[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20120-20121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5882]



[[Page 20120]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection Renewal; OMB Control Number 1018-0121; 
Depredation Orders for Double-Crested Cormorants, 50 CFR 21.47 and 
21.48

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service) plan to request that OMB renew 
approval for our information collections associated with regulations 
authorizing the take of double-crested cormorants. The current OMB 
control number for this information collection is 1018-0121, which 
expires October 31, 2006. We will ask OMB to renew approval of this 
information collection for a 3-year term.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before June 19, 2006.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection requirement or explanatory information, contact Hope Grey at 
the addresses above or by telephone 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)). 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.
    This information collection is associated with regulations 
implementing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (16 U.S.C. 703 et 
seq.). The MBTA implements four treaties concerning migratory birds 
that the United States has signed with Canada, Mexico, Japan, and 
Russia. The treaties preserve and protect various species of birds. 
Under the MBTA, it is unlawful to take, possess, import, export, 
transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, purchase, or 
barter, any migratory bird, their parts, nests, or eggs, except as 
authorized by regulations implementing the MBTA. In 2003, we 
promulgated regulations (50 CFR 21.47, Aquaculture Depredation Order, 
and 21.48, Public Resource Depredation Order) to authorize the take of 
double-crested cormorants (DCCOs) under certain circumstances.
    Aquaculture producers may take DCCOs when the birds are found 
committing or about to commit depredations on commercial freshwater 
aquaculture stocks (50 CFR 21.47). Persons operating under this order 
must:
    (a) Immediately report the take of a migratory bird species other 
than double-crested cormorants to the appropriate Service Regional 
Migratory Bird Permit Office.
    (b) Immediately report the take of species protected under the 
Endangered Species Act to the Service.
    (c) Keep a log recording the date, number, and location of all 
birds killed each year under this authorization; maintain this log for 
a period of 3 years (and maintain records for 3 previous years of 
takings at all times thereafter); and each year, provide the previous 
year's log to the appropriate Service Regional Migratory Bird Permit 
Office.
    Our regulations at 50 CFR 21.48 authorize State fish and wildlife 
agencies, U.S. Department of Agriculture (APHIS-Wildlife Services), and 
Federally recognized tribes in 24 States to take DCCOs to prevent 
depredations on the public resources of fish, wildlife, plants, and 
their habitats. Responsible agencies operating under this order must:
    (a) Provide a one-time written notice to the appropriate Service 
Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office indicating that they intend to 
act under this order.
    (b) Provide a report to the Service detailing activities conducted 
under the authority of this order, including:
    (1) Summary (by date and location) of the number of double-crested 
cormorants killed and/or number of nests in which eggs were oiled;
    (2) Statement of efforts being made to minimize incidental take of 
nontarget species and a report of the number and species of migratory 
birds involved in such take, if any;
    (3) Description of the impacts or anticipated impacts to public 
resources by double-crested cormorants and a statement of the 
management objectives for the area in question;
    (4) Description of the evidence supporting the conclusion that 
double-crested cormorants are causing or will cause these impacts;
    (5) Discussion of other limiting factors affecting the resource 
(e.g., biological, environmental, and socioeconomic); and
    (6) Discussion of how control efforts are expected to, or actually 
did, alleviate resource impacts.
    (c) Evaluate, by means of collecting data or using best available 
information, effects of management activities on the public resources 
being protected and on nontarget species, and include this information 
in the report mentioned in (b) above.
    Title: Depredation Orders for Double-Crested Cormorants, 50 CFR 
21.47 and 21.48.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0121.
    Service Form Number: None.
    Frequency of Collection: Annual, except that reporting of 
accidental take is on occasion.
    Description of Respondents: Aquaculture producers, State fish and 
wildlife agencies, tribes, and Federal agencies.

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                                                                                     Estimated
                    Activity                         Number of       Number of      completion     Total annual
                                                    respondents      responses      time (hrs)      burden hrs
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Report take of migratory bird species other than               2               2               1               2
 DCCOs..........................................
Report take of species protected under the                     1               1               1               1
 Endangered Species Act.........................
Written notice of intent to conduct control                   12              12               2              24
 activities.....................................
Report of activities conducted under 50 CFR                    8               8               8              64
 21.48..........................................
Report effects of management activities.........               8               8              80             640
Recordkeeping under 50 CFR 21.47................             900             900               2           1,800
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................             931             931  ..............           2,531
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    We invite comments concerning this information collection on: (1) 
Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility; (2) the 
accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 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.

    Dated: April 6, 2006.
Hope G. Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6-5882 Filed 4-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P