[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9535-9538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03091]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-N079; FF09R23000-223-FXRS126109WH000; OMB Control
Number 1018-New]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Bison Donations Request Program
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 a new
information collection in use without Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
March 16, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to https://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 ``1018-Bison'' in the
subject line of your comments.
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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. You may review the ICR online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the
Interior collections under review by OMB. 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 (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.
On August 12, 2022, we published in the Federal Register (87 FR
49878) 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 11, 2022. In an effort to increase public
awareness of, and participation in, our public commenting processes
associated with information collection requests, the Service also
published the Federal Register notice on Regulations.gov (Docket No.
FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087) to provide the public with an additional method
to submit comments (in addition to the typical Info_Coll@fws.gov email
and U.S. mail submission methods). We received the following comments
in response to that notice:
Comment 1: Electronic comment received via Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-
NWRS-2022-0087-0002) from Jean Publiee on August 13, 2022. The comment
did not address the information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 1: The comment did not address the
information collection requirements. No response required.
Comment 2: Anonymous electronic comment received via
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087-0003) on September 1, 2022. The
comment did not address the information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 2: The comment did not address the
information collection requirements. No response required.
Comment 3: Anonymous electronic comment received via
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087-0004) on October 10, 2022. The
comment did not address the information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 3: The comment did not address the
information collection requirements. No response required.
Comment 4: Electronic comment received via Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-
NWRS-2022-0087-0005) from Troy Heinert, as representative of
InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), on October 11, 2022. The comment
provided background information for ITBC as an organization serving 78
member Tribes in 20 States, serving over 1 million enrolled Tribal
members. The comment referenced past successful collaboration with the
Service to restore buffalo to Tribal lands and affirmed the commitment
of ITBC to seek future collaborations. While the comment stated that
the form does not fully articulate what many Tribes are doing with the
donated animals, it acknowledges that it is difficult to put a number
on animals that may be intended for multiple purposes. The comment
identifies ITBC's capacity to facilitate and implement bison donations
from Service-managed herds.
Agency Response to Comment 4: ITBC's internal Surplus Buffalo
Program Request for Proposals process helps facilitate bison donations
from Service-managed herds through requests from member Tribes, and we
incorporated ITBC comments provided in past years into the form. The
Service looks forward to continuing our successful collaboration with
ITBC to help restore bison as native North American wildlife to Tribal
lands.
Comment 5: Email comment submitted to Bison Donation Request Form
Outreach Coordinator on October 6, 2022, from Joshua Wiese, Range
Manager of the Crane Trust. The comment states the questions and
validations are warranted, and the form only takes about 10 minutes to
read through and fill out completely. The comment suggested that
additional clarification be added for bison use categories, and that an
online platform/survey/questionnaire alternative might provide
additional accessibility and speed up the process.
Agency Response to Comment 5: Comment validated the minimal time
investment to complete the form. Descriptions of bison use categories
are included in the text of the form, followed by a clear definition
prefaced in bold font. Many donation requestors do not utilize
electronic web-based platforms or the electronic fillable PDF with
electronic signatures. Transitioning to a fully online system would
likely exclude many applicants with less reliable internet access and
would limit access to many of the communities which the form currently
serves.
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 Service's ``Bison Donations Transfer Protocol''
(protocol) describes the process for the donation of the available
surplus bison from the Service to eligible organizations, Tribes, or
intertribal organizations as outlined in regulations at 50 CFR 30.1, as
well as in Service Manual chapters 701 FW 5 and 701 FW 8. Surplus bison
are
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offspring that exceed the ecological carrying capacity of the Service
bison metapopulation. The primary purposes of donating these bison are
to support conservation of the species as native North American
wildlife and to assist in the restoration of bison herds on
conservation partner lands, with special emphasis on restoring
conservation herds to Tribal lands. Our authorities governing the
Protocol include:
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (16
U.S.C. 668dd and 668ee, as amended);
American Indian Religious Freedom Act (Public Law 95-341);
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
(Public Law 93-638, as amended);
Surplus Range Animals (50 CFR 30.1);
Disposition of Surplus Range Animals (50 CFR 30.2);
Native American Policy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (510 FW 1);
Fenced Animal Management policy (701 FW 8); and
Collections, Donations, and Disposals policy (701 FW 5).
In 2020, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Bison Working
Group published the Department of the Interior Bison Conservation
Initiative 2020 (initiative), recognizing bison as a wildlife species
in need of conservation. Consistent with this initiative, Service
policy identifies the ecological and cultural values of bison as
nationally and/or historically significant animals.
The Bison Conservation Genetics Workshop: Report and
Recommendations (2010 report) identifies DOI bison herds as a valuable
source with which to start new conservation herds proposed by other
Federal, State/provincial, or Tribal governments. The DOI Bison Report:
Looking Forward (2014 report) acknowledges the challenges to achieving
bison restoration on DOI lands and emphasizes the importance of
partnerships for achieving bison conservation and ecological
restoration. Both the 2010 and 2014 reports also identify the potential
for bison herds maintained by Indian Tribes to contribute to species
conservation, and the Service recognizes that such bison may also
support Tribal cultural rights and practices.
Periodic reduction in the size of Service bison herds is required
to remain within the ecological carrying capacity of Service lands.
Live bison capture and removal assist in the restoration of bison to
Tribal lands, support the efforts of States and other conservation
organizations, and ensure that the ecological needs of other species
are met on refuges of limited size. To support maximum conservation of
genetic diversity within and across Service herds, selection of young
bison available for donation is coordinated across all refuges. From
the surplus bison made available for donation from refuges, requests
will be prioritized for bison restoration and conservation purposes.
We propose Form 3-2555, ``Bison Donations Request Form,'' to
request surplus bison. Respondents will generally be from Tribal
governments and intertribal organizations, although we do expect to
receive a small number of requests from States and private sector
organizations (nonprofit and educational/research organizations). The
request form provides details governing the protocol and collects the
following information:
Name of requesting Tribe, intertribal organization, State,
or private sector organization.
Documentation that the proposed project or program meets
the definition of a conservation herd.
Demonstration of the educational contribution of the
donation to increasing public knowledge and appreciation of the
wildlife values of bison (for educational and research organizations
only).
Total number (or percentage of total donation request) of
bison and purpose of request:
--Establish a free-ranging conservation herd;
--Supplement or augment a free-ranging conservation herd;
--Establish a self-sustaining herd for non-conservation purposes;
--Supplement or augment a self-sustaining herd for non-conservation
purposes;
--Public display, educational purposes and/or research;
--Tribal spiritual or cultural purposes; or
--A description if ``Other'' purpose.
Signature of requesting Tribe, intertribal organization,
State, or private sector organization official.
In addition to completion of Form 3-2555, recipients of donated
bison must inform the Service of the destination State for donated
bison no fewer than 30 days prior to a scheduled bison capture
operation, to allow the Service time to meet interstate transport
regulatory testing requirements. Recipients of donated bison must also
inform the Service of the destination physical address for donated
bison no fewer than 10 days prior to scheduled bison loadout, to
facilitate timely completion of required interstate veterinary permit
applications and veterinary inspection certificates.
The public may download a copy of the proposed Form 3-2555 from the
ICR on at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review
Department of the Interior collections under review by OMB.
Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bison Donations
Request Program.
OMB Control Number: 1018-New.
Form Number: 3-2555.
Type of Review: Existing collection in use without an OMB control
number.
Respondents/Affected Public: Private sector organizations and
State/local/Tribal governments.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: There is no cost
associated with the Protocol.
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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 *
(hour)
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Submission of Form 3-2555:
Private Sector.............. 2 1 2 1 2
Government.................. 18 1 18 1 18
Required Notifications:
Private Sector.............. 2 2 4 .5 2
Government.................. 18 2 36 .5 18
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Totals.................. 40 .............. 60 .............. 40
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* Rounded.
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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. 2023-03091 Filed 2-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P