[Federal Register: June 27, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 125)]
[Notices]
[Page 36551-36552]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27jn08-81]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R9-MB-2008-N00169] [91200-1231-9BPP-L2]
Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for Approval; OMB Control Number 1018-0103; Conservation
Order for Control of Midcontinent Light Geese
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which
is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the
estimated burden and cost. This ICR is scheduled to expire on June 30,
2008. 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may
continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is
pending at OMB.
DATES: You must submit comments on or before July 28, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this ICR to the Desk
Officer for the Department of the Interior at OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-
6566 (fax) or OIRA_DOCKET@OMB.eop.gov (e-mail). Please provide a copy
of your comments to Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance
Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 222-ARLSQ, 4401 North Fairfax
Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail); (703) 358-2269 (fax); or hope_
grey@fws.gov (e-mail).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail, fax, or e-mail (see
ADDRESSES) or by telephone at (703) 358-2482.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 1018-0103.
Title: Conservation Order for Control of Midcontinent Light Geese,
50 CFR 21.60.
Service Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Extension of currently approved collection.
Affected Public: State and tribal governments.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Number of Respondents: 24.
Number of Annual Responses: 24.
Completion Time per Response: 74 hours.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,776 hours.
Abstract: The number of light geese (lesser snow, greater snow, and
Ross' geese) in the midcontinent region has nearly quadrupled during
the past several decades due to a decline in adult mortality and an
increase in winter survival. We refer to these species and subspecies
as light geese because of their light coloration as opposed to dark
geese such as white-fronted or Canada geese. Because of their feeding
activity, light geese have become seriously injurious to their habitat
as well as to habitat important to other migratory birds. This poses a
serious threat to the short- and long-term health and status of some
migratory bird populations. We believe that the number of light geese
in the midcontinent region has exceeded long-term sustainable levels
for their arctic and subarctic breeding habitats and that the
populations must be reduced. 50 CFR 21 provides authority for the
management of overabundant, midcontinent light geese.
On February 16, 1999, we published a final rule (64 FR 7517) that
established a conservation order for midcontinent light geese (50 CFR
21.60). This regulation authorizes States and tribes in the
midcontinent region to control midcontinent light geese within the
United States through the use of alternative regulatory strategies. The
conservation order authorizes States/tribes to implement population
control measures without having to obtain a permit, thus significantly
reducing their administrative burden. The conservation order is a
streamlined process that affords an efficient and effective population
reduction strategy, rather than addressing the issue through our
permitting process. Furthermore, this strategy precludes the use of
more drastic and costly direct population-reduction measures such as
trapping and culling geese.
States/tribes that participate in the conservation order must
inform and brief all participants on the requirements in 50 CFR 21.60
and conservation order conditions that apply to the implementation of
light geese control measures. Participating States/tribes must collect
information
[[Page 36552]]
on the number of birds taken during control efforts, the methods by
which they were taken, and the date on which they were taken. We use
this information to administer the conservation order and,
particularly, to monitor the effectiveness of control strategies and to
protect migratory birds. Each participating State/tribe must submit an
annual report summarizing the activities it conducted.
Comments: On April 25, 2008, we published in the Federal Register
(73 FR 22429) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew
authority for this information collection. In that notice, we solicited
public comments for 60 days, ending on June 24, 2008. We received one
comment during this period. The commenter objected to the killing of
geese and did not address the information collection requirements. We
did not make any changes to our information collection as a result of
this comment.
We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
(1) whether or not the collection of information is necessary,
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection
of information;
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(4) 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. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail
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 OMB in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it
will be done.
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E8-14583 Filed 6-26-08; 8:45 am]
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