[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 85 (Friday, May 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25148-25150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10043]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-ES-2014-N081; FXES11130900000-134-FF09E32000]
Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Endangered and Threatened Wildlife,
Experimental Populations
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 May 31, 2014. 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 June 2, 2014.
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 ``1018-0095'' 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Information Collection Request
OMB Control Number: 1018-0095.
Title: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, Experimental
Populations, 50 CFR 17.84.
Service Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Description of Respondents: Individuals and households, private
sector, and State/local/tribal governments.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 105.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 105.
Completion Time Per Response: 30 minutes.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 55 (rounded).
Abstract: Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(ESA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), authorizes the Secretary of
the Interior to establish experimental populations of endangered or
threatened species. Because individuals of experimental populations are
categorically protected under the ESA, the information we collect is
important for monitoring the success of reintroduction efforts and
recovery efforts in general. This is a nonform collection. Information
collection requirements for experimental populations of endangered and
threatened species are in 50 CFR 17.84. We collect three categories of
information:
(1) General take or removal. Relates to human-related mortality,
including unintentional taking incidental to otherwise lawful
activities (e.g., highway mortalities); animal husbandry actions
authorized to manage the population (e.g., translocation or providing
aid to sick, injured, or orphaned individuals); take in defense of
human life; take related to defense of property (if authorized); or
take in the form of authorized harassment.
(2) Depredation-related take. Involves take for management purposes
where
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livestock depredation is documented, and may include authorized
harassment or authorized lethal take of experimental population animals
in the act of attacking livestock.
(3) Specimen collection, recovery, or reporting of dead
individuals. This information documents incidental or authorized
scientific collection. Most of the contacts with the public deal
primarily with the reporting of sightings of experimental population
animals or the inadvertent discovery of an injured or dead individual.
The information that we collect includes:
Name, address, and phone number of reporting party.
Species involved.
Type of incident.
Take (quantity).
Location and time of the reported incident.
Description of the circumstances related to the incident.
Service recovery specialists use this information to determine the
success of reintroductions in relation to established recovery plan
goals for the threatened and endangered species involved. In addition,
this information helps us to assess the effectiveness of control
activities in order to develop better means to reduce problems with
livestock for those species where depredation is a problem.
Comments Received and Our Responses
Comments: On November 8, 2013, we published in the Federal Register
(78 FR 67185) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew approval
for this information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments
for 60 days, ending on January 7, 2014. We received three comments in
response to our 60-day notice. Two commenters urged the Service to
redefine or expand the term ``depredation incident.'' We note the
concerns raised by these individuals, but the comments do not address
issues surrounding the collection of information or the cost and hour
burden estimates.
Necessity of Collection
Comments: All three commenters noted that the collection of this
information is necessary. One commenter stated that this information
collection is necessary to ensure that the Service relies solely on the
best scientific and commercial data available. Another commenter stated
that the information is beneficial, but must be made available to the
local governments within a short time frame. Another commenter stated
that without reporting requirements for all take, it would be much more
difficult to develop a responsive recovery program for these species.
Response: We concur with the importance of this information
collection to ensure our programs for experimental populations are
based on the best scientific and commercial data available, and,
therefore, aid in development of responsive recovery programs for these
species. We coordinate closely with State wildlife management agencies
in the conservation and management of endangered and threatened species
under the ESA, including the conservation and management of
experimental populations. State wildlife agencies are our primary
conservation partners, and we routinely share data with them, including
the data gathered under this information collection.
Burden Estimates
Comments: One commenter stated that the burden for reporting
depredations and take is grossly understated. The commenter noted the
Service has not responded in a timely manner to confirm depredations,
leaving citizens to report multiple times and wait by carcasses to
protect them from scavengers. Another commenter stated that the costs
of this collection are minimal and impose virtually no burden to the
public.
Response: This information collection covers multiple experimental
populations, multiple species (which may have more than one
experimental population), multiple types of activities, multiple
geographic locations across the United States, and multiple Service
Regions. We estimate that the time required to provide the notification
varies substantially, but usually ranges between 5 and 45 minutes. We
acknowledge that it may take some respondents, such as State fish and
wildlife agencies, longer than others to gather and compile the data
prior to notifying us. State fish and wildlife agencies may provide
information to us on multiple species, experimental populations, and
incidents in a single notification (thereby requiring more than 15
minutes for them to provide us with the information). In contrast to
State fish and wildlife agencies, the general public usually provides
information on a single species, experimental population, and incident
in one notification (thereby requiring substantially less than 15
minutes for them to provide us with the information).
With respect specifically to reporting information for depredation
incidents, we acknowledge that it may take additional time after the
take is reported for Service personnel to verify the take as a
depredation incident. Verification requires physical examination of the
site and carcass, which requires travel on the part of limited
personnel who may be otherwise occupied at the time. We apologize for
any additional burden this may cause some citizens, but note that
depredation incidents are associated with only a small number of
experimental populations.
Given the variety of potential situations requiring notification,
as well as the variety of potential respondents, but acknowledging the
added time a small number of citizens may experience for the entire
interaction beyond their initial reporting of the incident themselves,
we are revising our average time estimate to 30 minutes per response.
We believe our estimates are within reason because they represent the
average amount of time it will take to provide the requested
information via making a telephone call or to send a facsimile.
Comment: General sighting reports do not appear to be included in
the three categories of information collection.
Response: General sightings are included in the description of the
information collection for specimen collection.
Ways to Enhance the Quality, Utility, and Clarity of Information
Comment: Sharing the data in summary form would increase the
utility of the data.
Response: State wildlife agencies are our primary conservation
partners, and we routinely share data with them (and vice versa),
including the data gathered under this information collection.
Ways to Minimize Burden
Comments: Two commenters did not suggest ways to minimize the
burden, but commented specifically with respect to the follow up by
Federal employees with respect to assessment of reported depredation
incidents. The third commenter stated there was ``virtually no burden''
(already noted above).
Response: We have not made any changes to our information
collection requirements as a result of the above comments. With respect
to the comments made regarding documentation of possible depredation
incidents, these are law enforcement issues and do not directly relate
to the collection of information addressed in this notice.
Request for Public Comments
We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
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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: April 28, 2014.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-10043 Filed 5-1-14; 8:45 am]
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