[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 125 (Friday, June 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36551-36552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14583]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2008-N00169] [91200-1231-9BPP-L2]


Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for Approval; OMB Control Number 1018-0103; Conservation 
Order for Control of Midcontinent Light Geese

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 June 30, 
2008. 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 July 28, 2008.

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 
[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: 1018-0103.
    Title: Conservation Order for Control of Midcontinent Light Geese, 
50 CFR 21.60.
    Service Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: State and tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Number of Respondents: 24.
    Number of Annual Responses: 24.
    Completion Time per Response: 74 hours.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,776 hours.
    Abstract: The number of light geese (lesser snow, greater snow, and 
Ross' geese) in the midcontinent region has nearly quadrupled during 
the past several decades due to a decline in adult mortality and an 
increase in winter survival. We refer to these species and subspecies 
as light geese because of their light coloration as opposed to dark 
geese such as white-fronted or Canada geese. Because of their feeding 
activity, light geese have become seriously injurious to their habitat 
as well as to habitat important to other migratory birds. This poses a 
serious threat to the short- and long-term health and status of some 
migratory bird populations. We believe that the number of light geese 
in the midcontinent region has exceeded long-term sustainable levels 
for their arctic and subarctic breeding habitats and that the 
populations must be reduced. 50 CFR 21 provides authority for the 
management of overabundant, midcontinent light geese.
    On February 16, 1999, we published a final rule (64 FR 7517) that 
established a conservation order for midcontinent light geese (50 CFR 
21.60). This regulation authorizes States and tribes in the 
midcontinent region to control midcontinent light geese within the 
United States through the use of alternative regulatory strategies. The 
conservation order authorizes States/tribes to implement population 
control measures without having to obtain a permit, thus significantly 
reducing their administrative burden. The conservation order is a 
streamlined process that affords an efficient and effective population 
reduction strategy, rather than addressing the issue through our 
permitting process. Furthermore, this strategy precludes the use of 
more drastic and costly direct population-reduction measures such as 
trapping and culling geese.
    States/tribes that participate in the conservation order must 
inform and brief all participants on the requirements in 50 CFR 21.60 
and conservation order conditions that apply to the implementation of 
light geese control measures. Participating States/tribes must collect 
information

[[Page 36552]]

on the number of birds taken during control efforts, the methods by 
which they were taken, and the date on which they were taken. We use 
this information to administer the conservation order and, 
particularly, to monitor the effectiveness of control strategies and to 
protect migratory birds. Each participating State/tribe must submit an 
annual report summarizing the activities it conducted.
    Comments: On April 25, 2008, we published in the Federal Register 
(73 FR 22429) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew 
authority for this information collection. In that notice, we solicited 
public comments for 60 days, ending on June 24, 2008. We received one 
comment during this period. The commenter objected to the killing of 
geese and did not address the information collection requirements. We 
did not make any changes to our information collection as a result of 
this comment.
    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.

Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
FR Doc. E8-14583 Filed 6-26-08; 8:45am
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S