[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10198-10200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03280]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-LE-2013-N037; FF09L00200-FX-LE12240900000G2]
Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Declaration for Importation or
Exportation of Fish or Wildlife
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. We summarize
the ICR below and describe the nature of the collection and the
estimated burden and cost. This information collection is scheduled to
expire on March 31, 2013. 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 submit comments on or before March 15, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this information
collection to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at
OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-5806 (fax) or OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov
(email). Please provide a copy of your comments to the Service
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, MS 2042-PDM, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203
(mail), or hope_grey@fws.gov (email). Please include ``1018-0012'' in
the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey at hope_grey@fws.gov (email) or 703-
358-2482 (telephone). You may review the ICR online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the
Interior collections under review by OMB.
[[Page 10199]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 1018-0012.
Title: Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or
Wildlife, 50 CFR 14.61-14.64 and 14.94.
Service Form Numbers: 3-177 and 3-177a.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Description of Respondents: Businesses or individuals that import
or export fish, wildlife, or wildlife products; scientific institutions
that import or export fish or wildlife scientific specimens; and
government agencies that import or export fish or wildlife specimens
for various purposes.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
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Completion
Number of Number of time per Total annual
Activity respondents responses response burden hours
(minutes)
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3-177 hard copy submission...................... 3,148 28,332 15 7,083
3-177 electronic submission..................... 17,593 154,971 10 25,829
Fee waiver certification........................ 1,000 1,000 1 17
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Totals...................................... 21,741 184,303 .............. 32,929
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Abstract: The Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) makes
it unlawful to import or export fish, wildlife, or plants without
filing a declaration or report deemed necessary for enforcing the Act
or upholding the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES) (see 16 U.S.C. 1538(e)). With a few exceptions,
businesses, individuals, or government agencies importing into or
exporting from the United States any fish, wildlife, or wildlife
product must complete and submit to the Service an FWS Form 3-177
(Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife). This
form as well as FWS Form 3-177a (Continuation Sheet) and instructions
for completion are available for electronic submission at https://edecs.fws.gov. These forms are also available in fillable format at
http://www.fws.gov/forms/.
The information that we collect is unique to each wildlife shipment
and enables us to:
Accurately inspect the contents of the shipment;
Enforce any regulations that pertain to the fish,
wildlife, or wildlife products contained in the shipment; and
Maintain records of the importation and exportation of
these commodities.
Businesses or individuals must file FWS Forms 3-177 and 3-177a with
us at the time and port where they request clearance of the import or
export of wildlife or wildlife products. Our regulations allow for
certain species of wildlife to be imported or exported between the
United States and Canada or Mexico at U.S. Customs and Border
Protection ports, even though our wildlife inspectors may not be
present. In these instances, importers and exporters may file the forms
with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. We collect the following
information:
(1) Name of the importer or exporter and broker.
(2) Scientific and common name of the fish or wildlife.
(3) Permit numbers (if permits are required).
(4) Description, quantity, and value of the fish or wildlife.
(5) Natural country of origin of the fish or wildlife.
In addition, certain information, such as the airway bill or bill
of lading number, the location of the shipment containing the fish or
wildlife for inspection, and the number of cartons containing fish or
wildlife, assists our wildlife inspectors if a physical examination of
the shipment is necessary.
In October 2012, we requested that OMB approve, on an emergency
basis, our request to collect information associated with a user fee
exemption program for low-risk importations and exportations. OMB
approved our request and assigned OMB Control No. 1018-0152, which
expires April 30, 2013.
Businesses that possess a valid Service import/export license may
request to participate in this fee exemption program through our
electronic filing system (eDecs). Qualified licensees must create an
eDecs filer account as an importer or exporter if they do not already
have one and file their required documents electronically. To be an
approved participating business in the program and receive an exemption
from the designated port base inspection fee, the licensed business
must certify that it will exclusively import or export nonliving
wildlife that is not listed as injurious under 50 CFR part 16 and does
not require a permit or certificate under 50 CFR parts 15 (Wild Bird
Conservation Act), 17 (Endangered Species Act), 18 (Marine Mammal
Protection Act), 20 (Migratory Bird Treaty Act), 21 (Migratory Bird
Treaty Act), 22 (Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act), or 23 (the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora). The requesting business also must certify that it will
exclusively import or export the above type of wildlife shipments where
the quantity in each shipment of wildlife parts or products is 25 or
fewer and the total value of each wildlife shipment is $5,000 or less.
Any licensed business that has more than two wildlife shipments that
were refused clearance in the 5 years prior to its request is not
eligible for the program. In addition, any licensees that have been
assessed a civil penalty, issued a Notice of Violation, or convicted of
a misdemeanor or felony violation involving wildlife import or export
will not be eligible to participate in the program.
We are incorporating the certification statement for the user fee
exemption program into our renewal of OMB Control No. 1018-0012. If OMB
approves this renewal, we will discontinue OMB Control No. 1018-0152.
Comments: On October 3, 2012, we published in the Federal Register
(77 FR 60454) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew approval
for OMB Control No. 1018-0012. In that notice, we solicited comments
for 60 days, ending on December 3, 2012. No comments were received in
response to that notice. On October 26, 2012, we published an interim
rule (77 FR 65321) announcing the user fee exemption program. In that
rule, we solicited comments for 60 days on the information collection
requirements, ending on December 26, 2012. We received two comments.
One commenter recommended changes in the criteria for the fee exemption
program. The other commenter objected to the fee waiver. The commenters
did not address the information collection requirements, and we did not
make any changes to the information collection.
[[Page 10200]]
We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
Whether or not the collection of information is necessary,
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this
collection of information;
Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
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, 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 OMB in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it
will be done.
Dated: February 6, 2013.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-03280 Filed 2-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P