83 FR 12564 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Coastal Zone Management Program Administration

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 56 (March 22, 2018)

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and to solicit public comment on the revised and updated CZMA Section 306A Guidance.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 56 (Thursday, March 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12564-12565]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05804]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Coastal Zone 
Management Program Administration

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and to solicit public comment on the 
revised and updated CZMA Section 306A Guidance.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 21, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the internet 
at [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Patmarie S. Nedelka, (240) 533-0725, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for revision and extension of a currently approved 
information collection and to solicit public comment on the revised and 
updated CZMA Section 306A Guidance.
    In 1972, in response to intense pressure on United States (U.S) 
coastal resources, and because of the importance of U.S. coastal areas, 
the U.S. Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 
(CZMA), 16 U.S.C. 1451 et. seq. The CZMA authorized a federal program 
to encourage coastal states and territories to develop comprehensive 
coastal management programs. The CZMA has been reauthorized on several 
occasions, most recently with the enactment of the Coastal Zone 
Protection Act of 1996. (CZMA as amended). The program is administered 
by the Secretary of Commerce, who in turn has delegated this 
responsibility to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 
(NOAA) National Ocean Services (NOS).
    The coastal zone management grants provide funds to states and 
territories to: Implement federally-approved coastal management 
programs; complete information for the Coastal Zone Management Program 
(CZMP) Performance Management System; develop multi-year program 
assessments and strategies to enhance their programs within priority 
areas under Section 309 of the CZMA; submit documentation as described 
in the CZMA Section 306A on the approved coastal zone management

[[Page 12565]]

programs; submit requests to update their federally-approved programs 
through amendments or program changes; and develop and submit state 
coastal nonpoint pollution control programs (CNP) as required under 
Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments.
    Revisions:
    1. The CZMA Section 306A guidance and project questionnaire have 
been updated to reduce confusion. The 306A Guidance and project 
questionnaire currently in use were developed in 1999 and need to be 
updated to ensure consistency with NOAA/NOS environmental compliance 
policies or grants requirements, and CZMA national strategic 
priorities, such as community resilience. The revised 306A guidance and 
questionnaire will provide clarification on the collection of project 
information and resolve confusion over grants management timelines. The 
current guidance and proposed revisions can be found at https://coast.noaa.gov/czm/guidance/. Based on recent experience, the time 
estimate for completing the questionnaire and collecting the necessary 
documentation is being increased from 5 hours to 15 hours per project.
    2. An electronic system is being developed to improve the routine 
program change submission process and will replace the current paper-
only submission process. The new site will provide the following 
functionalities: Make active program change documents electronically 
available to the public, states and federal agencies; Provide 
electronic notices to state agencies, federal agencies and the public 
of state program change submissions, OCM decision deadlines and OCM 
decisions; Automatically notify federal agencies, states and members of 
the public who request such notifications via email; Allow federal 
agencies and the public to submit comments to OCM on individual state 
program change submissions; Allow ability of OCM staff to upload text-
searchable PDF documents that are part of program changes. These 
uploads need to be allowable on a daily basis, and need to be uploaded 
into a publicly available database. The database should have the 
ability to contain information for each program change (as in what is 
currently included in the Microsoft Access database) and to hold 
associated program change documents; Allow the ability to provide 
electronic notices to state agencies, federal agencies and the public 
by adding the notices to the online database and also automatically 
sending them to a particular list of contacts; and Provide an area on 
the website/database interface for interested parties to request to be 
added to the automatic notification contact list. The system is 
currently being designed and will undergo beta testing later this year. 
Respondents will have the ability to make their submissions using the 
new system or by paper until the system is fully operational and 
accurate, which is expected to be within one year.

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents have a choice of electronic or paper formats for 
submitting program documents, assessment and strategy documents, and 
other required materials. Grant applications are submitted 
electronically via Grants.gov and performance reports are submitted 
electronically through NOAA Grants Online. Performance measurement data 
is submitted through an online database. Methods of submittal for other 
program documents and required materials include electronic submittal 
via email, mail and facsimile transmission of paper forms, or submittal 
of electronic files on compact disc.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0119.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (revision and extension of a 
current information collection).
    Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 34.
    Estimated Time per Response: Performance reports, 27 hours; 
assessment and strategy documents, 240 hours; Section 306A 
questionnaire and documentation, 15 hours; amendments and routine 
program changes, 16 hours; CNP documentation, 320 hours; CZMA 
Performance Management System, 24 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,280 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $850 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology; and (e) proposed changes or questions concerning the 
revised and updated CZMA Section 306A Guidance.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 19, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-05804 Filed 3-21-18; 8:45 am]
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