[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 64 (Thursday, April 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16304-16305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8102]


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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; Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (We) will submit the 
collection of information described below to OMB for approval under the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. If you wish to 
obtain copies of the information collection requirements, related 
forms, or explanatory material, contact the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer at the address or telephone number listed 
below.

DATES: We will accept comments until June 2, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Mail your comments on this information collection renewal 
request to Anissa Craghead, Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, ms 222-ARLSQ, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, 
Arlington, VA 22203; or e-mail [email protected].
    Form 3-177 (with instructions for its completion) is available for 
electronic submission at the following Web site: https://edecs.fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection requirements, related forms, or explanatory material, 
contact Anissa Craghead at telephone number (703) 358-2445, or 
electronically at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which 
implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), 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)).
    We will submit a request to OMB to renew its approval of the 
collection of information included on Form 3-177, Declaration For 
Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife. The current OMB control 
number for Form 3-177 is 1018-0012, and the OMB approval for this 
collection of information expires on October 31, 2003. This form (with 
instructions for its completion) is now available for electronic 
submission at the following Web site: https://edecs.fws.gov. We are 
requesting a three year term of approval for this information 
collection activity. We may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not 
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.
    The Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) makes it 
unlawful to import or export fish, wildlife, or plants without filing a 
declaration or report deemed necessary for enforcing the Act or 
upholding the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species 
(CITES) (see 16 U.S.C. 1538(e)). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 
Form 3-177, Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or 
Wildlife, is the declaration form required of any business or 
individual importing into or exporting from the United States any fish, 
wildlife, or wildlife products. The information collected is unique to 
each wildlife shipment and enables us to accurately inspect the 
contents of the shipment; enforce any regulations that pertain to the 
fish, wildlife, or wildlife products contained in the shipment; and 
maintain records of the importation

[[Page 16305]]

and exportation of these commodities. Additionally, since the United 
States is a member of CITES, much of the collected information is 
compiled in an annual report that 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, wildlife, and wildlife 
products is one of our treaty obligations under CITES. We also use the 
information obtained from Form 3-177 as an enforcement tool and 
management aid in monitoring the international wildlife market and 
detecting trends and changes in the commercial trade of fish, wildlife, 
and wildlife products. Our Division of Scientific Authority and 
Division of Management Authority use this information to assess the 
need for additional protection for native species. In addition, 
nongovernment organizations, including the commercial wildlife 
community, request information from us that we obtain from Form 3-177.
    You must file Form 3-177 with us at the time and port where you 
request clearance of your wildlife import or export. In certain 
instances, Form 3-177 may be filed with the U.S. Customs Service. The 
standard information collection includes the name of the importer or 
exporter and broker, the scientific and common name of the fish or 
wildlife, permit numbers (if a permit is required), a description of 
the fish or wildlife, quantity and value of the fish or wildlife, and 
natural country of origin of the fish or wildlife. In addition, certain 
information, such as the airway bill or bill of lading number, the 
location of the fish or wildlife for inspection, and the number of 
cartons containing fish or wildlife, assists our wildlife inspectors if 
a physical examination of the shipment is required.
    Title: Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or 
Wildlife.
    Approval Number: 1018-0012.
    Service Form Number: 3-177.
    Frequency of Collection: Whenever clearance is requested for an 
importation or exportation of fish, wildlife, or wildlife products.
    Description of Respondents: Businesses or individuals that import 
or export fish, wildlife, or wildlife products; scientific institutions 
that import or export fish or wildlife scientific specimens; government 
agencies that import or export fish or wildlife specimens for various 
purposes.
    Total Annual Responses: Approximately 116,000 individual Form 3-
177s are filed with us in a fiscal year.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: The total annual burden is approximately 
22,601 hours. We estimate the reporting burden to average 14 minutes 
per response when completed by hand. We estimate that approximately 
one-third (33%) of responses received will be submitted electronically, 
with a reporting burden of about seven minutes per response for 
electronic submissions. The estimate of electronic responses we expect 
to receive is based upon a recent pilot program of the electronic 
declaration (eDecs) system. We anticipate that the use of the eDecs 
system will expand in the future, which would further reduce the burden 
on the public.
    We invite comments concerning this renewal on: (1) Whether the 
collection of information is useful and necessary for us to do our job, 
(2) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden on the public to 
complete the form; (3) ways to enhance the quality and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection on respondents, including use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology. This information collection is 
part of a system of records covered 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 a respondent's identity from the rulemaking record, 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 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: March 11, 2003.
Anissa Craghead,
Information Collection Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 03-8102 Filed 4-2-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P