[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 157 (Monday, August 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49588-49592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20508]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection Renewal 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: Information collection; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The collection of information described below is submitted to 
OMB for renewal under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995. A copy of the information collection requirements is included in 
this notice. Copies of specific information collection requirements, 
related forms and explanatory material may be obtained by contacting 
the Service Information

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Collection Office at the address and/or phone numbers listed below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received on or 
before September 13, 2000. OMB has up to 60 days to approve or 
disapprove information collection, but may respond after 30 days. 
Therefore, to ensure maximum consideration, OMB should receive public 
comments by the above referenced date.

ADDRESSES: Comments and suggestions on specific requirements should be 
sent to the Desk Officer for Interior Department, Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive 
Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, and the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 222 
ARLSQ, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. If you wish to comment, 
you may submit your comments by any one of several methods. You may 
mail comments to the above address. You may also comment via the 
Internet to [email protected]. Please submit Internet comments as an 
ASCII file, avoiding the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. Please also include ``Attn: Information Collection Renewal, 
3-177 form'' and your name and return address in your Internet message. 
If you do not receive a confirmation from the system that we have 
received your Internet message, contact us directly at the telephone 
number listed below. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to the 
above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Adams, Chief, Office of Law 
Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, telephone (703) 358-1949, 
fax (703) 358-2271.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The OMB regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320, 
which implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501), 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)). On 
Friday, February 18, 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) 
published a 60-day notice on the information collections associated 
with the ``Declaration for Importation and Exportation of Fish or 
Wildlife'', Form 3-177. The comment period for this notice expired on 
April 18, 2000, and the Service in this notice is requesting comment 
for the 30-day period following the date of publication in the Federal 
Register. No comments were provided to the Information Collection 
Clearance Officer as a result of the February 18 notice. The assigned 
OMB information collection control number is 1018-0012. This interim 
rule contains new information collection and we will submit the 
information collection requirements to OMB for review and approval 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law, 104-13. Comments 
are requested regarding (1) whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the agency's function, 
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 assumption used; (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 through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic material, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology. The Service is requesting a 
three-year term of approval for this information collection activity. 
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 information collection in this program 
will not be part of a system of records covered by the Privacy Act (5 
U.S.C. 552(a)).
    The Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1538(e)) makes it unlawful to 
import or export fish, wildlife or plants without filing any 
declaration or report deemed necessary for enforcing the Act or 
upholding the Convention on International Trade in Endangered species 
(CITES). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Form 3-177, ``Declaration 
for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife,'' is the 
documentation required of any individual importing or exporting a fish 
or wildlife product into or out of the United States. The information 
collected is unique to each wildlife shipment and enables the Service 
to accurately inspect the contents of the shipment, maintain records 
and enforce government regulations. Additionally, much of the collected 
information is compiled in an annual report and is forwarded to the 
CITES Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. Submission of an annual 
report on the number and types of imports and exports of fish and 
wildlife is a treaty obligation under CITES.
    Service personnel use the information obtained from a 3-177 form as 
an enforcement tool and management aid in monitoring the international 
wildlife market and detecting trends and changes in the commercial 
trade of wildlife and plants. The Agency's Office of Scientific 
Authority and the Office of Management Authority use this data to 
assess the needs for additional protection for indigenous species.
    In addition, non-government organizations, as well as the 
commercial wildlife community request information that has been 
obtained from the 3-177 declaration form.
    The 3-177 form must be filed with the Service at the time of import 
or export, at a port where clearance is requested. In certain 
instances, this form may be filed with the U.S. Customs Service.
    The standard information collection includes the name of the 
importer/exporter and broker, the scientific and common name of the 
wildlife, permit numbers (if a permit is required), a description of 
the commodity, quantity and value, and country of origin of the 
wildlife. In addition, information such as the airway bill or bill of 
lading number, the location of the goods for inspection, and number of 
cartons containing wildlife assists the inspectors if a physical 
examination is required, and expedites the inspection and eventual 
clearance of the shipment.
    Title: Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or 
Wildlife.
    Approval Number: 1018-0012.
    Service Form Number: 3-177.
    Frequency of Collection: Hourly.
    Description of Respondents: Businesses or individuals that import/
export wildlife, scientific institutions, government agencies.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: The reporting burden is estimated to 
average 15 minutes per respondent. The total annual burden hours is 
21,250 hours.
    Total Annual Responses: Approximately 85,000 individual declaration 
forms are filed with the Service in a fiscal year.
    We invite comments on the renewal of the 3-177 form. The 
information collections in this program are part of a system of records 
by the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552(a)). Our practice is to make comments, 
including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public 
review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may 
request that we withhold their home addresses from the record, which we 
will honor to the extent allowable by law. There may also be limited 
circumstances in which we would withhold from the rulemaking record, a 
respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold 
your name and/or address, you must state this clearly at the beginning 
of your comment. We will not consider

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anonymous comments. We generally make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: July 7, 2000.
Rebecca Mullin,
Information Collection Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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[FR Doc. 00-20508; Filed 8-11-00; 8:45 am]
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