Agency Information Collection Activities; Helium Contracts
| Published date | 05 May 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 23979 |
| Record Number | 2021-09495 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Land Management Bureau |
23979
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 85 / Wednesday, May 5, 2021 / Notices
Alternative 2—Use the updated
species-specific priors, and because bald
eagle populations are increasing and
additional take is sustainable (U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service 2016a,c), accept a
more risk-tolerant CRM approach for the
initial permitted take number for bald
eagles.
Alternative 3—Given the limitations
in data available to inform the bald
eagle priors, initiate an expert-
elicitation process to further refine the
bald eagle priors.
Of the 58 comments received during
the two comment periods, we received
substantive comments from several
entities, including States, environmental
organizations, and wind-energy
organizations or companies. Many of the
comments stated that the Service’s CRM
either overestimated or underestimated
eagle fatalities, or stated that another
method for estimating exposures and
collisions should be adopted. Because
the CRM has been the subject of three
prior peer reviews and three rounds of
public comment (February 18, 2011;
May 2, 2013; May 6, 2016 [U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service 2011, 2013, 2016]),
including being considered in detail as
part of the 2016 revisions to the
regulations pertaining to incidental take
of eagles and eagle nests (81 FR 91494,
December 16, 2016), we regarded these
comments as outside the scope of this
notice and we did not consider them
further.
Most of the comments were in
support of Alternative 1, use of the 80th
quantile of the species-specific fatality
distributions. However, many comments
from the wind industry opposed
Alternative 1 and asserted that approach
was not based on best available science
and results in unduly burdensome
higher costs for eagle take that is
unlikely to occur.
Industry largely objected to
Alternative 2 because the underlying
priors are still based on data that does
not represent all locations in the United
States. One energy coalition suggested
that Alternative 2 should not be used
because a confidence interval should
not be prematurely selected until the
Service has validated the model. This
validation process should include
public input to ensure that those
impacted by the take estimates have an
opportunity to evaluate and opine on
the impacts of any confidence interval
selected. A major trade association
commented that Alternative 2 using the
50th or 60th quantile of the fatality
distribution for bald eagles as the
permitted take number would be
preferable to the current use of the 80th
quantile.
Industry rejected Alternative 3 on the
grounds that available data and reports
on eagle and wind interaction exist that
could be used to inform a reasonable
risk assessment approach without the
need for eliciting scientific and
technical judgments from experts.
However, of the State fish and wildlife
agencies that commented, most
supported Alternative 3 because a
further refined national bald eagle prior
using expert elicitation would help to
inform the uncertainty in the exposure
and collision probability for bald eagles
given their variable densities across the
landscape.
Service Decision
The Service is adopting Alternative 2
as the best approach given currently
available data and status of eagle
populations. We will use the 80th
quantile of the fatality distribution as
the initial permitted take number for
golden eagles and the 60th quantile of
the fatality distribution as the initial
permitted take number for bald eagles.
We regard this approach as a suitable
balance between the more secure status
of bald eagles and the uncertainty in
their take estimates that is consistent
with our 2016 Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement
(USFWS 2016a).
With regard to initiating an expert
elicitation process, we agree with many
States that gathering additional
information from either experts or
industry has the potential to further
refine the bald eagle priors. For this
reason, we may choose to engage in an
expert elicitation process in the future.
In the meantime, the best method to
gain the information needed to develop
a more accurate assessment is through
fatality monitoring of permitted
projects. The fatality-estimation process
using the CRM is an exercise in adaptive
management, and as more data are
collected the Service will continue to
revise and update the priors over time.
Should it become apparent that a
different risk balance is appropriate
based on additional data, we will
address that scenario in conjunction
with a future update of the CRM. In
order to streamline the adaptive
management process and ensure rapid
adoption of new scientific information
going forward, in the future the Service
will update and implement the updated
priors for both eagle species as soon as
sufficient new information becomes
available to warrant an update. We will
notify the public of future updates by
posting them on the Service’s Eagle
Management web page (https://
www.fws.gov/birds/management/
managed-species/eagle-
management.php) or the equivalent.
Upon publication of this notice, we
will use the following data and risk
tolerances for initial fatality predictions
at wind energy facilities: The updated
species-specific exposure and collision
priors for both eagle species; the 80th
quantile of the fatality distribution as
the permitted take number for golden
eagles; and the 60th quantile of the
fatality distribution as the permitted
take number for bald eagles. We will use
the updated priors for all eagle
incidental take permits issued to wind
facilities, including those issued under
the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) when eagles are covered in
a habitat conservation plan as a non-
listed species. (See 50 CFR 22.11(a).)
Literature Cited
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2011.
Migratory Birds; Draft Eagle Conservation
Plan Guidance. 76:9529–9530.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013.
Migratory Birds; Eagle Conservation Plan
Guidance: Module 1—Land-Based Wind
Energy, Version 2. Federal Register 78:25758.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2016a.
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for the Eagle Rule Revision.
Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC
USA. https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/
pdf/management/FINAL-PEIS-Permits-to-
Incidentally-Take-Eagles.pdf.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2016b.
Eagle Permits; Revisions to Regulations for
Eagle Incidental Take and Take of Eagle
Nests. Federal Register 242:91494–91553.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2016c. Bald
and golden eagles: Population demographics
and estimation of sustainable take in the
United States, 2016 update. Status Reports,
Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC
USA. https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/
pdf/management/EagleRuleRevisions-
StatusReport.pdf.
Martha Williams,
Principal Deputy Director, Exercising the
Delegated Authority of the Director, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–09362 Filed 5–4–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLHQ310000.L13100000.PP0000; OMB
Control No. 1004–0179]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Helium Contracts
AGENCY
: Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION
: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
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23980
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 85 / Wednesday, May 5, 2021 / Notices
SUMMARY
: In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
proposes to renew an information
collection.
DATES
: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before July 6,
2021.
ADDRESSES
: Send your written
comments on this information
collection request (ICR) by mail to
Darrin King, Information Collection
Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of
the Interior, Bureau of Land
Management, Attention PRA Office, 440
W 200 S #500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101;
or by email to BLM_HQ_PRA_
Comments@blm.gov. Please reference
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Control Number 1004–0179 in
the subject line of your comments.
Please note that due to COVID–19, the
electronic submission of comments is
recommended.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Jennifer Spencer by
email at j35spenc@blm.gov, or by
telephone at 307–775–6261. Individuals
who are hearing or speech impaired
may call the Federal Relay Service at 1–
800–877–8339 for TTY assistance. You
may also view the ICR at http://
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
: In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all
information collections require approval
under the PRA. The BLM may not
conduct or sponsor, and you are not
required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
As part of our continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we invite the public and other
Federal agencies 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 especially interested in public
comment addressing the following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether or not the
information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the
burden for this collection of
information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize
the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of response.
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: This control number
authorizes the BLM to collect
information that enables in-kind sales of
helium in accordance with the Helium
Stewardship Act (50 U.S.C. 167–167q)
and 43 CFR part 3195. This request of
for OMB to renew this OMB control
number for an additional three years.
There are no program, form, or other
policy changes proposed with this
renewal request. The BLM is requesting,
however, that the burden for this OMB
control number be adjusted from 240 to
244 total annual burden hours. The
change in burden results from changes
to the number of respondents for each
information collection (form number)
approved under this OMB control
number.
Title of Collection: Helium Contracts
(43 CFR part 3195).
OMB Control Number: 1004–0179.
Form Numbers: 3195–1; 3195–2;
3195–3; and 3195–4.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Private
helium merchants that sell a major
helium requirement (i.e., an amount of
refined helium greater than 200,000
standard cubic feet of refined gaseous
helium or 7,510 liters of liquid helium)
to a Federal agency or to private helium
purchasers for use in Federal
Government contracts.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 40.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 61.
Estimated Completion Time per
Response: 4 hours.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 244.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: Quarterly for
the Refined Helium Deliveries Detail
(Form 3195–4); Annually for the
Calculation of Excess Refining Capacity
(Form 3195–1) and Refiners’ Annual
Tolling Report (Form 3195–2); and On
occasion for the Refiners’ Tolling
Occurrence Report (Form 3195–3).
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor and, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, 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.).
Darrin A. King,
Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021–09495 Filed 5–4–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–84–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLHQ310000.L13100000.PP0000; OMB
Control No. 1004–0034]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Oil and Gas, or Geothermal
Resources: Transfers and
Assignments
AGENCY
: Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION
: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
SUMMARY
: In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
proposes to renew an information
collection.
DATES
: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before June 4,
2021.
ADDRESSES
: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open
for Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Jennifer Spencer by
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