[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 142 (Wednesday, July 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48260-48262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15829]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R7-ES-2023-0097; FF07CAMM00.FX.ES111607MRG02; OMB Control Number
1018-0066]
Agency Information Collection Activities; 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 without change.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
September 25, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request
(ICR) by one of the following methods (reference ``1018-0066'' in the
subject line of your comment):
Internet (preferred): https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2023-
0097.
Email: [email protected].
U.S. mail: Service Information Collection Clearance
Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: PRB
(JAO/3W), Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at [email protected], or by
telephone at (703) 358-2503. Individuals in the United States who are
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay
services offered within their country to make international calls to
the point-of-contact in the United States.
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 impact of our
information collection requirements and minimize the public's
[[Page 48261]]
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired
format.
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 collect harvest information related to Alaska Native harvest to
provide a chronology of the harvest in population modeling, determining
which cohorts are being killed, determining the status of populations,
and predicting population trends. We will use the collected information
to gain insight into the distribution and relative abundance of the
three species, the level and intensity of the harvest, and the harvest
impacts on the species and their subpopulations. We use three Service
forms to collect the following information from Alaska Natives as part
of the harvest reporting requirement:
A. Form 3-2414, ``Polar Bear Tagging Certificates'': Form 3-2414
collects the following information:
Date and location of tagging;
Hide and skull tag number;
Village hunted from (if different from tagging location);
Age class and sex;
Whether sex could be verified by tagger and, if yes, sex
identification information;
Skull measurements (length, width, or not provided);
Whether cubs were present with sow and, if yes, how many
cubs;
Bear condition (obese, average, skinny);
Specimens collected (tooth, hair, skin, liver, fat,
muscle, skin/muscle, baculum/penis bone, or other);
Research marks/tags (collar, ear tag number, lip tattoo,
or other);
Date and location of kill (to include latitude/longitude);
Whether it was a conflict or problem bear and whether it
was taken in defense of life;
Additional remarks; and
Whether hunter is available for post-hunt interview and,
if yes, phone number, with the following post-hunt interview questions
for problem bear situations:
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: We would only ask these typical post-hunt questions if
the biologist needed information on a bear that was marked as a
problem bear. There is no standardized questioning.
B. Form 3-2415, ``Walrus Tagging Certificates'': Form 3-2415
collects the following information:
Date and location of tagging;
Village hunted from (if different than tagging location);
Marine Mammals Management Marking, Tagging, and Reporting
Program (MTRP) tag number of plastic-headed wire tag used for left or
right tusk;
Type of take for walrus (LK = live killed, BF = beach
found)--This information increases the accuracy of the known mortality
and harvest data by discriminating between a walrus killed for
subsistence purposes or found dead and salvaged. Requiring all ivory
that has been taken or collected (pursuant to the Alaska Native
exemption) to be marked, tagged, and reported simplifies Service
enforcement efforts.
Date and location killed/found;
Age and sex;
Walrus tusk length and circumference;
Number of walrus harvested without tusks; and
Additional remarks.
C. Form 3-2416, ``Sea Otter Tagging Certificates'': Form 3-2416
collects the following information:
Date and location of tagging;
Hide and skull tag number;
FWS permit number;
Age class and sex;
Details identification information;
Specimens collected (tooth, muscle vial, whisker, carcass,
or other);
Number of otters present in pod and number harvested from
pod;
Date and location of kill (to include latitude and
longitude); and
Additional remarks.
We also require non-Native collectors to use Form 3-2406, ``Non-
Native Marine Mammal Certificates.'' The collection of information via
Form 3-2406 allows the Service to track individuals who register
(within 30 days) beach-found hard parts to determine whether the take
of marine mammal hard parts is legal. We use the below listed
information collected via Form 3-2406 to verify whether it is legal for
the individual to retain them:
Date and location of tagging;
MTRP tag number of plastic-headed wire tag used for left
or right tusk;
Date found;
Age and sex;
Tusk circumference at gum line and tusk length from gum
line to tip along front side following the curve of the tusk;
Exact location of kill or find;
[[Page 48262]]
Tag number for skull (polar bear or sea otter) or other
part;
Any information of interest about the beach-found hard
part collected;
Other remarks; and
Name, address, phone number, and date of birth of the
person who collected the hard part.
You may request copies of all forms in this information collection
by submitting a request to the Service Information Collection Clearance
Officer, using one of the methods identified in the ADDRESSES section
of this notice.
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: Forms 3-2406, 3-2414, 3-2415, and 3-2416.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and households.
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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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 *
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Form 3-2406, ``Non-Native Marine 200 1 200 15 minutes 50
Mammal Tagging Certificate''
(Individuals)..................
Form 3-2414, ``Polar Bear 20 1.5 30 15 minutes 8
Tagging Certificate''
(Individuals)..................
Form 3-2415, ``Walrus Tagging 90 3.3 300 15 minutes 75
Certificate'' (Individuals)....
Form 3-2416, ``Sea Otter Tagging 60 25 1,500 15 minutes 375
Certificate'' (Individuals)....
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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.).
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-15829 Filed 7-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P