27566 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 96 /Tuesday, May 19, 1998 / Notices

approval of this information collection;

they also will become a matter of public

record.

Dated: May 13, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–13174 Filed 5–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

Surf Clam/Ocean Quahog ITQ Transfer

Form; 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,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before July 20, 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 and instructions should be

directed to Myles Raizin, NMFS, 1

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA,

01930, (978) 281–9104.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

Amendment 8 to the Fishery

Management Plan for Surf Clams and

Ocean Quahogs (FMP) implemented an

individual transferable quota (ITQ)

system for both fisheries. The FMP,

under 50 CFR § 648.70 (b), requires the

Regional Administrator, NMFS,

Northeast Region, to approve both

permanent and temporary transfers of

allocations. The Surf Clam/Ocean

Quahog ITQ Transfer Form (Form)

serves as the official application to the

Regional Administrator to effect these

transfers. The Form requires names of

the transferor and transferee and their

respective allocation numbers, and

number of 32-bushel cages transferred

and corresponding cage tag numbers.

New applicants must furnish vessel

name, owner name, address, and

telephone number, and NMFS will

assign them an allocation number. Both

the transferor and transferee must sign

the form.

II. Method of Collection

Written application.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0648–0238.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Business and other

for-profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

206.

Estimated Time Per Response: 5

minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 52 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to

Public: $0 (no capital expenditures).

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 13, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–13175 Filed 5–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

Application to Shuck Surf Clams/

Ocean Quahogs at Sea; 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,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before July 20, 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 and instructions should be

directed to Myles Raizin, NMFS, 1

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA,

01930, (978)281–9104.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

Amendment 8 to the Fishery

Management Plan for Surf Clams and

Ocean Quahogs (FMP) implemented a

requirement for vessel owners that

desire to use their vessels for shucking

either surf clams or ocean quahogs at

sea to submit an Application to Process

Surf Clams/Ocean Quahogs at Sea

(Application) to the Regional

Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Region

(Regional Administrator). The contents

of the application are specified at 50

CFR 648.74(a)(2) and include: Name and

address of the applicant, permit number

of the vessel, method of calculating the

amount of surf clams or ocean quahogs

harvested in the shell, vessel

dimensions and accommodations, and

length of fishing trip. Upon receipt of

the application, the Regional

Administrator may allow the shucking

of surf clams or ocean quahogs at sea if

he/she determines that an observer

carried aboard the vessel can measure

accurately, in bushels, the total amount

of surf clams and ocean quahogs

harvested in the shell prior to shucking.

The calculation of bushels is extremely

important since the fisheries operate

under a system of individual

transferable quotas which are defined in

32-bushel units.

II. Method of Collection

Written application.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0648–0240.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Business and other

for-profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2.