[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 126 (Thursday, June 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40113-40119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16371]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection Submitted to the Office of Management and 
Budget for Renewal Under the Paperwork Reduction Act

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We have submitted the information collection requirements to 
renew approval of the collection of information for special use permit 
applications on national wildlife refuges in Alaska to OMB for approval 
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Submit comments on or before July 31, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send comments and suggestions on specific requirements 
directly to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Department of the Interior Desk 
Officer, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC

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20503; and a copy to our Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service [MS 222 ARLSQ], 1849 C Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leslie Marler, Management Analyst, 
Branch of Policy and Planning, Division of Refuges, (703) 358-2397; or 
Tony Booth, Refuge Program Specialist, Division of Refuges, Anchorage, 
AK (907) 786-3384.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We submitted the following proposed 
information collection clearance requirement to OMB for review and 
approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13). 
OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove information collection. 
To ensure maximum consideration, OMB should receive public comments by 
July 31, 2000. We may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information, and a person is not required to respond to a request for 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We 
previously published a 60-day notice inviting public comment on this 
information collection in the Federal Register on February 9, 2000 (65 
FR 6388). We received no comments.
    We invite comments on: (1) Whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden, 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) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Pub. 
L. 105-57) that amends the National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act 
of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668 dd-ee) requires that we authorize economic or 
other special privileges on any national wildlife refuge by permit only 
when we determine the activity will be compatible with the purposes for 
which the refuge was established and the mission of the National 
Wildlife Refuge System. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation 
Act (ANILCA) (16 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) provides for the disposition and 
use of national wildlife refuges and other federally owned lands in 
Alaska. Title III of ANILCA identifies the purposes for each Alaska 
refuge and requires that all uses we authorize on them first be found 
to be compatible with the refuge purposes. Section 1307 of ANILCA 
contains two provisions concerning persons and entities who we are to 
give special rights and preferences with respect to providing ``visitor 
services'' on national wildlife refuges in Alaska and certain other 
Federal lands. Other sections of ANILCA allow us to permit uses on 
national wildlife refuges in Alaska under certain conditions.
    We will provide the permit applications as requested by interested 
Alaska citizens. We will use information provided on the required 
written forms and/or verbal applications to determine if the proposed 
activity is compatible with refuge purposes and ensure that the 
applicant is eligible for a permit. In the case of competitively 
awarded permits, we will use the information to determine the most 
qualified applicant to receive benefits of a refuge permit. In the case 
of ``1307'' permits, we will use the information to determine whether 
the applicant is: A member of a Native Corporation; a local resident; 
engaged in adequately providing visitors services on or before January 
1, 1979; or eligible to receive Cook Inlet Region rights.
    We make provision in our general refuge regulations for public 
entry for specialized purposes, including economic activities such as 
the operation of guiding and other visitor services on refuges by 
concessionaires or cooperators under appropriate contracts or legal 
agreements (found in 50 CFR 25.61) or special use permits (found in 50 
CFR 26.22(b), 26.25, 36.37, and 36.41). These rules provide the 
authorities and procedures for selecting permittees on Alaska refuges, 
the vast majority of which are providers of services and facilities to 
the public. We will issue permits for a specific period as determined 
by the type and location of the use or visitor service provided.
    We are making several minor modifications to the Special Use Permit 
application form:
    1. On page one, Part 1 of the form, we changed cc:mail address to 
e-mail address.
    2. On page two, Part 2 of the form, we eliminated Aleutian Islands 
Unit/Alaska Maritime NWR from the list of National Wildlife Refuge Code 
Acronyms because there is no need for separate entry for the Aleutian 
Islands Unit of the refuge.
    3. On page two, Part 2 of the form, we also revised the list of 
Activity Codes to provide more effective and clearer identification of 
the types of commercial visitor service uses that we most commonly 
permit on Alaska refuges. We changed the activity codes from two-letter 
codes to three-letter codes.
    4. On page three, Part 4 of the form, we revised the instructions 
that state, ``List the MAKE, MODEL, WHEEL/FLOAT/SKI, COLOR and TAIL 
NUMBER of all the aircraft you own/lease/operate:'' We added to this 
statement the phrase, ``* * * that you will use in your proposed 
activity:'' to clarify that we only need information about aircraft the 
applicant will use for activities permitted on the refuge.
    5. In addition to the revisions identified above, we made several 
minor editorial changes on the application form for clarification and 
plain language requirements. The editorial revisions do not affect 
information requirements of the application.
    Title: Special Use Permit Applications on National Wildlife Refuges 
in Alaska.
    OMB form number: 1018-0014--Service form number: 3-2001.
    Frequency of collection: On occasion.
    Description of the respondents: Individuals and households; 
business and other.
    Number of respondents: 212.
    Estimated completion time: 8.6 hours (average time for competitive 
and non-competitive respondents).
    Burden estimate: 1,820 hours.
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    Dated: April 12, 2000.
Paul R. Schmidt,
Assistant Director for Refuges and Wildlife.
[FR Doc. 00-16371 Filed 6-28-00; 8:45 am]
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