[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29777-29778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10311]


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

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have submitted 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 is needed to assist Federal and State agencies in 
administering the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration grant programs. 
The 2006 FHWAR 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 June 23, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this information 
collection reinstatement to the Desk Officer for the Department of the 
Interior at OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-6566 (fax) or [email protected] (e-mail). Please provide a copy of your comments to 
Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, MS 222-ARLSQ, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 
(mail); (703) 358-2269 (fax); or [email protected] (e-mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection requirements, explanatory information, or related materials, 
contact Hope Grey at the addresses above or by phone at (703) 358-2482.

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)). 
Previously, we had approval from OMB to collect information on the 2001 
FHWAR Survey under OMB control number 1018-0088. This approval expired 
on September 30, 2003. We have submitted a request to OMB to reinstate 
approval for the 2006 FHWAR information collection. We are requesting a 
3-year term of approval for this information collection. 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. OMB has up to 60 days to approve or 
disapprove our information collection request, but may respond after 30 
days. Therefore, to ensure that your comments receive consideration, 
send all comments and suggestions to OMB by the date listed in the 
DATES section.
    On November 26, 2004, we published in the Federal Register (69 FR 
68966) a notice of our intent to request information collection 
authority from OMB. In that notice, we solicited public comments for 60 
days, ending on January 25, 2005. We received comments from only one 
individual regarding this notice. The commenter expressed an objection 
to using taxpayers' money to collect information on hunting (which the 
commenter opposes) and to the survey being conducted every 5 years. The 
commenter recommended that groups like the Friends of Animals, Fund for 
Animals, and Humane Society be involved in collecting information. We 
note the concerns raised by this individual. However, we believe the 
FHWAR information collection provides an important means of measuring 
the extent of wildlife-related recreation and will be of great benefit 
to Federal and State agencies responsible for maintaining and enhancing 
fish and wildlife resources in the United States. The FHWAR collects 
information on nonconsumptive activities (observing, feeding, and 
photographing wildlife) as well as on consumptive activities (hunting 
and fishing). The survey, conducted only every 5 years, is paid for by 
grants from multistate conservation grant programs authorized by Public 
Law 106-408 (sections 113 and 122). Money for the programs comes from 
Federal excise tax and import duties on hunting, shooting, boating, and 
angling equipment and from a tax on motorboat and small engine fuel--
not from general tax revenues. The Census Bureau was selected to 
collect the information for the survey because of its expertise, 
excellent response rates, reliable methodology, and 39 years of 
experience collecting information for the FHWAR.
    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 that 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 
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 will be the 11th conducted since 1955. We sponsor 
the survey at the States' request, which is made through the 
International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The Census 
Bureau collects the information using computer-assisted telephone or 
in-person interviews. A sample of sportspersons and wildlife watchers 
will be selected from a household screen. Sample persons will be asked 
about their participation and expenditures. Three detailed interviews

[[Page 29778]]

will be conducted during the survey year. The 2006 FHWAR will be 
similar in scope to past surveys. It will generate information 
identified as priority data needed by Federal and State agencies 
responsible for administering the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration 
grant programs. Accordingly, the 2006 FHWAR 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 includes 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 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 of Collection: Household screen interviews and the first 
detailed sportspersons 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 Responses: 95,000 respondents.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 32,254 hours.
    The projected number of respondents and the estimated burden for 
the 2006 FHWAR are:

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                                                                Estimated number  Average time per  Estimated number       Average
                                                                  of household        household      of participant    respondent time    Total burden
                                                                    responses         (minutes)         responses         (minutes)          (hours)
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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 one-half (38,000) of those respondents will sample in
  and receive a detail interview. An additional 50 percent of those households where one person is sampled (19,000) will have a second person screened
  in for interviews. Therefore, the total number of respondents is estimated to be 95,000 (76,000 + 19,000) in the 2006 FHWAR.
** Of the survey respondents, 5 percent from the CAPI screener workload and 6 percent from the CAPI third interview sportspersons and wildlife-watchers
  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. 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: April 1, 2005.
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 05-10311 Filed 5-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P