Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Marine Recreational Fishing Expenditure Survey

AGENCY:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice.

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.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted on or before December 20, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at JJessup@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Sabrina Lovell, (301) 427-8153 or sabrina.lovell@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

This request is for revision and extension of an existing data collection.

The objective of the survey is to collect information on both trip expenditures and annual durable good expenditures made by marine recreational anglers. The survey will be conducted in two parts. One part will ask anglers about the expenses incurred on their most recent marine recreational fishing trip. The other part of the survey will ask anglers about their purchases of durable goods such as fishing gear, boats, vehicles, and second homes. As specified in the Magnuson-Stevenson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1996 (and reauthorized in 2007), NMFS is required to enumerate the economic impacts of the policies it implements on fishing participants and coastal communities. The expenditure data collected in this survey will be used to estimate the economic contributions and impacts of marine recreational fishing to each coastal state and nationwide. Slight revisions will be made to the existing trip expenditure questions to clarify certain types of expenditures, and two questions on the trip expenditure instrument will be dropped.

II. Method of Collection

The survey will be conducted using a combination of four modes: Phone, in-person interviews, mail, and electronic (Internet and/or mobile app).

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0648-0693.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Regular submission (revision and extension of a currently approved information collection).

Affected Public: Individual anglers or households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 100,200: 14,200 for durable goods and 86,000 for trip expenditure surveys.

Estimated Time per Response: Durable goods survey, 15 minutes; trip expenditures survey, 5-8 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,816.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping/reporting costs.

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.