Application Form for Membership on a National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
11/05/2024
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
01/31/2025
900
750
1,126
750
450
188
This is a request for revision and extension of an approved information collection.
Section 315 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. § 1445a) allows the Secretary of Commerce to establish one or more advisory councils to advise and make recommendations to the Secretary regarding the designation and management of national marine sanctuaries. Executive Order 13178 (December 4, 2000) similarly established a Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Council pursuant to the NMSA for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. Councils are individually chartered for each site, or for the sanctuary system, to meet its specific needs. Once an advisory council has been chartered, a sanctuary superintendent starts a process to recruit members for that council by providing notice to the public and requesting interested parties to apply for the available seat(s) (e.g., Research, Education) and position(s) (i.e., council member or alternate). The information obtained through this application process will be used to determine the qualifications of the applicant for membership on the advisory council.
Two application forms are currently associated with this information collection: (a) National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Application form; and (b) National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Youth Seat Application form. Application form instructions will specify requirements imposed upon the agency when reviewing applicants as potential council members or alternates. Questions posed to applicants have been reviewed and an additional two questions are being added to solicit information on eligibility for a potential stipend program to decrease financial barriers to joining advisory councils. An additional section for demographic questions is also being added to include the newly updated Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity and Recommendations on the Best Practices for the Collection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data on Federal Statistical Surveys, and to learn more about our applicants. Existing questions may be reordered, reworded, and at times, condensed to improve the organization of applicant responses and, thereby, simplify the applicant review process. We do not believe that such revisions to the application would appreciably change the average annual number of respondents or the reporting burden for the information requirements supporting solicitation of new advisory council members.
US Code:
16 USC 1445a
Name of Law: National Marine Sanctuaries Act
There is an increased number of respondents due to the addition of new advisory councils. The burden hours have increased as a result of several new questions being added to the application.
The costs to the federal government increased for several reasons. First, due to the increased number of advisory councils, there is a direct increase in the cost of copying and postage. Second, a more accurate reflection of the government labor rate was used, rather than using a flat rate of $20/hour.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
General Sanctuary Advisory Council Application
0648-0397 30-day 89 FR 87860 2024-1105.pdf
0648-0397 SUPPORTING STATEMENT Part A.docx
General Sanctuary Advisory Council Application