[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 149 (Monday, August 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46701-46703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16821]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R7-ES-2020-N056; FF07CAMM00.FX.ES111607MRG02; OMB Control Number
1018-0066]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Marine Mammal
Marking, Tagging, and Reporting Certificates, and Registration of
Certain Dead Marine Mammal Hard Parts
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew an
information collection with revisions.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
September 2, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Please
provide a copy of your comments to Service Information Collection
Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W),
5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or by email to
Info_Coll@fws.gov. Please reference OMB Control Number 1018-0066 in the
subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at Info_Coll@fws.gov, or by
telephone at (703) 358-2503. Individuals who are hearing or speech
impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY
assistance. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we
provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an
opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing
collections of information. This helps us assess the
[[Page 46702]]
impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the
public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in
the desired format.
A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on
December 2, 2019 (84 FR 65997). We did not receive any comments in
response to that notice.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are
especially interested in public comment addressing the following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection
of information, including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of response.
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 us in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so.
Abstract: Under section 101(b) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act
of 1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407), Alaska Natives
residing in Alaska and dwelling on the coast of the North Pacific or
Arctic Oceans may harvest polar bears, northern sea otters, and Pacific
walruses for subsistence or handicraft purposes. Section 109(i) of the
MMPA authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe marking,
tagging, and reporting regulations applicable to the Alaska Native
subsistence and handicraft take.
On behalf of the Secretary, we implemented regulations at 50 CFR
18.23(f) for Alaska Natives harvesting polar bears, northern sea
otters, and Pacific walruses. These regulations enable us to gather
data on the Alaska Native subsistence and handicraft harvest and on the
biology of polar bears, northern sea otters, and Pacific walruses in
Alaska to determine what effect such take may be having on these
populations. The regulations also provide us with a means of monitoring
the disposition of the harvest to ensure that any commercial use of
products created from these species meets the criteria set forth in
section 101(b) of the MMPA. We use three forms to collect the
information: FWS Form 3-2414 (Polar Bear Tagging Certificates), FWS
Form 3-2415 (Walrus Tagging Certificates), and FWS Form 3-2416 (Sea
Otter Tagging Certificates). The information we collect includes, but
is not limited to:
Date of kill;
Sex of the animal;
Kill location;
Age of the animal (i.e., adult, subadult, cub, or pup);
Form of transportation used to make the kill of polar
bears;
Amount of time (i.e., hours/days hunted) spent hunting
polar bears;
Type of take (live-killed or beach-found) for walrus;
Number of otters present in and number of otters harvested
from pod;
Condition of the polar bear and whether or not bear cubs
were present; and
Name of the hunter or possessor of the specified parts at
the time of marking, tagging, and reporting.
We use FWS Form 3-2406 (Registration of Certain Dead Marine Mammal
Hard Parts) to record the collection of bones, teeth, or ivory of dead
marine mammals by non-Native and Natives not eligible to harvest marine
mammals under the MMPA. It is legal to collect such parts from a beach
or from land within a quarter of a mile of the ocean (50 CFR 18.26).
The information we collect via Form 3-2406 includes, but is not limited
to:
Date and location found.
Age, sex, and size of the animal.
Tag numbers.
Name, address, phone number, and birthdate of the
collector.
Proposed Changes to Form 3-2414, ``Polar Bear Tagging Certificate''
With the changing environment, we are making a few needed changes
to the Form 3-2414. These changes are:
A. Age Class (Five different categories).
B. Bear Condition (Three different categories).
C. Research Marks/Tags (New Question).
D. Conflict or Problem Bear? (New question).
E. Defense of Life (Property removed).
F. Hunter Available for Post Hunt Interview? (Yes/No). Phone # (New
question).
Post-Interview Questions (if the hunter agrees):
a. Was there a food source/attractant that the bear was interested
in? What was the attractant?
b. Was there any attempt to haze the bear to get it to leave?
c. Was it believed that the bear could be a threat to people?
NOTE: These are typical post-hunt questions that would only be
asked if the biologist needed information on a bear that was marked
as a problem bear. There is no standardized questioning.
G. We removed the ``Time Spent Hunting'' and ``Vehicle Use While
Hunting'' questions, as this information has not proved valuable.
Title of Collection: Marine Mammal Marking, Tagging, and Reporting
Certificates, and Registration of Certain Dead Marine Mammal Hard
Parts, 50 CFR 18.23(f) and 18.26.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0066.
Form Number: FWS Forms 3-2406, 3-2414, 3-2415, and 3-2416.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and households, private
sector, and State/local/Tribal governments.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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Number of Number of Completion time per Total annual
Activity respondents responses response burden hours *
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3-2414 (Polar Bear)................... 20 30 15 minutes.............. 8
3-2415 (Walrus)....................... 90 300 15 minutes.............. 75
[[Page 46703]]
3-2416 (Sea Otter).................... 60 1,500 15 minutes.............. 375
3-2406 (Beach Found).................. 200 200 15 minutes.............. 50
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Totals:........................... 370 2,030 ........................ 508
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* Rounded.
An agency 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.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Dated: July 29, 2020.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-16821 Filed 7-31-20; 8:45 am]
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