[Federal Register: August 18, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 158)]
[Notices]
[Page 41739]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18au09-68]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2009-N175; 91200-1231-WEBB-M3]


Proposed Information Collection; National Mourning Dove Hunter
Attitude Survey on Nontoxic Shot

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:  Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY:  We (Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC)
described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and
as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent
burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take
this opportunity to comment on this IC. 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.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC,
we must receive them by October 19, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the IC 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 IC, contact Hope Grey by mail or e-mail (see ADDRESSES) or
by telephone at (703) 358-2482.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.)
prohibits the unauthorized take of migratory birds and authorizes the
Secretary of the Interior to regulate take of migratory birds in the
United States. Under this authority, we control the hunting of
migratory game birds through regulations in 50 CFR part 20. On January
1, 1991, we banned lead shot for hunting waterfowl and coots in the
United States. Wildlife managers and policymakers at all levels are
becoming increasingly concerned about the exposure of mourning doves to
spent lead shot.
    The mourning dove is the most-hunted migratory game bird species.
We plan to ask OMB for approval to sponsor a National Mourning Dove
Hunter Attitude Survey on Nontoxic Shot. The Missouri Department of
Conservation will conduct the survey under the auspices of the
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Service. Information
from this survey will help us make nontoxic shot policy decisions and
develop appropriate informational and educational programs if new
regulations are necessary.
    Under the Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) (50 CFR
20.20), each State annually provides a list of all migratory bird
hunters licensed by the State (OMB Control Number 1018-0023). We will
use these lists to randomly select mourning dove hunters to participate
in the proposed survey. We plan to collect:
    (1) Demographic information (e.g., respondent age, gender, income,
education, and occupation).
    (2) Information on hunting experiences (e.g, hunter type, distance
traveled to hunt, type of ammunition, frequency of hunting, and
positive and negative aspects).
    (3) Perceptions of the benefits and concerns about the use of
nontoxic shot.
    (4) Perceptions of the benefits and concerns about nontoxic shot
regulations.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: None. This is a new collection.
    Title: National Mourning Dove Hunter Attitude Survey on Nontoxic
Shot.
    Service Form Number(s): 3-2386.
    Type of Request: New.
    Affected Public: Mourning dove hunters.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time.
    Total Annual Number of Responses: 23,400.
    Completion Time per Response: 7 minutes.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,730 hours.

III. Request for Comments

     We invite comments concerning this IC 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. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this IC. 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 us in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so.

    Dated: August 11, 2009
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E9-19697 Filed 8-17-09; 8:45 am]

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