2598 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 16, 2024 / Notices 

subsistence needs by: (i) Causing the 

marine mammals to abandon or avoid 

hunting areas; (ii) Directly displacing 

subsistence users; or (iii) Placing 

physical barriers between the marine 

mammals and the subsistence hunters; 

and (2) That cannot be sufficiently 

mitigated by other measures to increase 

the availability of marine mammals to 

allow subsistence needs to be met. 

The project is not known to occur in 

an area important for subsistence 

hunting. It is a developed area with 

regular marine vessel traffic. However, 

ADOT&PF plans to provide advanced 

public notice of construction activities 

to reduce construction impacts on local 

residents, ferry travelers, adjacent 

businesses, and other users of the Auke 

Bay ferry terminal and nearby areas. 

This will include notification to local 

Alaska Native tribes that may have 

members who hunt marine mammals for 

subsistence. Of the marine mammals 

considered in this IHA application, only 

harbor seals are known to be used for 

subsistence in the project area. If any 

tribes express concerns regarding 

project impacts to subsistence hunting 

of marine mammals, further 

communication between will take place, 

including provision of any project 

information, and clarification of any 

mitigation and minimization measures 

that may reduce potential impacts to 

marine mammals. 

Based on the description of the 

specified activity, the measures 

described to minimize adverse effects 

on the availability of marine mammals 

for subsistence purposes, and the 

mitigation and monitoring measures, 

NMFS has determined that there will 

not be an unmitigable adverse impact on 

subsistence uses from ADOT&PF’s 

activities. 

Endangered Species Act 

There are two marine mammal 

species (western DPS Steller sea lion 

and Mexico DPS humpback whale) with 

confirmed occurrence in the project area 

that is listed as endangered and 

threatened respectively under the ESA. 

The NMFS Alaska Regional Office 

Protected Resources Division issued a 

Biological Opinion on December 22, 

2023 under section 7 of the ESA, on the 

issuance of an IHA to ADOT&PF under 

section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA by the 

NMFS Permits and Conservation 

Division. The Biological Opinion 

concluded that this action is not likely 

to jeopardize the continued existence of 

western DPS Steller sea lions or Mexico 

DPS humpback whale, and is not likely 

to destroy or adversely modify western 

DPS Steller sea lion or Mexico DPS 

humpback whale critical habitats. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

To comply with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 

216–6A, NMFS must evaluate our action 

(i.e., the issuance of an IHA) and 

alternatives with respect to potential 

impacts on the human environment. 

This action is consistent with 

categories of activities identified in 

Categorical Exclusion B4 (IHAs with no 

anticipated serious injury or mortality) 

of the Companion Manual for NAO 216– 

6A, which do not individually or 

cumulatively have the potential for 

significant impacts on the quality of the 

human environment and for which we 

have not identified any extraordinary 

circumstances that will preclude this 

categorical exclusion. Accordingly, 

NMFS has determined that the issuance 

of this IHA qualifies to be categorically 

excluded from further NEPA review. 

Authorization 

NMFS has issued an IHA to 

ADOT&PF for the potential harassment 

of small numbers of 11 marine mammal 

species incidental to the construction 

project in Auke Bay, Alaska, that 

includes the previously explained 

mitigation, monitoring and reporting 

requirements. The issued IHA can be 

found at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.

gov/action/incidental-takeauthorization-alaska-departmenttransportation-pile-driving-andremoval. 

Dated: January 9, 2024. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00622 Filed 1–12–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; Cooperative Game Fish 

Tagging Report 

AGENCY: National Oceanic & 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection, 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA), invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to comment on 

proposed, and continuing information 

collections, which helps us assess the 

impact of our information collection 

requirements and minimize the public’s 

reporting burden. The purpose of this 

notice is to allow for 60 days of public 

comment preceding submission of the 

collection to OMB. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, 

comments regarding this proposed 

information collection must be received 

on or before March 18, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments to 

Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, 

at Adrienne.thomas@noaa.gov. Please 

reference OMB Control Number 0648– 

0247 in the subject line of your 

comments. Do not submit Confidential 

Business Information or otherwise 

sensitive or protected information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

specific questions related to collection 

activities should be directed to Eric 

Orbesen, Research Fish Biologist, 

NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science 

Center, 75 Virginia Beach Dr., Miami, 

FL 33149, ((800) 437 3936), 

Eric.Orbesen@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

This request is for extension of a 

current information collection. 

The Cooperative Game Fish Tagging 

Program was initiated in 1971 as part of 

a comprehensive research program 

resulting from passage of Public Law 

86–359, Study of Migratory Game Fish, 

and other legislative acts under which 

the National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS) operates. The Cooperative 

Tagging Center attempts to determine 

the migration patterns of, and other 

biological information for, billfish, 

tunas, and swordfish. The Fish Tag 

Issue Report card is a necessary part of 

the tagging program. Fishermen 

volunteer to tag and release their catch. 

When requested, NMFS provides the 

volunteers with fish tags for their use 

when they release their fish. Usually a 

group of five tags is sent at one time, 

each attached to a Report card, which is 

pre-printed with the first and last tag 

numbers received, and has spaces for 

the respondent’s name, address, date, 

and club affiliation (if applicable). He/ 

she fills out the card with information 

when a fish is tagged and mails it to 

NMFS. 

Information on each species is used 

by NMFS to determine migratory 

patterns, distance traveled, stock 

boundaries, age, and growth. These data 

are necessary input for developing 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 16, 2024 / Notices 2599 

management criteria by regional fishery 

management councils, states, and 

NMFS. The tag report cards are 

necessary to provide tags to the 

volunteer angler, record when and 

where the fish was tagged, the species, 

its estimated length and weight, tag 

number, and information on the tagger 

for follow-ups if the tagged fish is 

recovered. Failure to obtain these data 

would make management decisions very 

difficult and would be contrary to the 

NMFS Marine Recreational Fishing 

policy objectives. Anglers are made 

aware of the tagging program through 

several forms of media: newspaper and 

magazine articles, through both The 

Billfish Foundation and the Southeast 

Fisheries Science Center websites, peer 

review papers, and by word of mouth. 

II. Method of Collection 

Information is submitted by mail, and 

occasionally, international anglers scan 

the report cards and submit them via 

email to tagging@noaa.gov. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0247. 

Form Number(s): NOAA form 88–162. 

Type of Review: Regular submission, 

extension of a current information 

collection. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

200. 

Estimated Time per Response: 5.63 

minutes. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 292 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $0. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. 

Legal Authority: U.S. Code: 16 U.S.C. 

760e; Name of Law: Study of Migratory 

Game Fish. 

IV. Request for Comments 

We are soliciting public comments to 

permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) 

Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper functions of the Department, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the 

accuracy of our estimate of the time and 

cost burden for this proposed collection, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and (d) Minimize the 

reporting burden on those who are to 

respond, including the use of automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

Comments that you submit in 

response to this notice are a matter of 

public record. We will include or 

summarize each comment in our request 

to OMB to approve this ICR. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

email address, or other personal 

identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you may ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Sheleen Dumas, 

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of 

the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, 

Commerce Department. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00615 Filed 1–12–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Telecommunications and 

Information Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission for OMB 

Review; Comment Request; State 

Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit the following information 

collection request to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and clearance in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, on or after the date of publication 

of this notice. We invite the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

comment on proposed, and continuing 

information collections, which helps us 

assess the impact of our information 

collection requirements and minimize 

the public’s reporting burden. Public 

comments were previously requested 

via the Federal Register on November 3, 

2023, during a 60-day comment period. 

This notice allows for an additional 30 

days for public comments. 

Agency: National 

Telecommunications and Information 

Administration (NTIA), Commerce. 

Title: State Digital Equity Capacity 

Grant Program (SDECGP). 

OMB Control Number: 0660–XXXX. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Request: New information 

collection. 

Number of Respondents: 56 for the 

Application Form, Specific Projects 

Form, and Consolidated Budget Form; 

11 for the DE Plan Amendments Form. 

Average Hours per Response: 11 

hours. 

Burden Hours: 571 hours. 

Needs and Uses: With this 

information collection, NTIA will 

review the proposed applications and 

budgets of applicants to evaluate 

alignment to SDECGP requirements and 

program priorities. Applicants will have 

more structured questions and guidance 

for their applications. The forms will 

ultimately reduce the applicant burden 

by making the application process 

clearer and simpler. Additionally, the 

structured forms will reduce application 

errors and the number of application 

updates needed after the applications 

have been submitted. NTIA will use the 

information collected in the DE Plan 

Amendments Form to review changes 

made to the applicant’s Digital Equity 

Plan after acceptance in order to 

evaluate alignment to program 

requirements and between the 

applicant’s Plan and proposed SDECGP 

activities. 

Affected Public: States, Territories, or 

possessions of the United States 

applying for Infrastructure Act 

Broadband Grant Program funding. 

Frequency: Annually. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

Legal Authority: Sections 60304(c) 

and 60304(d) of the Infrastructure 

Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, Public 

Law 117–58, 135 Stat. 429 (November 

15, 2021). 

This information collection request 

may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. 

Follow the instructions to view the 

Department of Commerce collections 

currently under review by OMB. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be 

submitted within 30 days of the 

publication of this notice on the 

following website www.reginfo.gov/ 

public/do/PRAMain. Find this 

particular information collection by 

selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day 

Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or 

by using the search function and 

entering the title of the collection. 

Sheleen Dumas, 

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of 

the Under Secretary of Economic Affairs, 

Commerce Department. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00655 Filed 1–12–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–60–P 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1