Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs)
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to renew an information collection authorization. Projects supported...
[Docket No. USGS-2026-0298; GX26EN05ESB0500; OMB Control Number 1028-0096]
AGENCY:
U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.
ACTION:
Notice of information collection; request for comment.
SUMMARY:
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to renew an information collection authorization. Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders.
DATES:
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 19, 2026.
ADDRESSES:
You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
Internet:www.regulations.gov.
Search for and submit comments on Docket No. USGS-2026-0298.
U.S. Mail:
USGS, Information Collections Clearance Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To request additional information about this information collection request (ICR), contact Shawn Carter, Chief Administrator (Acting) and Senior Scientist of the USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center, by email at
scarter@usgs.gov,
or by telephone at 571-314-2788. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States. You may also view the ICR at
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
In accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we provide the public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
A
Federal Register
notice with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on July 17, 2026 (91 FR 44868). No comments were received.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are especially interested in public comments addressing the following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility.
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including using appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology,
e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information (PII) in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your PII—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract:
The US Geological Survey (USGS) manages one National and nine Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs). Each regional CASC involves a cooperative agreement with a host institution. The host institution agreements are periodically re-competed, requiring collection of information from potential host institutions. In addition, this information collection addresses annual and biannual reporting required of host institutions as part of their hosting agreement and associated research agreements.
Title of Collection:
Department of the Interior Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers.
OMB Control Number:
1028-0096.
Form Number:
N/A.
Type of Review:
Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Institutions that are expected to propose to serve as CASC host or partner institutions including state, local government, and tribal entities, and
( printed page 58914)
academic institutions. Existing host institutions are state academic institutions.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents:
10.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses:
307 Responses (see table below).
Estimated Completion Time per Response:
Each proposal for CASC hosting is expected to take 200 hours to complete. The time required to complete annual reports for any specific host cooperative agreement is expected to take 5 hours per report and annual reports for each research agreement are expected to total 2.5 hours per report.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours:
2,590 Hours (see table below).
Type of report
Annual number
of reports
Annual
burden hours
per report
Total annual
burden
Host Recompete
9
200
1,800
Host Performance Report
9
5
45
Host Financial Report
9
5
45
Research Performance Report
135
2.5
337.5
Research Financial Report
135
2.5
337.5
NCASC Performance Report
5
2.5
12.5
NCASC Financial Report
5
2.5
12.5
Grand Total
307
220
2,590
Respondent's Obligation:
Required to Obtain or Retain a Benefit.
Frequency of Collection:
Information will be collected one time every five years for each CASC to enable re-competition of CASC hosting agreements. In addition, host institutions are required to provide annual financial reports and performance reports, as well as annual or biannual financial and performance reports on the associated research agreements.
Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost:
There are no “non-hour cost” burdens associated with this collection of information.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501et seq.).
Brian Kimbrell,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
91 FR 58913
Web Citation
Suggested Web Citation
Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.
“Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs),” thefederalregister.org (September 17, 2026), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-19048/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-for-review-and-approval-regio.
www.regulations.gov
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain
44 U.S.C. 3501
5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1)