14348 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 47 / Friday, March 9, 2012 / Notices 

The required information enables 

NOAA to track, evaluate and report on 

coastal and marine habitat restoration 

and demonstrate accountability for 

federal funds. This information is used 

to populate a database of NOAA-funded 

habitat restoration, debris prevention 

and removal, and barrier removal 

projects. The database, with its robust 

querying capabilities, is instrumental to 

provide accurate and timely responses 

to NOAA, Department of Commerce, 

Congressional and Constituent 

inquiries. It also facilitates reporting by 

NOAA on the Government Performance 

and Results Act ‘‘acres restored’’ 

performance measure. Grant recipients 

are required by the NOAA Grants 

Management Division to submit 

periodic performance reports and a final 

report for each award; this collection 

stipulates the information to be 

provided in these reports. 

II. Method of Collection 

Respondents have a choice of either 

electronic fillable forms or paper forms. 

Methods of submittal include email of 

electronic forms, or mailing of paper 

forms. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0472. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension of a currently approved 

collection). 

Affected Public: Not-for-profit 

institutions; state, local, or tribal 

government; business or other for-profit 

organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

250. 

Estimated Time per Response: Semiannual reports, 7 hours, 45 minutes; 

final reports, 12 hours, 30 minutes. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 4,145. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $0 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; and (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. 

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 6, 2012. 

Gwellnar Banks, 

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5774 Filed 3–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Marine 

Recreational Information Program 

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

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. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before May 8, 2012. 

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 JJessup@doc.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument(s) and instructions should 

be directed to Rob Andrews, (301) 482– 

1805 or Rob.Andrews@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

This request is for revision of a 

current information collection. 

Marine recreational anglers are 

surveyed to collect catch and effort data, 

fish biology data, and angler 

socioeconomic characteristics. These 

data are required to carry out provisions 

of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act (16 

U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), as amended, 

regarding conservation and management 

of fishery resources. 

Marine recreational fishing catch and 

effort data are collected through a 

combination of mail surveys, telephone 

surveys and on-site intercept surveys 

with recreational anglers. Amendments 

to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(MSA) require the development of an 

improved data collection program for 

recreational fisheries. To meet these 

requirements, NOAA Fisheries has 

designed and tested new approaches for 

sampling and surveying recreational 

anglers. Revision: A mail survey that 

samples from a residential address 

frame will be implemented to collect 

data on the number of marine 

recreational anglers and the number of 

recreational fishing trips. This survey 

will replace the Coastal Household 

Telephone Survey, which has 

traditionally been used to collect 

recreational fishing effort data. In 

addition, the sampling and estimation 

procedures for the access-point angler 

intercept survey have been revised to 

ensure better coverage and 

representation of recreational fishing 

activity. 

This revision also eliminates several 

data collections that were implemented 

to test revised sampling procedures. The 

following data collections will be 

eliminated: Longitudinal Sampling for 

Coastal Household Telephone Survey, a 

Directory Frame Telephone Survey of 

Licensed Marine Recreational Anglers, 

the Angler Diary Recruitment Screening 

Questionnaire, and Biological Data 

Collection. 

II. Method of Collection 

Information will be collected through 

mail surveys and on-site intercept 

interviews. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0052. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(revision of a current information 

collection). 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

611,282. 

Estimated Time per Response: 10 

minutes for mail surveys of anglers, and 

5 minutes for intercepted anglers. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 66,239 (12,745 new). 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $0. 

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 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 47 / Friday, March 9, 2012 / Notices 14349 

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; and (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. 

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 5, 2012. 

Gwellnar Banks, 

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5698 Filed 3–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XB068 

Availability of Report: California 

Eelgrass Mitigation Policy 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is providing this notice 

in order to allow other agencies and the 

public an opportunity to review and 

provide comments on the proposed 

adoption of the California Eelgrass 

Mitigation Policy (CEMP) by NMFS 

Southwest Region (SWR) Habitat 

Conservation Division (HCD). The intent 

of the CEMP is to help ensure consistent 

and effective mitigation of unavoidable 

impacts to eelgrass habitat throughout 

the SWR. The CEMP is a unified policy 

document for SWR–HCD, based on the 

highly successful implementation of the 

Southern California Eelgrass Mitigation 

Policy, which has improved mitigation 

effectiveness since its initial adoption in 

1991. This policy is needed to ensure 

effective, statewide eelgrass mitigation 

and will help ensure that unavoidable 

impacts to eelgrass habitat are fully and 

appropriately mitigated. It is anticipated 

that the adoption and implementation of 

this policy will provide for enhanced 

success of eelgrass mitigation in 

California. Given the success of the 

Southern California Eelgrass Mitigation 

Policy, the California Eelgrass 

Mitigation Policy reflects an expansion 

of the application of this policy with 

minor modifications to ensure a high 

standard of statewide eelgrass 

management and protection. The CEMP 

will supersede the Southern California 

Eelgrass Mitigation Policy for all areas 

of California upon its adoption. 

DATES: Public comments must be 

received on or before 5 p.m., Pacific 

standard time May 8, 2012. All 

comments received before the due date 

will be considered before finalizing the 

CEMP. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on the CEMP 

may be submitted by mail to the 

National Marine Fisheries Service, 777 

Sonoma Avenue, Suite 325, Santa Rosa, 

CA 95409, Attn: California Eelgrass 

Mitigation Policy Comments. Comments 

may also be sent via facsimile to (707) 

578–3435. Comments may also be 

submitted electronically via email to 

SWR.CEMP@noaa.gov. All comments 

received will become part of the public 

record and will be available for review 

upon request. 

The reports are available at http:// 

swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/hcd/or by calling the 

contact person listed below or by 

sending a request to 

Korie.Schaeffer@noaa.gov. Please 

include appropriate contact information 

when requesting the documents. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Korie Schaeffer, at 707–575–6087. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Eelgrass 

species are seagrasses that occur in the 

temperate unconsolidated substrate of 

shallow coastal environments, enclosed 

bays, and estuaries. Seagrass habitat has 

been lost from temperate estuaries 

worldwide (Duarte 2002, Lotze et al. 

2006, Orth et al. 2006). While both 

natural and human-induced 

mechanisms have contributed to these 

losses, impacts from human population 

expansion and associated pollution and 

upland development is the primary 

cause (Short and Wyllie-Echeverria 

1996). Throughout California, human 

activities including, but not limited to, 

urban development, recreational 

boating, and commercial shipping 

continue to degrade, disturb, and/or 

destroy important eelgrass habitat. For 

example, dredging and filling; shading 

and alteration of circulation patterns; 

and watershed inputs of sediment, 

nutrients, and unnaturally concentrated 

or directed freshwater flows can directly 

and indirectly destroy eelgrass habitats. 

The importance of eelgrass both 

ecologically and economically, coupled 

with ongoing human pressure and 

potentially increasing degradation and 

loss from climate change, highlights the 

need to protect, maintain, and where 

feasible, enhance eelgrass habitat. 

Vegetated shallows that support 

eelgrass are considered a special aquatic 

site under the 404(b)(1) guidelines of the 

Clean Water Act (40 CFR 230.43). 

Pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (MSA), eelgrass is designated as 

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for various 

federally-managed fish species within 

the Pacific Coast Groundfish and Pacific 

Coast Salmon Fisheries Management 

Plans (FMP) (PFMC 2008). Eelgrass is 

also considered a habitat area of 

particular concern (HAPC) for various 

species within the Pacific Coast 

Groundfish FMP. An HAPC is a subset 

of EFH; these areas are rare, particularly 

susceptible to human-induced 

degradation, especially ecologically 

important, and/or located in an 

environmentally stressed area. 

The mission of NMFS SWR–HCD is to 

conserve, protect, and manage living 

marine resources and the habitats that 

sustain them. Eelgrass is a habitat of 

particular concern relative to 

accomplishing this mission. Pursuant to 

the EFH provisions of the MSA, the Fish 

and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA), 

and obligations under the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as a 

responsible agency, NMFS Southwest 

Region annually reviews and provides 

recommendations on numerous actions 

that may affect eelgrass resources 

throughout California, the only state 

within NMFS SWR that supports 

eelgrass resources. Section 305(b)(1)(D) 

of the MSA requires NMFS to 

coordinate with, and provide 

information to, other Federal agencies 

regarding the conservation and 

enhancement of EFH. Section 305(b)(2) 

requires all Federal agencies to consult 

with the NMFS on all actions or 

proposed actions authorized, funded, or 

undertaken by the agency that may 

adversely affect EFH. Under section 

305(b)(4) of the MSA, NMFS is required 

to provide EFH Conservation 

Recommendations to Federal and state 

agencies for actions that would 

adversely affect EFH (50 CFR 600.925). 

NMFS makes its recommendations with 

the goal of avoiding, minimizing, or 

otherwise compensating for adverse 

effects to EFH. When impacts to NMFS 

trust resources are unavoidable, NMFS 

may recommend compensatory 

mitigation to offset those impacts. In 

order to fulfill its consultative role, 

NMFS may also recommend, inter alia, 

the development of mitigation plans, 

habitat distribution maps, surveys and 

survey reports, progress milestones, 

monitoring programs, and reports 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES