[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 250 (Monday, December 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67539-67541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-32122]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection for Monitoring Species After Delisting 
Under the Endangered Species Act

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The collection of information described below has been 
submitted to OMB for approval 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 (see ADDRESSES).

DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove information 
collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure maximum 
consideration, you must submit comments on or before January 30, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on specific requirements to the Office of 
Management and Budget, Attention: Department of the Interior Desk 
Officer, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503, and to Rebecca A. 
Mullin, Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Mail Stop 222-ARLSQ; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, 
Arlington, VA 22203, 703/358-2287.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To receive a copy of the information 
collection approval request, explanatory

[[Page 67540]]

information and related forms, contact Rebecca A. Mullin, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer (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.

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 CRF 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.
    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. We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) work 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.
    We submitted the following information collection requirements to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. A previous 60-
day notice on this information collection requirement was published in 
the Federal Register on October 10, 2001, (66 FR 51681) inviting public 
comment for 60 days. The comment period expired on December 10, 2001, 
and no comments were received. This notice provides an additional 30 
days in which to comment on the following information. We are 
requesting that OMB grant a 3-year term of approval for these 
information collection activities. The information collection 
requirements in this submission implement the regulatory requirements 
of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1539).
    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 we 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 expires on 
December 31, 2001.
    We have consolidated 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, 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 itself. 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.
    We expect that, in addition to the American peregrine falcon, three 
to four 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. Therefore, we are requesting a 
change to the currently approved information collection for the 
American peregrine falcon to include these additional species.
    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:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Estimated
                                                     average
                                        Estimated      time     Average
                                        number of    required    total
                 Year                  respondents     per       annual
                                         per year     report     burden
                                                       (In       hours
                                                      hours)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2002.................................          95           2        190
2003.................................         110           2        220
2004.................................         135           2        270
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 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 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

[[Page 67541]]

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: December 18, 2001.
Rebecca A. Mullin,
Fish and Wildlife Service, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-32122 Filed 12-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P