2018-11631. Agency Information Collection Activities; National Land Remote Sensing Education, Outreach and Research Activity

AGENCY:

U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of Information Collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to renew an information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before July 30, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

Send your comments on the information collection request (ICR) by mail to the U.S. Geological Survey, Information Collections Clearance Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by email to [e-mail]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1028-0085 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact Sarah Cook by email at [e-mail], or by telephone at 703-648-6136.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

We, the U.S. Geological Survey, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on 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.

We are soliciting comments on the proposed ICR described below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary for the proper functions of the USGS; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the USGS enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the USGS minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use 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.

Abstract: The National Land Remote Sensing Education, Outreach and Research Activity (NLRSEORA) is an effort that involves the development of a U.S. national consortium in building the capability to receive, process and archive remotely sensed data for the purpose of providing access to university and state organizations in a ready-to-use format; and to expand the science of remote sensing through education, research/applications development and outreach in areas such as environmental monitoring to include the effects of climate variability on water availability (or lack thereof) and phenology, natural resource management and disaster analysis. Respondents are submitting proposals to acquire funding for a national (U.S.) program to promote the uses of space-based land remote sensing data and technologies through education and outreach at the state and local level and through university-based and collaborative research projects. The information collected will ensure that sufficient and relevant information is available to evaluate and select a proposal for funding. A panel of USGS Land Resources Mission Area managers and scientists will review each proposal to evaluate the technical merit, requirements, and priorities identified in the call for proposals.

This notice concerns the collection of information that is sufficient and relevant to evaluate and select proposals for funding. We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2), and under regulations at 30 CFR 250.197, “Data and information to be made available to the public or for limited inspection.” Responses are voluntary. No questions of a “sensitive” nature are asked. We intend to release the project abstracts and primary investigators for awarded/funded projects only.

Title of Collection: National Land Remote Sensing Education, Outreach and Research Activity (NLRSEORA).

OMB Control Number: 1028-0085.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Public or private institutions of higher education including universities; state and local governments (including county, city, township or special district governments), independent school districts, Native American Tribal governments or oganizations, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status).

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: Approximately 5 respondents.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: Approximately 5 responses or applications.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: We expect to receive approximately 5 applications per year, taking each applicant approximately 24 hours to complete, totaling 120 burden hours. We anticipate awarding one (1) grant per year. The grantee will be required to submit an interim Annual Progress Report to the designated USGS Project Officer within 90 days of the end of the project period and a final report on or before 90 working days after the expiration of the agreement.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 120 hours per year.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain a Benefit.

Frequency of Collection: Annually.

Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: There are no “non-hour-cost” burdens associated with this IC.

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 authorities for this action are the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.).

Timothy Newman,

Program Coordinator, National Land Imaging Program, U.S. Geological Survey.