[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 106 (Thursday, June 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29872-29873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14038]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection 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 has submitted 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: OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove information 
collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure maximum

[[Page 29873]]

consideration, you must submit comments on or before July 6, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the requirement to the Office of 
Management and Budget, Attention: Department of the Interior Desk 
Officer, 725 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20503, and to Rebecca 
Mullin, Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, ms 222-ARLSQ, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 
20240.

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 part 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) has submitted 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. A previous 60-day notice on this 
information collection requirement was published in the February 16, 
1999 (64 FR 7660) Federal Register inviting public comment. No comments 
on the previous notice were received as of April 20, 1999. This notice 
provides an additional 30 days in which to comment on the following 
information.
    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 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: May 5, 1999.
Daniel M. Ashe,
Assistant Director for Refuges and Wildlife.
[FR Doc. 99-14038 Filed 6-2-99; 8:45 am]
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