[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 111 (Friday, June 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33880-33881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-3011]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

 [Docket No. 05-036-1]


Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection; 
Cooperative Wildlife Damage Management Programs

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: New information collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request approval by the Office of Management and Budget of 
an information collection associated with wildlife damage management 
programs.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 9, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    EDOCKET: Go to http://www.epa.gov/feddocket to submit or view 
public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the 
official public docket, and to access those documents in the public 
docket that are available electronically. Once you have entered 
EDOCKET, click on the ``View Open APHIS Dockets'' link to locate this 
document.
    Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies of your 
comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 05-036-1, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 
River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your 
comment refers to Docket No. 05-036-1.
    Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this 
docket in our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of 
the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Monday

[[Page 33881]]

through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help 
you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
    Other Information: You may view APHIS documents published in the 
Federal Register and related information on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the information 
collection associated with wildlife damage management programs, contact 
Mr. Robert P. Myers, Wildlife Biologist, Wildlife Services, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 87, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-7921. For copies of 
more detailed information on the information collection, contact Mrs. 
Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 
734-7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Cooperative Wildlife Damage Management Programs.
    OMB Number: 0579-XXXX.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: As authorized by the Act of 1931 (7 U.S.C. 426-426c; 46 
Stat. 1468) as amended, the Secretary of Agriculture may conduct 
activities and enter into agreements with States, local jurisdictions, 
individuals, public and private agencies, organizations, and 
institutions in the control of nuisance mammals and birds and those 
mammal and bird species that are reservoirs for zoonotic diseases.
    Wildlife Services (WS) of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), cooperates with 
Federal agencies, State and local governments, and private individuals 
to research and implement the best methods of managing conflicts 
between wildlife and human health and safety, agriculture, property, 
and natural resources.
    As part of the WS program, WS enters into agreements to document 
the terms and conditions for cooperating with parties outside of APHIS.
    In the normal course of business in response to requests for 
assistance in managing wildlife damage, WS collects information about 
organizations, industry, Federal and non-Federal entities, and members 
of the public as part of its program. Program activities usually 
consist of either cooperative direct control or technical assistance 
programs. In the former, WS provides goods, services, and expertise to 
address wildlife damage. Clients must reimburse USDA for expenses and 
time spent by WS to conduct these kinds of programs. In the latter, WS 
gives advice in the form of telephone consultations, personal onsite 
consultations, training sessions, demonstration projects, etc. WS 
usually provides only technical expertise in these activities, and the 
client usually conducts whatever activities are likely to manage the 
wildlife damage occurring. Such activities are usually free to the 
public.
    All persons who receive assistance from WS are referred to as 
``cooperators,'' and any information provided by clients to WS is 
voluntary.
    Information is used by the agency to:

Identify cooperators appropriately.
Identify lands on which WS personnel will work.
Differentiate between cooperators (i.e., property owners, land 
managers, or resource owners) who request assistance to manage damage 
caused by wildlife.
Identify the land areas on which wildlife damage management activities 
would be conducted.
Identify the relationship between resources or property and the damage 
caused by wildlife.
Determine the methods or damage management activities to deal with the 
damage.
Establish a record that a cooperative agreement has been entered into 
with a cooperator.
Document that permission has been obtained from landowners to go on the 
cooperator's property.
Record wildlife damage occurrences on cooperator's property and steps 
to address them.
Record occurrences which may have affected non-target species or humans 
during, or related to, WS project actions.
Determine satisfaction with service to help WS evaluate, modify, and 
improve its programs.

    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for 3 years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning this information collection. 
These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
information collection, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who 
are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, electronic, 
mechanical, and other collection technologies, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of burden: The public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average 0.0558761 hours per response.
    Respondents: Federal, State, and local agencies and the public who 
request services from WS or engage in wildlife damage management 
projects with WS.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 95,000.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 0.996.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 94,620.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 5,287 hours. (Due to 
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per 
response.)
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of June 2005.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E5-3011 Filed 6-9-05; 8:45 am]
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