[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60409-60410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26568]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection Submitted to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for Approval Under the Paperwork Reduction Act; Approval 
Procedures for Nontoxic Shot and Shot Coatings

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has submitted the 
collection of information listed below to OMB for approval under the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act. A summary of the information 
collection requirement is included in this notice. If you wish to 
obtain copies of the proposed information collection requirement, 
related forms, or explanatory material, contact the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer at the address listed below.

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 November 21, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments on this information collection renewal 
to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at OMB-OIRA via 
facsimile or e-mail using the following fax number or e-mail address: 
(202) 395-6566 (fax); [email protected] (e-mail). Please provide 
a copy of your comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service's Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr., MS 222 ARLSQ, 
Arlington, VA 22207; (703) 358-2269 (fax); or [email protected] 
(e-mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, explanatory information or related forms, contact 
Anissa Craghead at (703) 358-1730, or electronically to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget (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)). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (We) has submitted a 
request to OMB to renew its approval of the collection of information 
for the nontoxic shot approval process. We are requesting a 3-year term 
of approval for this information collection activity.
    On March 24, 2003, we published a notice in the Federal Register 
(68 FR 14257) inviting public comment for 60 days on this information 
collection requirement. No comments were received. This notice provides 
an

[[Page 60410]]

additional 30 days in which to comment on the following information.
    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 OMB control number for this 
collection of information is 1018-0067.
    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 U.S.C. 703-712) and Fish 
and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate the Department of 
the Interior as the key agency responsible for the wise management of 
migratory bird populations frequenting the United States and for the 
setting of hunting regulations that allow appropriate harvests that are 
within the guidelines that will allow for those populations' well 
being. These responsibilities include approval of nontoxic shot 
materials for use in hunting waterfowl and coots in the United States.
    As of January 1, 1991, lead shot was banned for hunting waterfowl 
and coots in the United States. At that time, steel shot was the only 
nontoxic alternative available. Since then, we have encouraged 
manufacturers to develop other alternatives that the hunting public may 
use. In approving a candidate material as nontoxic for hunting 
waterfowl and coots, we must first ensure that secondary exposure 
(ingestion of spent shot or its components) is not a hazard to 
migratory birds and the environment. In order to make this decision, we 
require the applicant to collect information about the toxicity of 
their candidate material to migratory birds and the environment. A 
further requirement pertains to law enforcement. A noninvasive field 
detection device must be available to distinguish the candidate shot 
from lead shot. The above information provides the bulk of an 
application for approval of nontoxic shot material. Once a candidate 
material is approved as nontoxic, there is no seasonal or annual 
information collection requirement.
    Title: Approval Procedures for Nontoxic Shot and Shot Coatings.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0067.
    Frequency of Collection: Occasional (upon application).
    Description of Respondents: Shot manufacturers.
    Total Annual Responses: We expect no more than one application per 
year.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: The reporting burden is estimated to 
average 3,200 hours per application. Therefore, if we receive one 
application per year, the total annual burden hours would amount to 
3,200 hours.
    We again invite comments concerning this renewal on: (1) Whether 
the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance 
of our migratory bird management functions, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of our 
estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (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 respondents. The information collections in this program 
are part of a system of record covered by the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 
552(a)).

    Dated: August 25, 2003.
Paul R. Schmidt,
Assistant Director, Migratory Birds and State Programs.
[FR Doc. 03-26568 Filed 10-21-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P