[Federal Register: December 10, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 238)]
[Notices]
[Page 75126]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10de08-74]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R9-MB-2008-N0325] [91200-1231-00AP-M4]
Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for Approval; OMB Control Number 1018-0019; North American
Woodcock Singing Ground Survey
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which
is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the
estimated burden and cost. This ICR is scheduled to expire on December
31, 2008. We 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may
continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is
pending at OMB.
DATES: You must send comments on or before January 9, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this ICR to the Desk
Officer for the Department of the Interior at OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-
6566 (fax) or OIRA_DOCKET@OMB.eop.gov (e-mail). Please provide a copy
of your comments to Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance
Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 222-ARLSQ, 4401 North Fairfax
Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail) or hope_grey@fws.gov (e-mail).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail or e-mail (see ADDRESSES) or
by telephone at (703) 358-2482.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Control Number: 1018-0019.
Title: North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey.
Service Form Number(s): 3-156.
Type of Request: Extension of currently approved collection.
Affected Public: State, Provincial, local, and tribal employees.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 680.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,206 hours. We believe 544
persons (80 percent of the respondents) will enter data electronically,
with an average reporting burden of 1.8 hours per respondent. For all
other respondents, we estimate the reporting burden to be 1.67 hours
per respondent.
Abstract: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-712) and
Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a - 754j-2) designate the
Department of the Interior as the primary agency responsible for:
(1) Wise management of migratory bird populations frequenting the
United States, and
(2) Setting hunting regulations that allow for the well-being of
migratory bird populations.
These responsibilities dictate that we gather accurate data on various
characteristics of migratory bird populations.
The North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey is an essential
part of the migratory bird management program. State, Federal,
Provincial, local, and tribal conservation agencies conduct the survey
annually to provide the data necessary to determine the population
status of the woodcock. In addition, the information is vital in
assessing the relative changes in the geographic distribution of the
woodcock. We use the information primarily to develop recommendations
for hunting regulations. Without information on the population's
status, we might promulgate hunting regulations that (1) are not
sufficiently restrictive, which could cause harm to the woodcock
population, or (2) are too restrictive, which would unduly restrict
recreational opportunities afforded by woodcock hunting. The Service,
State conservation agencies, university associates, and other
interested parties use the data for various research and management
projects.
Comments: On July 24, 2008, we published in the Federal Register
(73 FR 43254) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew this
ICR. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 days, ending on
September 22, 2008. We received one comment. The commenter expressed
opposition to hunting and to the Government, but did not address the
information collection requirements. We did not make any changes to our
information collection requirements.
We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary,
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection
of information;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(4) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail
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 OMB in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it
will be done.
Dated: November 26, 2008
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E8-29140 Filed 12-9-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S