[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 206 (Monday, October 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65240-65241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27141]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-WSFR-2015-N195;FVWF97820900000-XXX-FF09W13000 and
FVWF54200900000-XXX-FFO9W13000]
Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR)
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. 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: You must submit comments on or before November 25, 2015.
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 BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803
(mail), or hope_grey@fws.gov (email). Please include ``1018-0088'' 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 view the ICR online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of the
Interior collections under review by OMB.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Information Collection Request
OMB Control Number: 1018-0088.
Title: National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated
Recreation (FHWAR).
Service Form Number: None.
Type of Request: Reinstatement with change of a previously approved
collection.
Description of Respondents: Individuals and households.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Pre-screener internet/paper questionnaire
data collection will be conducted in January 2016. Household screen
interviews and the first detailed sportsperson and wildlife-watcher
interviews will be conducted April-June 2016. The second detailed
interviews will be conducted September-October 2016. The third and last
detailed interviews will be conducted January-March 2017.
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 29,179.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 5 to 35
minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,355.
Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: None.
Abstract: The information collected for the National Survey of
Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR) assists the
Fish and Wildlife Service in administering the Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration grant programs. The 2016 FHWAR will provide up-to-date
information on the uses and demands for wildlife-related recreation
resources, trends in uses of those resources, and a basis for
developing and evaluating programs and projects to meet existing and
future needs.
We collect the information in conjunction with carrying out our
responsibilities under the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act
(16 U.S.C. 777-777m), commonly referred to as the Dingell-Johnson Act,
and the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669-669i),
commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act. Under these acts, as
amended, we provide approximately $1 billion in grants annually to
States for projects that support sport fish and wildlife management and
restoration, including:
Improvement of fish and wildlife habitats,
Fishing and boating access,
Fish stocking, and
Hunting and fishing opportunities.
We also provide grants for aquatic education and hunter education,
maintenance of completed projects, and research into problems affecting
fish and wildlife resources. These projects help to ensure that the
American people have adequate opportunities for fish and wildlife
recreation.
We conduct the survey about every 5 years. The 2016 FHWAR will be
the 12th conducted since 1955. We sponsor the survey at the States'
request, which is made through the Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies. We contract with the Census Bureau, which collects the
information using computer-assisted telephone or in-person interviews.
The Census Bureau will select a sample of sportspersons and wildlife
watchers from a household screen and conduct three detailed interviews
during the survey year. The survey collects information on the number
of days of participation, species of animals sought, and expenditures
for trips and equipment. Information on the characteristics of
participants includes age, income, sex, education, race, and State of
residence.
Federal and State agencies use information from the survey to make
policy decisions related to fish and wildlife restoration and
management. Participation patterns and trend information help identify
present and future needs and demands. Land managing agencies use the
data on expenditures and participation to assess the value of wildlife-
related recreational uses of natural resources. Wildlife-related
recreation expenditure information is used to estimate the economic
impact on the economy and to support the dedication of tax revenues for
fish and wildlife restoration programs.
Comments Received and Our Responses
Comments: On February 18, 2015, we published in the Federal
Register (80 FR 8681) a notice of our intent to request that OMB
approve this information collection. In that notice, we solicited
comments for 60 days, ending on April 20, 2015. We received two
comments, both from the same individual. This individual was concerned
that the survey estimates are presented as aggregations of wildlife
watching, hunting, and fishing data, suggesting this biases the results
toward hunting and fishing and away from wildlife watching. The Census
Bureau draws scientifically designed separate samples of wildlife
watchers and sportspersons. These samples are interviewed
independently, and estimates of each activity are tabulated separately
in the Survey reports. We did not make any changes to the survey based
on these comments.
Request for Public Comments
We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
Whether or not the collection of information is necessary,
including
[[Page 65241]]
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 and us in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it
will be done.
Dated: October 21, 2015.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-27141 Filed 10-23-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P