[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 244 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82504-82505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27889]
[[Page 82504]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-MB-2020-N152; FXMB123109WEBB0-201-FF09M26000; OMB Control
Number 1018-0019]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; North American
Woodcock Singing Ground Survey
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.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
January 19, 2021.
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 Review--Open for
Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Please provide a
copy of your comments 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 1018-0019 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 information collection request (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 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.
On August 3, 2020, we published in the Federal Register (85 FR
46692) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60
days, ending on October 2, 2020. We received the following comments in
response to that notice:
Comment 1: The Atlantic Flyway Council expressed its support for
continuation of the survey. Continuation of the survey is critical for
the responsible management of American woodcock, an important migratory
game bird in the Atlantic Flyway and North America. The SURVEY provides
the only long-term, range-wide monitoring program for American
woodcock. The results of the SURVEY form the basis of the American
woodcock harvest strategy used to set the annual hunting regulations
for American woodcock in the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central
Flyways. The data collection and reporting estimates provided by the U.
S. Fish and Wildlife Service are reasonable and accurate.
Agency Response to Comment 1: No action was taken, since the
support was positive and there were no recommendations for improvement.
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 information collection request (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: 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 North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey is an essential
part of the migratory bird management program. Federal, State,
Provincial, Tribal, and local conservation agencies conduct the survey
annually to provide the data necessary to determine the population
status of the American woodcock. In addition, the information is vital
in assessing the relative changes in the geographic distribution of the
species. We use the information primarily to develop recommendations
for hunting regulations. Without information on the population's
status, we might promulgate hunting regulations that:
Are not sufficiently restrictive, which could cause harm
to the woodcock population, or
Are too restrictive, which would unduly restrict
recreational opportunities afforded by woodcock hunting.
The Service, State, and Provincial conservation agencies,
university associates, and other interested parties use the data for
various research and management projects.
Title of Collection: North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0019.
Form Number: FWS Form 3-156.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: State, Provincial, local, and Tribal
employees.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 808.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 808.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 1.75 hours to
1.88 hours, depending on activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,515.
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Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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. 2020-27889 Filed 12-17-20; 8:45 am]
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