27052 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices

e.g., location and color. Law

endorsement personnel rely on this

information to assure compliance with

fisheries management regulations. Gear

that is not properly identified is

confiscated. The identifying number on

fishing gear is used by NMFS, the U.S.

Coast Guard, and other marine agencies

in issuing violations, prosecutions, and

other enforcement actions. Gear marking

helps ensure that a vessel harvests fish

only from its own traps/pots/other gear

and that traps/pots/other gear are not

illegally placed. Gear violations are

more readily prosecuted, and this

allows for more cost-effective

enforcement. Cooperating fishermen

also use the number to report placement

or occurrence of gear in unauthorized

areas. Regulation-compliant fishermen

ultimately benefit as unauthorized and

illegal fishing is deterred and more

burdensome regulations are avoided.

These requirements are currently

cleared under OMB Control Number

0648–0305, which dealt with all NOAA

gear-marking requirements, but those

requirements will now be submitted on

a regional basis.

II. Method of Collection

The physical marking of fishing buoys

is done by the affected public (fishers in

the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery)

according to regulation.

III. Data

OMB Number: New Number to be

Assigned.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit (fishers in the Pacific Coast

Groundfish Fishery).

Estimated Number of Respondents:

1,835.

Estimated Time Per Response: 15

minutes per marking (with an average of

11.20 buoy markings per vessel).

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 5,140.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to

Public: $5,140 for materials to make

markings (e.g. paint and paintbrush or

permanent ink applicator, possibly a

stencil; or a commercially available

plastic tag that is fastened to the trap/

pot).

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: May 12, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–12958 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

Northwest Region Vessel Identification

Requirements; Proposed Collection

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

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, Pub.

L. 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before July 14, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5327, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington

DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to William L. Robinson,

NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE,

Seattle, WA 98115, 206–526–6140.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The success of fisheries management

programs depends significantly on

regulatory compliance. The vessel

identification requirement is essential to

facilitate enforcement. The ability to

link fishing or other activity to the

vessel owner or operator is crucial to

enforcement of regulations issued under

the authority of the Magnuson Fishery

Conservation and Management Act to

govern domestic and foreign fishing, the

Atlantic Tunas Convention Act, and the

South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988. A

vessel’s official number (or international

radio call sign—IRCS—if a foreign

vessel or if fishing in the South Pacific

Tuna Fisheries), under most regulations,

is required to be displayed on the port

and starboard sides of the deckhouse or

hull, and on a weather deck. It identifies

each vessel and should be visible at

distances at sea and in the air.

Vessels that qualify for particular

fisheries are readily identified, gear

violations are more readily prosecuted,

and this allows for more cost-effective

enforcement. Cooperating fishermen

also use the number to report suspicious

activities that they observe. Regulationcompliant fishermen ultimately benefit

as unauthorized and illegal fishing is

deterred and more burdensome

regulations are avoided.

These requirements are currently

cleared under OMB Control Number

0648–0306, which dealt with all NOAA

vessel-marking requirements, but those

requirements will now be submitted on

a regional basis.

II. Method of Collection

Fishing vessel owners physically

mark vessel with identification numbers

in three locations per vessel.

III. Data

OMB Number: New Number to be

Assigned.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit (fishers in the Open Access and

Limited Entry Pacific Coast Groundfish

Fishery).

Estimated Number of Respondents:

2,026.

Estimated Time Per Response: 45

minutes (15 minutes per marking).

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 1,519 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to

Public: $60,780 ($30 per vessel).

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
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices 27053

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: May 12, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–12959 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

DOC has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: Bureau of the Census.

Title: 1999 American Community

Survey.

Form Number(s): ACS–1, –1(GQ),

–3(GQ), –10, –12(L), –13(L),–14(L),

–16(L), –20, –30.

Agency Approval Number: 0607–

0810.

Type of Request: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Burden: 227,500 hours.

Number of Respondents: 425,000.

Avg Hours Per Response: 32 minutes.

Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau

is developing a methodology to produce

‘‘long-form’’ data on a continual basis

that we traditionally have collected

once a decade as part of the decennial

census. This methodology is called

continuous measurement (CM). Since

the Census Bureau collects the longform data only once every ten years, the

data become out of date over the course

of the decade. Also, there is an

increasing need for data describing

lower geographic detail. CM will

provide current data throughout the

decade for small areas and small

subpopulations.

The American Community Survey

(ACS) is the data collection vehicle for

CM. The Census Bureau began a test and

demonstration of the capabilities of the

survey collection and processing system

in 1995. Four sites around the country

were originally selected. This number

has increased slightly through 1998

(presently nine sites). The 1999 ACS

will be conducted in 45 sites, including

the current nine sites. Over the next

three years (1999—2001), we will be

greatly expanding the number of sites

covered and comparing ACS results to

those of the long form which will be

administered in the Census 2000. This

3-year period will help us to understand

the differences between the ACS and the

Census 2000 long form. Current plans

are to put the ACS fully in place in

2003.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households.

Frequency: One-time.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Title 13 USC, Section

182.

OMB Desk Officer: Nancy Kirkendall,

(202) 395–7313.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

room 5327, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent

within 30 days of publication of this

notice to Nancy Kirkendall, OMB Desk

Officer, room 10201, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: May 12, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–12955 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control

Program: Proposed Findings

Document, Environmental

Assessment, and Finding of No

Significant Impact

AGENCY: National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration, U.S.

Department of Commerce, and The U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability of

proposed findings document,

environmental assessment, and finding

of no significant impact on approval of

the coastal nonpoint pollution control

program for Hawaii.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

availability of the Proposed Findings

Document, Environmental Assessment

(EA), and Finding of No Significant

Impact for the Hawaii Coastal Nonprofit

Pollution Control Program (CNPCP).

Coastal states and territories were

required to submit their coastal

nonprofit programs to the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

for approval in July 1995. The Findings

document was prepared by NOAA and

EPA to provide the rationale for the

agencies’ decision to approve the State

coastal nonpoint pollution control

program

Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act

Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA),

16 U.S.C. section 1455b, requires States

and territories with coastal zone

management programs, approved under

section 306 of the Coastal Zone

Management Act, to develop and

implement coastal nonpoint pollution

control programs. These programs shall

be developed in close coordination with

State and local water quality plans and

programs required under the Clean

Water Act (CWA) and will provide an

update to the State’s nonpoint source

program. The EA was prepared by

NOAA, pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 42

U.S.C. sections 4321 et seq., to assess

the environmental impacts associated

with the approval of the coastal

nonpoint pollution control program

submitted to NOAA and EPA by Hawaii.

NOAA and EPA have proposed to

approve, with conditions, the coastal

nonpoint pollution control program

submitted by Hawaii on June 28, 1996.

The requirements of 40 CFR Parts 1500–

1508 (Council on Environmental

Quality (CEQ) regulations to implement

the National Environmental Policy Act)

apply to the preparation of the

Environmental Assessment.

Specifically, 40 CFR section 1506.6

requires agencies to provide public

notice of the availability of

environmental documents. This notice

is part of NOAA’s action to comply with

this requirement.

Introduction

Nonprofit source pollution from

agriculture, urban development,

forestry, wetlands, marinas and

recreational boating, and

hydromodification is a major cause of

water quality impairment nationally and

in Hawaii. The State of Hawaii, along

with various Federal, State and local

agencies, private non-profit groups,

private citizens, and landowners are

involved in many efforts to reduce and

prevent nonpoint source pollution.