Agency Information Collection Activities; Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program and Migratory Bird Surveys
| Published date | 28 February 2019 |
| Citation | 84 FR 6814 |
| Record Number | 2019-03497 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Fish And Wildlife Service,Interior Department |
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 40 (Thursday, February 28, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 40 (Thursday, February 28, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6814-6815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03497]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-MB-2019-N001; FXMB12310900WHO-189-FF09M26000; OMB Control
Number 1018-0023]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Migratory Bird Harvest
Information Program and Migratory Bird Surveys
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to revise
an information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
April 29, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request
(ICR) by mail to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls
Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or by email to Info_Coll@fws.gov. Please
reference OMB Control Number 1018-0023 in the subject line of your
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at Info_Coll@fws.gov, or by
telephone at (703) 358-2503.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on new, 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 that is described
below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the
following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper
functions of the Service; (2) will this information be processed and
used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4)
how might the Service enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (5) how might the Service 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 can 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 Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-711) and the
Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate the Department
of the Interior as the key agency responsible for (1) the wise
management of migratory bird populations frequenting the United States,
and (2) setting hunting regulations that allow appropriate harvests
that are within the guidelines that will allow for those populations'
well-being. These responsibilities dictate that we gather accurate data
on various characteristics of migratory bird harvest. Based on
information from harvest surveys, we can adjust hunting regulations as
needed to optimize harvests at levels that provide a maximum of hunting
recreation while keeping populations at desired levels.
Under 50 CFR 20.20, migratory bird hunters must register for the
Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program in each State in which they
hunt each year. State natural resource agencies must send names and
addresses of all migratory bird hunters to Branch of Harvest Surveys,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Migratory Bird Management,
on an annual basis.
The Migratory Bird Hunter Survey is based on the Migratory Bird
Harvest Information Program. We randomly select migratory bird hunters
and ask them to report their harvest. The resulting estimates of
harvest per hunter are combined with the complete list of migratory
bird hunters to provide estimates of the total harvest for the species
surveyed.
The Parts Collection Survey estimates the species, sex, and age
composition of the harvest, and the geographic and temporal
distribution of the harvest. Randomly selected successful hunters who
responded to the Migratory Bird Hunter Survey the previous year are
asked to complete and return a postcard if they are willing to
participate in the
[[Page 6815]]
Parts Collection Survey. We provide postage-paid envelopes to
respondents before the hunting season and ask them to send in a wing or
the tail feathers from each duck or goose that they harvest, or a wing
from each mourning dove, woodcock, band-tailed pigeon, snipe, rail, or
gallinule that they harvest. We use the wings and tail feathers to
identify the species, sex, and ages of the harvested samples. We also
ask respondents to report on the envelope the date and location of
harvest for each bird. We combine the results of this survey with the
harvest estimates obtained from the Migratory Bird Hunter Survey to
provide species-specific national harvest estimates.
The combined results of these surveys enable us to evaluate the
effects of season length, season dates, and bag limits on the harvest
of each species, and thus help us determine appropriate hunting
regulations.
The Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey is an annual questionnaire survey
of people who obtained a sandhill crane hunting permit. At the end of
the hunting season, we randomly select a sample of permit holders and
ask them to report the date, location, and number of birds harvested
for each of their sandhill crane hunts. Their responses provide
estimates of the temporal and geographic distribution of the harvest as
well as the average harvest per hunter, which, combined with the total
number of permits issued, enables us to estimate the total harvest of
sandhill cranes. Based on information from this survey, we adjust
hunting regulations as needed.
We received approval under the DOI Fast Track clearance process
(OMB Control No. 1090-0011) to conduct limited user testing of a new
online hunter diary survey. With this submission, we will request OMB
approval of this new online harvest survey that will eventually replace
our paper hunter diary survey (after a phase-in period of 3 years). The
new online survey consists of a series of four questions, which ask for
the same information that is currently solicited on our paper forms,
but in an easier and more streamlined format. The online form also
allows for hunters to keep track of their hunting activity in the form
of a log, which they can download or print at the end of the season.
Preliminary testing of this online survey suggests that the completion
time is less than that of our paper surveys and will provide hunters
with a more enjoyable experience.
Title of Collection: Migratory Bird Information Program and
Migratory Bird Surveys, 50 CFR 20.20.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0023.
Form Number: Forms 3-165, 3-165A through E, 3-2056J through N.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: States and migratory game bird
hunters.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory for Harvest Information Program
registration information; voluntary for participation in the surveys.
Frequency of Collection: Annually or on occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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Number of Number of Total annual
Activity Form No. respondents responses Completion time per response burden hours *
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Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program
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Government.............................. None........................... 49 784 157 hours.................... 123,088
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Migratory Bird Hunter Survey
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Individuals............................. Form 3-2056J................... 18,500 18,500 5 minutes.................... 1,542
Individuals............................. Form 3-2056K................... 11,550 11,550 4 minutes.................... 770
Individuals............................. Form 3-2056L................... 4,450 4,450 4 minutes.................... 297
Individuals............................. Form 3-2056M................... 6,000 6,000 3 minutes.................... 300
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Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey
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Individuals............................. 3-2056N........................ 2,000 2,000 3.5 minutes.................. 117
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Parts Collection Survey
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Individuals............................. Form 3-165..................... 4,200 92,400 5 minutes.................... 7,700
Individuals............................. Form 3-165A.................... 1,000 5,500 5 minutes.................... 458
Individuals............................. Form 3-165B.................... 3,600 3,600 1 minute..................... 60
Individuals............................. Form 3-165C.................... 400 400 1 minute..................... 7
Individuals............................. Form 3-165D.................... 1,100 1,100 1 minute..................... 18
Individuals............................. Form 3-165E.................... 900 1,350 5 minutes.................... 113
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Online Hunter Diary Survey (all species groups)
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Individuals............................. On-line........................ 42,500 42,500 4 minutes.................... 2,833
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Totals.............................. ............................... 96,249 190,134 ............................. 137,303
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* Rounded.
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 authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Dated: February 25, 2019.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-03497 Filed 2-27-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
