[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 1 (Monday, January 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 116-118]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29047]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-MB-2020-N157; [FF09M28100, FXMB1231092MFR0, 212]; OMB Control
Number 1018-New]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Online Eastern
Population Sandhill Crane Survey Data Entry Portal
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 United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing a
new information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
March 5, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request
(ICR) by mail to the 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-Sandhill Cranes'' in the
subject line of your comments.
[[Page 117]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 5
CFR 1320, all information collections require approval under the PRA.
We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies to comment on
new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This
helps us assess the 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.
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. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. 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: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-712)
designates the Department of the Interior as the primary agency
responsible for managing migratory bird populations frequenting the
United States and setting hunting regulations that allow for the well-
being of migratory bird populations. These responsibilities dictate
that we gather accurate data on various characteristics of migratory
bird populations.
The Service's fall survey for eastern population sandhill crane was
established in 1979. It is implemented by state and Federal agencies
and public volunteers from eight states in the Atlantic and Mississippi
Flyways, as well as Ontario, Canada. Sandhill cranes are widely
dispersed during the breeding and wintering seasons and are difficult
to count. The optimal time to survey cranes is during the last week of
October when the majority of eastern population cranes breeding in
Canada migrate to traditional staging grounds in the Great Lake States
(e.g., Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, Medaryville, Indiana).
Since the initial survey in 1979, crane numbers have increased to over
90,000 birds.
The information collected through this survey is vital in assessing
the relative changes in the geographic distribution of the species. We
use the information primarily to inform managers of changes in sandhill
crane distribution and population trends. Without information on the
population's status, we might promulgate hunting regulations that:
Are not sufficiently restrictive, which could cause harm
to the sandhill crane population, or
Are too restrictive, which would unduly restrict
recreational opportunities afforded by sandhill crane hunting.
Notifications for the survey are sent to volunteers and data
results are entered into the data portal in order to calculate an
abundance of sandhill cranes. This survey is conducted via an online
survey platform to reduce cost, improve data quality, and decrease
respondent burden. This survey has no statistical design. We collect
the following information in conjunction with the account setup process
and survey data submission:
Account setup process:
[cir] Email address,
[cir] User name,
[cir] Photo (optional),
[cir] Option for other users to contact the registrant,
[cir] Time zone,
[cir] First and last name,
[cir] Phone number, and
[cir] Start date.
Survey data submission:
[cir] Data submission location via online map,
[cir] Date and time of observation,
[cir] Number of cranes,
[cir] Method (ground count or point count),
[cir] Habitat (agricultural field, sandbar, wetland, or mixed-
wetland agricultural field), and
[cir] Any additional notes the user would like to submit.
We received OMB approval to conduct usability testing of the data
entry portal in 2019 under Interior's Fast Track clearance process
``DOI Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on
Agency Service Delivery'' (OMB Control No. 1090-0011). After conducting
the usability testing of the data entry portal for one year, we are now
ready to seek OMB's full approval of this information collection under
the PRA.
Title of Collection: Online Eastern Population Sandhill Crane
Survey Data Entry Portal.
OMB Control Number: 1018-New.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: New.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and state agencies.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: One time for the initial registration, and
on occasion for survey submission.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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Average
Average number Average number Average number completion Estimated
Requirement of annual of responses of annual time per annual burden
respondents each responses * response hours *
(mins)
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Account Registration:
Individuals................. 33 1 33 5 3
[[Page 118]]
State agencies.............. 18 1 18 5 2
Online Survey Submission:
Individuals................. 38 2 76 3 4
State agencies.............. 23 1.3 30 3 2
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Totals.................. 112 .............. 157 .............. 11
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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: December 29, 2020.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-29047 Filed 12-31-20; 8:45 am]
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