[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 232 (Thursday, December 3, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75685-75686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30557]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R7-SM-2015-N225; FF09M21200-156-FXMB1231099BPP0]
Proposed Information Collection; Alaska Migratory Bird
Subsistence Harvest Household Survey
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We (U.S. 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. This IC is scheduled to expire
on June 30, 2016. 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 February 1, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the IC to the 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 ``1018-0124'' in the subject line of your
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this IC, contact Hope Grey at hope_grey@fws.gov (email) or 703-
358-2482 (telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 U.S.C. 703-712) and the
Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate the Department
of the Interior as the key agency responsible for managing migratory
bird populations that frequent the United States and for setting
harvest regulations that allow for the conservation of those
populations. These responsibilities include gathering accurate
geographical and temporal data on various characteristics of migratory
bird harvest. We use harvest data to review regulation proposals and to
issue harvest regulations.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act Protocol Amendment (1995) (Amendment)
provides for the customary and traditional use of migratory birds and
their eggs for subsistence use by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska. The
Amendment states that its intent is not to cause significant increases
in the take of species of migratory birds relative to their continental
population sizes. A submittal letter from the Department of State to
the White House (May 20, 1996) accompanied the Amendment and specified
the need for harvest monitoring. The submittal letter stated that the
Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), and Alaska
Native organizations would collect harvest information cooperatively
within the subsistence eligible areas. Harvest survey data help to
ensure that customary and traditional subsistence uses of migratory
birds and their eggs by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska do not
significantly increase the take of species of migratory birds relative
to their continental population sizes.
Between 1989 and 2004, we monitored subsistence harvest of
migratory birds using annual household surveys in the Yukon-Kuskokwim
Delta, which is the region of highest subsistence bird harvest in the
State of Alaska. In 2004, we began monitoring subsistence harvest of
migratory birds in subsistence eligible areas Statewide. The Statewide
harvest assessment program helps to track trends and changes in levels
of harvest. The harvest assessment program relies on collaboration
among the Service, the ADFG, and a number of Alaska Native
organizations.
We gather information on the annual subsistence harvest of about 60
bird species/species categories (ducks, geese, swans, cranes, upland
game birds, seabirds, shorebirds, and grebes and loons) in the
subsistence eligible areas of Alaska. The survey covers 11 regions of
Alaska, which are further divided into 29 subregions. We survey the
regions and villages in a rotation schedule to accommodate budget
constraints and to minimize respondent burden. The survey covers
spring, summer, and fall harvest in most regions.
In collaboration with Alaska Native organizations, we hire local
resident surveyors to collect the harvest information. The surveyors
list all households in the villages to be surveyed and provide survey
information and harvest report forms to randomly selected households
that have agreed to participate in the survey. To ensure anonymity of
harvest information, we identify households by a numeric code. The
surveyor visits households three times during the
[[Page 75686]]
survey year. At the first household visit, the surveyor explains the
survey purposes and invites household participation. The surveyor
returns at the end of the season of most harvest and at the end of the
two other seasons combined to help the household complete the harvest
report form.
We have designed the survey methods to streamline procedures and
reduce respondent burden. We plan to use two forms for household
participation:
FWS Form 3-2380 (Tracking Sheet and Household Consent).
The surveyor visits each household selected to participate in the
survey to provide information on the objectives and to obtain household
consent to participate. The surveyor uses this form to record consent
and track subsequent visits for completion of harvest reports.
FWS Forms 3-2381-1, 3-2381-2, 3-2381-3, and 3-2381-4
(Harvest Report). The Harvest Report has drawings of bird species most
commonly available for harvest in the different regions of Alaska, with
fields for writing down the numbers of birds and eggs taken. There are
four versions of this form: Interior Alaska, North Slope, Southern
Coastal Alaska, and Western Alaska. This form has a sheet for each
season surveyed, and each sheet has fields for the household code,
community name, harvest year, date of completion, and comments.
II. Data
OMB Control Number: 1018-0124.
Title: Alaska Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest Household Survey.
Service Form Number(s): 3-2380, 3-2381-1, 3-2381-2, 3-2381-3, and
3-2381-4.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Description of Respondents: Households within subsistence eligible
areas of Alaska.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Annually for Tracking Sheet and Household
Consent; three times annually for Harvest Report.
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Completion
Number of Number of time per Total annual
Activity respondents responses response burden hours
(minutes)
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3-2380, Tracking Sheet and Household Consent.... 2,553 2,553 5 213
3-2381-1 thru 3-2381-4, Harvest Report (three 2,300 6,900 5 575
seasonal sheets)...............................
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Totals...................................... 4,853 9,453 .............. 788
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III. Comments
We 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. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this IC. 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 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: November 27, 2015.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-30557 Filed 12-2-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P