[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 384-386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28883]
[[Page 384]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-WSFR-2023-0231; FVWF97820900000-XXX-FF09W13000 and
FVWF54200900000-XXX-FF09W13000; OMB Control Number 1018-0088]
Agency Information Collection Activities; National Survey of
Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR)
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 (PRA),
we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to
revise a currently approved information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
March 4, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request
(ICR) by one of the following methods (please reference OMB Control No.
1018-0088 in the subject line of your comment):
Internet (preferred): https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-WSFR-
2023-0231.
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. You may also view the ICR at
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 5
CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 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 are again inviting 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. Before including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you
should be aware that your that your entire comment--including your
personal identifying information--may be 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 information collected for the National Survey of
Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR, or National
Survey) assists the Fish and Wildlife Service in administering the
Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration grant programs. The FHWAR,
conducted about every 5 years since 1955, is a comprehensive survey of
anglers, hunters, and wildlife watchers and includes information on
their participation and how much they spend on these activities in the
United States. The FHWAR provides up-to-date information on the uses
and demands for wildlife-related recreation 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 Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act
(16 U.S.C. 777-777m) and the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act
(16 U.S.C. 669-669i). Under these Acts, 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 2027 FHWAR
survey will be the 15th conducted since 1955. We coordinate the survey
at the States' request, which is made through the Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies. We will contract with a data collector to
collect the information using internet, telephone, or mail-in paper-
and-pencil instrument (PAPI).
Respondents are invited to take the survey with a mailed letter.
The data collector 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, and expenditures for trips and equipment.
Information on the characteristics of participants includes age,
income, sex, education, race, and State of residence. The Freshwater/
Saltwater Ratio Questionnaire is designed to get freshwater and
saltwater fishing data for coastal States. The Service's Wildlife and
Sportfish Restoration Program is required to divide fishing management
funds according to the ratio of freshwater and saltwater anglers in
each coastal State.
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 management agencies use the
data on expenditures and participation to assess
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the value of wildlife-related recreational uses of natural resources.
Wildlife-related recreation expenditure information is used to estimate
the impact on the economy and to support the dedication of tax revenues
for fish and wildlife restoration programs.
Proposed Revision
Pre-test: Cognitive Interviews--We anticipate the need to conduct
web-based cognitive interviews prior to the next FHWAR. The cognitive
interviews will enable the research team to identify problems with
survey items and with the organization and order of items in the
instrument. We expect the data from the cognitive interviews to reveal
potential sources of response error in the National Survey and to
inform the redesign efforts. The objective of the cognitive interviews
is to test and refine the proposed instruments from the full survey,
with particular focus on the revised questions on bounding, expenditure
reporting, and 5-year recall of activities. We will use the results of
this research to refine the survey instruments in preparation for
fielding the next National Survey (likely to be held in 2027 or 2028).
Respondents will have the option to pause/resume the pretest as they
work through the questionnaire.
We anticipate a maximum of 70 respondents will participate in the
web-based study. Respondents will be individuals who have participated
in fishing, hunting, and wildlife-watching activities in within 1 year
of the cognitive interviews. Respondents will be adults ages 18 and
over and children ages 16 and 17 who participate with the consent of a
parent or guardian. The participants will represent a range of
demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education level, State
of residence).
We plan to recruit a non-probability sample of respondents for this
research. The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies will work with
State fish and wildlife directors to obtain lists of license holders.
The data collector will send an invitation via email or text message to
invite license holders to participate in a survey. Further, the data
collector will place advertisements on Facebook in selected geographies
in order to recruit individuals interested in being interviewed and
will disseminate information about the study through word of mouth.
People responding to an invitation to participate in the research will
complete a brief eligibility screening to determine whether they have
recently participated in fishing, hunting, or wildlife watching
activities and to collect household composition and demographic
information.
Potential participants will also be asked whether other household
members would be interested in participating in the study. Adult
participants for screener interviews will be household members who
would likely complete a screener questionnaire, such as a head of
household or adult sportsperson or wildlife watcher. We plan to request
that a screener respondent (a respondent who finished the screen
interview), or another household member aged 16 and up, who
participates in fishing, hunting, or wildlife watching activities,
complete the wave questionnaires. In addition, two to three respondents
who do not participate in the relevant activities will be recruited for
interviews in order to test the functioning of the instruments with
non-participants.
Title of Collection: National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR).
OMB Control Number: 1018-0088.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals/households.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: We estimate the pre-test/cognitive
interviews to begin in 2025 or 2026. The results will be used to inform
the next full survey estimated to be conducted in 2027, or possibly
2028.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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Median
Estimated completion Estimated
Activity number of time per burden
household response hours *
responses (minutes)
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Screener Survey:
Screener: Web............. 27,639 9 4,146
Screener: Phone........... 1,000 15 250
Screener: PAPI............ 31,361 10 5,227
Wave 1 Survey:
Wave Questionnaires: Web.. 43,068 13 9,331
Wave Questionnaires: Phone 833 22 305
Wave Questionnaires: PAPI. 6,972 14 1,627
Wave 2 Survey:
Wave Questionnaires: Web.. 32,173 13 6,971
Wave Questionnaires: Phone 833 22 305
Wave Questionnaires: PAPI. 3,645 14 851
Wave 3 Survey:
Wave Questionnaires: Web.. 46,773 13 10,134
Wave Questionnaires: Phone 950 22 348
Wave Questionnaires: PAPI. 11,811 14 2,756
Wave 3 Coastal Freshwater/ 13,500 3 675
Saltwater Ratio
Questionnaire............
Pre-test/Cognitive Interviews 70 70 82
(NEW)........................
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Grand Total............... 220,628 .............. 43,008
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* Rounded.
[[Page 386]]
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. 2023-28883 Filed 1-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P