2012-17943. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit 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: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Submission of Conservation Efforts to Make Listings Unnecessary under the Endangered Species Act.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0466.

Form Number(s): NA.

Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a current information collection).

Number of Respondents: 3.

Average Hours per Response: Development of agreement, 2,500 hours; annual monitoring, 640 hours; annual report, 160 hours.

Burden Hours: 3,300.

Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a currently approved information collection.

On March 28, 2003, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Services) announced a final policy on the criteria the Services will use to evaluate conservation efforts by states and other non-Federal entities (68 FR 15100). The Services take these efforts into account when making decisions on whether to list a species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The efforts usually involve the development of a conservation plan or agreement, procedures for monitoring the effectiveness of the plan or agreement, and an annual report.

Affected Public: State, local or tribal government; business or other for-profit organizations.

Frequency: Annually and on occasion.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: [e-mail].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to [e-mail].

Dated: July 18, 2012.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.