations.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number and current expiration date.

III. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting comments as to: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its 
duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and (d) how to minimize the burden 
on the respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice 
are a matter of public record. Before including your personal mailing 
address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable 
information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire 
comment, including your personally identifiable information, may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personally identifiable information from 
public view, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Jake Weltzin,
Program Manager, Status & Trends Program and Executive Director, USA 
National Phenology Network.
[FR Doc. 2015-19400 Filed 8-6-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4311-AM-P

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 152 / Friday, August 7, 2015 / Notices 47511

the terms and conditions of the permit Biological information concerning the implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22
and the CCAA are followed. greater sage-grouse; (2) relevant data and 40 CFR 1506.6, respectively).
concerning this species; (3) additional
Proposed Action Edward D. Koch,
information concerning the range,
The Service proposes to approve the Field Supervisor, Reno Fish and Wildlife
distribution, population size, and
CCAA and to issue an EOS permit, both Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Reno,
population trends of the greater sage- Nevada.
with a term of 20 years, to Smith Creek grouse; (4) current or planned activities
Ranch LTD for incidental take of greater [FR Doc. 2015–19469 Filed 8–6–15; 8:45 am]
in the covered area and their possible
sage-grouse caused by covered impacts on the species; (5) identification BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

activities, if permit issuance criteria are of any other environmental issues that
met. The area to be addressed under this should be considered with regard to the
proposed CCAA (i.e., covered lands) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
proposed permit action; and (6)
includes approximately 2,200 acres in information regarding the adequacy of Geological Survey
Churchill and Lander Counties, Nevada. the CCAA pursuant to the requirements
Greater sage-grouse currently use for permits at 50 CFR parts 13 and 17. [GX15BA02EEW0200]
suitable habitat on the covered lands for
nesting, early and late brood-rearing, Public Availability of Comments Agency Information Collection
and wintering. The proposed CCAA All comments and materials we Activities: Request for Comments;
describes the threats to the greater sage- receive become part of the public record USA National Phenology Network—
grouse that have been identified on the associated with this action. Before The Nature’s Notebook Plant and
enrolled lands, and the conservation including your address, phone number, Animal Observing Program
measures the applicant will implement email address, or other personal AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
to address these threats. Implementation identifiable information (PII) in your Interior.
of the conservation measures identified comments, you should be aware that ACTION: Notice of a revision of a
in the CCAA is expected to benefit the your entire comment—including your currently approved information
greater sage-grouse by (1) Maintaining PII—may be made publically available collection.
tracts of unfragmented and undeveloped at any time. While you can ask us in
land; (2) managing weeds and invasive your comment to withhold your PII SUMMARY: We (the U.S. Geological
plant species; and (3) maintaining from public review, we cannot Survey) will ask the Office of
healthy, intact nesting, brood-rearing guarantee we will be able to do so. Management and Budget (OMB) to
and wintering habitats. The CCAA has Comments and materials we receive, as approve the information collection (IC)
been developed in support of a EOS well as supporting documentation we described below. As required by the
permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the used in preparing the draft EAS, will be Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
ESA. available for public inspection by 1995, and as part of our continuing
Consistent with our CCAA Policy (64 appointment, during normal business efforts to reduce paperwork and
FR 32726), the conservation goal of the hours, at our Reno Fish and Wildlife respondent burden, we invite the
proposed CCAA is to encourage Office (see ADDRESSES). general public and other Federal
enhancement and protection of greater agencies to take this opportunity to
sage-grouse habitat on non-Federal Next Steps comment on this IC. This collection is
lands by either maintaining or We will evaluate the permit scheduled to expire on January 31,
modifying existing land uses so that application, associated documents, and 2016.
they are consistent with the comments we receive to determine DATES: To ensure that your comments
conservation needs of the greater sage- whether the permit application meets are considered, we must receive them
grouse. We can meet this conservation the requirements of section 10(a)(1)(A) on or before October 6, 2015.
goal with the use of a CCAA by giving of the ESA and NEPA and their ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
non-Federal landowners incentives to implementing regulations. We will also on this information collection to the
implement conservation measures, evaluate whether issuance of an EOS Information Collection Clearance
primarily through regulatory certainty permit would comply with section 7 of Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201
concerning land-use restrictions that the ESA by conducting an intra-Service Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston,
might otherwise apply should the section 7 consultation on the proposed VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648–7197 (fax);
greater sage-grouse become listed under permit action. If we determine that all or gs-info_collections@usgs.gov (email).
the ESA. requirements are met, we will sign the Please reference ‘Information Collection
We have made a preliminary proposed CCAA and issue an EOS 1028–0103, USA National Phenology
determination that the proposed CCAA permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Network—The Nature’s Notebook Plant
and permit issuance are eligible for ESA to Smith Creek Ranch LTD for and Animal Observing Program’ in all
categorical exclusion under NEPA. The incidental take of greater sage-grouse correspondence.
basis for our preliminary determination that is likely to occur with
is contained in an EAS, which is implementation of the CCAA. We will FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jake
available for public review (see not make our final decision until after Weltzin, U.S. Geological Survey, 1955
ADDRESSES). the end of the 30-day public comment East 6th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721
period, and we will fully consider all (mail); (520) 626–3821 (phone); or
Public Comments jweltzin@usgs.gov (email). You may also
comments we receive during the public
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

We request data, comments, new comment period. find information about this ICR at
information, or suggestions from the www.reginfo.gov.
public, other concerned governmental Authority
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
agencies, the scientific community, We provide this notice in accordance
Tribes, industry, or any other interested with the requirements of section 10(c) of I. Abstract
party on this notice. We particularly the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and The USA–NPN is a program
seek comments on the following: (1) NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and their sponsored by the USGS that uses

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Document Created: 2015-12-15 10:56:29
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 10:56:29

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of a revision of a currently approved information collection.
Dates		To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive them on or before October 6, 2015.
Contact		Jake Weltzin, U.S. Geological Survey, 1955 East 6th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 (mail); (520) 626-3821 (phone); or [email protected] (email). You may also find information about this ICR at www.reginfo.gov.
FR Citation		80 FR 47511

80 FR 47511 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments; USA National Phenology Network-The Nature's Notebook Plant and Animal Observing Program

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORGeological Survey

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 152 (August 7, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey