[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67315-67316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23134]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for Approval; OMB Control Number 1018-0066; Marine Mammal 
Tagging, Marking, and Reporting Certificates

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which 
is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the 
estimated burden and cost. This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 
30, 2007. We 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may 
continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is 
pending at OMB.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before December 28, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this ICR 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 hope--
[email protected] (e-mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail, fax, or e-mail (see 
ADDRESSES) or by telephone at (703) 358-2482.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0066.
    Title: Marine Mammal Tagging, Marking, and Reporting Certificates, 
50 CFR 18.23(f).
    Service Form Number(s): R7-50, R7-51, R7-52.
    Type of Request: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

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                                   Number of annual    Number of annual   Completion time per    Annual burden
            Activity                  respondents          responses            response             hours
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R7-50 (walrus)..................               1,190               1,190  15 minutes.........                298
R7-51 (polar bear)..............                  52                  52  15 minutes.........                 13
R7-52 (sea otter)...............                 796                 796  15 minutes.........                199
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    Totals......................               2,038               2,038  ...................                510
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    Abstract: Under Section 101(b) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 
of 1972 (MMPA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361-1407), Alaska Natives 
residing in Alaska and dwelling on the coast of the North Pacific or 
Arctic Oceans may harvest polar bears, northern sea otters, and Pacific 
walrus for subsistence or handicraft purposes. Section 109(i) of the 
MMPA authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe marking, 
tagging, and reporting regulations applicable to the Alaska Native 
subsistence and handicraft take.

[[Page 67316]]

    On behalf of the Secretary, we implemented regulations at 50 CFR 
18.23(f) for Alaska Natives harvesting polar bear, northern sea otter, 
and Pacific walrus. These regulations enable us to gather data on the 
Alaska Native subsistence and handicraft harvest and on the biology of 
polar bear, northern sea otter, and Pacific walrus in Alaska to 
determine what effect such take may be having on these populations. The 
regulations also provide us with a means of monitoring the disposition 
of the harvest to ensure that any commercial use of products created 
from these species meets the criteria set forth in Section 101(b) of 
the MMPA. The information we collect includes, but is not limited to:
    (1) Date of kill.
    (2) Sex of the animal.
    (3) Kill location.
    (4) Form of transportation used to make the kill of polar bears.
    (5) Amount of time (i.e., hours/days hunted) spent hunting polar 
bears.
    (6) Type of take (live killed or beach found) for walrus.
    (7) Number of otters present in and number of otters harvested from 
pod.
    (8) Condition of the bear and whether or not polar bear cubs were 
present.
    (9) Name of the hunter or possessor of the specified parts at the 
time of marking, tagging, and reporting.
    Comments: On July 12, 2007, we published in the Federal Register 
(72 FR 38096) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew this 
ICR. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 days, ending on 
September 10, 2007. We received one comment. The comment expressed 
opposition to the killing of wildlife by Alaska Natives. We note the 
concerns raised by this individual; however, the harvest of marine 
mammals by certain Alaska Natives for certain purposes is specifically 
exempted from otherwise prohibited activities by Section 101(b) of the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 
et seq.). We did not make any changes to our information collection 
requirements.
    We again 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.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal 
identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask OMB in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it 
will be done.

    Dated: November 14, 2007
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
FR Doc. E7-23134 Filed 11-27-07; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S