[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 227 (Friday, November 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68966-68967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26178]



[[Page 68966]]

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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; National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated 
Recreation

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (we) plans to submit the 
collection of information described below to OMB for approval under the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information 
collected for the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-
Associated Recreation (FHWAR Survey) is needed to assist Federal and 
State agencies in administering the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration 
grant programs. The 2006 FHWAR Survey will provide up-to-date 
information on the uses and demands for wildlife-related recreation 
resources, trends in uses of those resources, and a basis for 
developing and evaluating programs and projects to meet existing and 
future needs. We have conducted this survey every 5 years since 1955.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before January 25, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection to Hope 
Grey, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, MS 222-ARLSQ, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203; 
[email protected] (e-mail); or (703) 358-2269 (fax).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection requirements, explanatory information, or related materials, 
contact Hope Grey at (703) 358-2482 or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget 
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 plan to send a request to OMB for approval of the information 
collection requirements for the 2006 FHWAR Survey. We are requesting a 
3-year term of approval for this information collection activity. 
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 previous collections of this information 
was 1018-0088. We collect the information in conjunction with carrying 
out our responsibilities under the Federal Aid in Sport Fish 
Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777-777M) commonly referred to as the 
Dingell-Johnson Act, and the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act 
(16 U.S.C. 669-669i) commonly referred to as the Pitman-Robertson Act. 
Under these acts, as amended, we provide approximately $500 million in 
grants annually to States for projects to support sport fish and 
wildlife management and restoration, including the improvement of fish 
and wildlife habitats, fishing and boating access, fish stocking, and 
hunting and fishing opportunities. We also provide grants for aquatic 
education and hunter education, maintenance of completed projects, and 
research into the problems affecting fish and wildlife resources. These 
projects help to ensure that the American people have adequate 
opportunities for fish and wildlife recreation.
    The 2006 FHWAR Survey will be the 11th conducted since 1955. We 
sponsor the survey requested by the States through the International 
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The Bureau of the Census 
collects the information using computer-assisted telephone or in-person 
interviews. A sample of sportsmen and wildlife watchers will be 
selected from a household screen. Sample persons will be asked about 
their participation and expenditures. Three detailed interviews will be 
conducted during the survey year. The 2006 FHWAR Survey will be similar 
in scope to past surveys. It will generate information identified as 
priority data needed by the Federal and State agencies responsible for 
administering the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration grant programs. 
Accordingly, the 2006 FHWAR Survey will produce a comprehensive 
database of fish and wildlife related recreation activities and 
expenditures. It will include the number of persons participating in 
different types of activities such as freshwater, saltwater, and Great 
Lakes fishing, and big game, small game, migratory bird, and other 
animal hunting. Wildlife-watching activities include wildlife 
observation, feeding, and photographing around the home and on trips 
away from home. Information is collected on days of participation, 
species of animals sought, and how much money was spent on trips and 
for equipment. Information on the characteristics of participants 
include age, income, sex, education, race, and residency. The survey 
data has State level reliability. Federal and State agencies use 
information from the survey to formulate management and policy 
decisions related to fish and wildlife restoration and management. 
Participation patterns and trend information assist in identifying 
present and future needs and demands. The information is used for 
planning the acquisition, development, and enhancement of resources for 
the benefit of wildlife-related recreation. Land managing agencies use 
the data on expenditures, economic evaluation, and participation to 
assess the value of wildlife-related recreational uses of natural 
resources. States use expenditure information to estimate the economic 
impact of wildlife-related recreation expenditures on their economies 
and to support the dedication of tax revenues for fish and wildlife 
restoration programs. The information collected on resident saltwater 
fishing assists coastal States in determining the proper ratio for 
allocating funds between freshwater and saltwater projects as required 
by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, as amended. The 
information is not readily available elsewhere because few States have 
saltwater licenses or conduct their own surveys. If the 2006 FHWAR 
Survey data were not available, it would impair the ability of those 
States to meet their obligations under the Act.
    Title: National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated 
Recreation.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0088.
    Form Number: None.
    Frequency: Household screen interviews and the first detailed 
sportsmen and wildlife-watchers interviews will be conducted April-June 
2006. The second detailed interviews will be conducted September-
October 2006. The third and last detailed interviews will be conducted 
January-March 2007.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 32,254 hours.
    Total Annual Responses: 95,000 respondents.

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                                     Estimated                       Estimated
                                     number of     Average time      number of        Average      Total burden
                                     household     per household    participant     respondent        (hours)
                                     responses       (minutes)       responses    time (minutes)
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Screen..........................        * 76,000               7  ..............  ..............           8,867
Screen Reinterview **...........           3,800               5  ..............  ..............             317
Hunting & Fishing:
    1st interview...............  ..............  ..............          12,000              15           3,000
    2nd interview...............  ..............  ..............          24,000              10           4,000
    3rd interview...............  ..............  ..............          36,000              15           9,000
    Reinterview.................  ..............  ..............           2,000               5             167
Wildlife Watching:
    1st interview...............  ..............  ..............           7,200              11           1,320
    2nd interview...............  ..............  ..............          12,000              11           2,200
    3rd interview...............  ..............  ..............          18,000              11           3,300
    Reinterview.................  ..............  ..............            1000               5              83
                                 -----------------
      Total.....................          79,800             6.9         112,200            12.3         32,254
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* The estimated number of respondents reached from a sample of households will be 76,000. About 50 percent, or
  38,000, of those respondents will sample in and receive a detailed interview. An additional 50 percent of
  those households where one person is sampled (19,000) will have a second person screened in for interviews. We
  estimate the total number of respondents to be 95,000 (76,000 + 19,000).
** Of the survey respondents, 5 percent from the screener workload and 6 percent from the third interview
  sportsmen and wildlife-watching user workloads are reinterviewed by another Census interviewer using a subset
  of the regular questionnaire. These reinterview responses are compared to the responses of the full interview
  as a quality control measure.

    The total number of respondents can be calculated by adding up the 
household and participant responses and subtracting the reinterviews 
and the third interviews. There is some wave 1 and wave 2 overlap.
    We expect the burden to be about 15 minutes for the sportsmen and 
11 minutes for the wildlife-watching participants. We base the estimate 
for interview length on the 2001 survey and experience with similar 
surveys conducted within the past year. The combined total estimated 
hours of respondent burden is 32,254.
    We invite your comments on: (1) Whether or not the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency including whether or not the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
collection 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.

    Dated: November 8, 2004.
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 04-26178 Filed 11-24-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P