B03-027

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced its intentions to request approval for a three-year extension of a currently approved information collection entitled Request for Transfer of Ownership, Registry, and Flag, or Charter, Lease, or Mortgage of U.S. Citizen-Owned Documented Vessels. This information enables MARAD to approve the sale, transfer, charter, lease, or mortgage of U.S. documented vessels to non-citizens; or to transfer such vessels to foreign registry and flag; or to transfer foreign flag vessels by their owners as required by various contractual requirements. Respondents of this collection are vessel owners who have applied for foreign transfer of U.S.-flag vessels.

Written comments, referencing Docket No. MARAD 2003-14680 may be submitted to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, Department of Transportation, 400 7^th St., SW, Washington, DC 20590 by 5:00 p.m. May 13, 2003. Comments may also be submitted electronically via the Internet at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. All comments are available for review between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web at http://dms.dot.gov.

For further information contact Taylor E. Jones II, Maritime Administration, 400 7^th St., SW, Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 366-3423; fax (202) 366-3128 or E-MAIL: taylor.jones@marad.dot.gov. Copies of this collection also can be obtained from that office.

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The mission of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is to promote the development and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced United States merchant marine, sufficient to carry the Nation's domestic waterborne commerce and a substantial portion of its waterborne foreign commerce, and capable of serving as a naval and military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency. MARAD also seeks to ensure that the United States enjoys adequate shipbuilding and repair services, efficient ports, effective intermodal water and land transportation systems, and reserve shipping capacity in time of national emergency.

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