[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7660-7661]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3655]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection To Be Submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval Under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will submit the collection 
of information listed below to OMB for approval under the provisions of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act. A copy of the information collection 
requirement is included in this notice. If you wish to obtain copies of 
the proposed information collection requirement, related forms, and 
explanatory material, contact the Service Information Collection 
Clearance Officer at the address listed below.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before April 19, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on the requirement to the 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, ms 222-ARLSQ, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20204.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, explanatory information and related forms, contact 
Rebecca A. Mullin at (703) 358-2287, or electronically to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which implement provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), require that interested members 
of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on 
information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (We) plan to submit a 
request to OMB to renew its approval of the collection of information 
for the North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey. We are 
requesting a 3-year term of approval for this information collection 
activity.
    Federal agencies 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 OMB control number for this 
collection of information is 1018-0019.
    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-711) and Fish and 
Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate the Department of the 
Interior as the key agency responsible for the wise

[[Page 7661]]

management of migratory bird populations frequenting the United States 
and for the setting of hunting regulations that allow appropriate 
harvests that are within the guidelines that will allow for those 
populations' well being. These responsibilities dictate the gathering 
of 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. This survey is 
conducted annually by State and Federal conservation agencies to 
provide the necessary data to determine the population status of the 
woodcock. In addition, the information is vital in assessing the 
relative changes in the geographic distribution of the woodcock. The 
information is used primarily by us to develop recommendations for 
hunting regulations. It is also used by us, State conservation 
agencies, University associates and other interested parties for 
various research and management projects. Without information on the 
population's status, we might promulgate hunting regulations that were 
too liberal thus causing harm to the woodcock population, or too 
conservative, thus unduly restricting recreational opportunities 
afforded by woodcock hunting.
    Title: North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey.
    Approval Number: 1018-0019.
    Service Form Number: 3-156.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Description of Respondents: State, local, tribal, provincial, or 
Federal employees.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: The reporting burden is estimated to 
average 0.67 hours per respondent. The Total Annual Burden hours is 500 
hours.
    Total Annual Responses: About 750 individuals are expected to 
participate in the survey.
    We invite comments concerning this renewal on: (1) whether the 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
our migratory bird management functions, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of our 
estimate of the burden of the 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. The information collections in this program 
are part of a system of record covered by the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 
552(a)).

    Dated: February 9, 1999.
Paul R. Schmidt,
Acting Assistant Director for Refuges and Wildlife.
[FR Doc. 99-3655 Filed 2-12-99; 8:45 am]
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