[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51680-51682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-25391]


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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 a request for 
approval of a collection of information to OMB under the provisions of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Copies of specific information 
collection requirements, related forms and explanatory material may be 
obtained by contacting the Information Collection Clearance Officer of 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the address and/or phone numbers 
listed below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received on or 
before December 10, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on specific requirements should be sent to Rebecca 
A. Mullin, Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 
22203, (703) 358-2287 or electronically at [email protected]. 

[[Page 51681]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To receive a copy of the information 
collection approval request, explanatory information and related forms, 
contact Rebecca Mullin (see ADDRESSES). Questions related to the 
Endangered Species Act requirements for monitoring of recovered species 
may be directed to Renne Lohoefener, Chief, Division of Consultation, 
Habitat Conservation Plans, Recovery, and State Grants, 703/358-2171 or 
[email protected]. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, which implement 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)). OMB regulations at 5 CFR 1320.3(c) define the collection of 
information as the obtaining of information by or for an agency by 
means of identical questions posed to, or identical reporting, record-
keeping, or disclosure requirements imposed on 10 or more persons. 
Furthermore, 5 CFR 1320.3(c)(4) specifies that ``10 or more persons'' 
refers to the persons to whom a collection of information is addressed 
by the agency within any 12-month period. For the purposes of this 
definition, employees of the Federal government are not included in the 
definition of ``persons.'' 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 U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service (Service) plans to submit the following 
information collection requirements to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval. A three-year term of approval, 
from approximately January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2004, will be 
requested for this information collection activity.
    Section 4(g) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires that all 
species that are recovered and removed from the lists of endangered and 
threatened species (delisted) be monitored for a period of not less 
than 5 years. The purpose of this requirement is to detect any failure 
of a recovered species to sustain itself without the protections of the 
ESA. The Service works with relevant State agencies and other species 
experts to develop appropriate plans and procedures for systematically 
monitoring recovered wildlife and plants. In many cases, collections of 
information from monitoring of recovered species will not require 
approval by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act because monitoring 
will require collection of information from less than 10 non-Federal 
persons per 12-month period.
    On October 17, 1998, OMB approved information collection relative 
to monitoring of the American peregrine falcon. OMB control number 
1018-0101, Information Collection Requirements for Monitoring Peregrine 
Falcons Once the Species is Delisted, estimated that the Service would 
request 20 responses per year, requiring 12 annual burden hours on the 
part of respondents. The American peregrine falcon was removed from the 
list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife on August 25, 1999, but 
formal collection of monitoring data under section 4(g) of the ESA has 
not yet commenced. OMB approval under control number 1018-0101 will 
expire on October 31, 2001.
    The Service plans to consolidate its information collection 
requirements pursuant to the monitoring of all recovered species, 
including the American peregrine falcon, that will require identical 
questions posed to 10 or more non-Federal persons per 12-month period, 
and thereby streamlining fulfillment of monitoring requirements for 
recovered species. Information collection meeting these criteria will 
usually be limited to species with large geographic ranges that include 
substantial amounts of non-Federal land. Although the ESA requires that 
monitoring of recovered species be conducted for not less than 5 years, 
the life history of some species will make it appropriate to monitor 
the species for a longer period of time in order to meaningfully 
evaluate whether the recovered species continues to maintain its 
recovered status. In such cases, collection of monitoring data may 
occur on a multi-year interval (for example, data may be collected 
every second year, totaling eight information collections over a 15-
year period). Information collection will commonly include data on 
species abundance, reproduction rates, and, in some cases, impacts of 
potential threats to the species. Data compilation and preparation of 
responses will generally be performed by professional biologists 
employed by Federal and State agencies and other organizations that 
have been involved in past species conservation efforts. Information 
requests may vary by respondent, and both requests and responses will 
primarily be in written format. Forms are not appropriate for this type 
of information collection, as effective requests and responses must 
accommodate variability in species across their geographic range and 
allow respondents latitude for full and accurate communication of the 
data.
    On July 31, 2001, the Service announced availability for review and 
comment of a Proposed Monitoring Plan for the American Peregrine Falcon 
(Falco peregrinus anatum) (66 FR 39523). Proposed monitoring for this 
recovered species consists of information on population trends and 
nesting success. Starting in the spring of 2002, surveys will be 
conducted every 3 years for a total of five surveys over 13 years. 
Surveys will be spread over five geographic regions within the falcon's 
range.
    The bald eagle in the lower 48 states was proposed for delisting on 
July 6, 1999 (64 FR 36453). At that time, the Service proposed to 
collect information for at least 5 years, including the number of 
occupied breeding areas and the number of young produced per nesting 
pair across the species' range. Monitoring plans for the bald eagle are 
currently under revision, but the Service anticipates that the types of 
information that will be collected will be the number of occupied 
breeding areas and the number of young produced per nesting pair across 
the species' range.
    The Service expects that, in addition to the peregrine falcon and 
bald eagle, two to three other species may be removed from the list of 
threatened and endangered species due to recovery and will require 
collection of post-delisting monitoring information from 10 or more 
persons within a 12-month period before the end of 2004.
    Annual burden estimates for collection of monitoring data for all 
recovered species pursuant to section 4(g) of the ESA, between January 
1, 2002, and December 31, 2004, and requiring OMB approvals under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act are summarized below. Annual variation reflects 
monitoring of the American peregrine falcon in 2002 only (the next 
monitoring period for this species will occur in 2005) and anticipated 
increases in the number of other recovered species:

[[Page 51682]]



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                                                                                     Estimated
                                                                     Estimated     average time    Average total
                              Year                                   number of     required per    annual burden
                                                                    respondents     report  (in     (in hours)
                                                                     per year         hours)
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2002............................................................              95               2             190
2003............................................................             110               2             220
2004............................................................             135               2             270
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    Comments are invited on (1) whether the collection of information 
described in this notice is necessary for the proper performance of 
monitoring of recovered species as prescribed in section 4(g) of the 
ESA, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) 
the accuracy of our estimate of burden, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the 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; (4) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents. The information collections 
in this program will be part of a system of records covered by the 
Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552(a)).

    Dated: September 24, 2001.
Rebecca A. Mullin,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Information Collection Office.
[FR Doc. 01-25391 Filed 10-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P