[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11597-11599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5960]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2009-N0062] [91200-1232-0000-P2]


Proposed Information Collection; OMB Control Number 1018-0133; 
Control and Management of Resident Canada Geese

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service, Service) will ask the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) 
described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take 
this opportunity to comment on this IC. This IC is scheduled to expire 
on August 31, 2009. 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.

DATES: Your comments must be received by May 18, 2009.

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

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits the take, possession, 
import, export, transport, sale, purchase, or bartering of migratory 
birds or their parts except as permitted under the terms of a valid 
permit or as permitted by regulations. In 2006, we issued regulations 
establishing two depredation orders and three control orders that allow 
State and tribal wildlife agencies, private landowners, and airports to 
conduct resident Canada goose population management, including the take 
of birds. The Service monitors the data collected for activities

[[Page 11598]]

under these orders and may rescind an order if monitoring indicates 
that activities are inconsistent with conservation of Canada geese.
    Control order for airports. In the Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR), 50 CFR 21.49 allows managers at commercial, public, and private 
airports and military airfields and their employees or agents to 
implement management of resident Canada geese to resolve or prevent 
threats to public safety. An airport must be part of the National Plan 
of Integrated Airport Systems and have received Federal grant-in-aid 
assistance or be a military airfield under the jurisdiction, custody, 
or control of the Secretary of a military department. Each facility 
exercising the privileges of the order must submit an annual report 
with the date, numbers, and locations of birds, nests, and eggs taken.
    Depredation order for nests and eggs. 50 CFR 21.50 allows private 
landowners and managers of public lands to destroy resident Canada 
goose nests and eggs on property under their jurisdiction provided they 
register annually on our website at https://epermits.fws.gov/eRCGR. 
Registrants must provide basic information, such as name, address, 
phone number and email, and identify where the control work will occur 
and who will conduct it. Registrants must return to the website at the 
end of the nesting season to report the number of nests with eggs they 
destroyed.
    Depredation order for agricultural facilities. 50 CFR 21.51 allows 
States and tribes, via their wildlife agency, to implement a program to 
allow landowners, operators, and tenants actively engaged in commercial 
agriculture to conduct damage management control when geese are 
committing depredations or to resolve or prevent other injury to 
agricultural interests. State and tribal wildlife agencies in the 
Atlantic, Central, and Mississippi Flyway portions of 41 States can 
implement the provisions of the order. Agricultural producers must 
maintain a log of the date and number of birds taken under this 
authorization. States and tribes exercising the privileges the order 
grants must submit an annual report of the numbers of birds, nests, and 
eggs taken and the county where take occurred.
    Public health control order. 50 CFR 21.52 authorizes States and 
tribes of the lower 48 States to conduct (via the State or tribal 
wildlife agency) resident Canada goose control and management 
activities when the geese pose a direct threat to human health. States 
and tribes operating under this order must submit an annual report 
summarizing activities, including the numbers of birds taken and the 
county where take occurred.
    Population control. 50 CFR 21.61 establishes a managed take program 
to reduce and stabilize resident Canada goose populations when 
traditional and otherwise authorized management measures are not 
successful or feasible. A State or tribal wildlife agency in the 
Atlantic, Mississippi, or Central Flyway may request approval for this 
population control program. If approved, the State or tribe may use 
hunters to harvest resident Canada geese during the month of August. 
Requests for approval must include a discussion of the State's or 
tribe's efforts to address its injurious situations using other methods 
or a discussion of the reasons why the methods are not feasible. If the 
Service Director approves a request, the State or tribe must (1) keep 
annual records of activities carried out under the authority of the 
program, and (2) provide an annual summary, including number of 
individuals participating in the program and the number of resident 
Canada geese shot. Additionally, participating States and tribes must 
monitor the spring breeding population by providing an annual estimate 
of the breeding population and distribution of resident Canada geese in 
their State.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0133.
    Title: Control and Management of Resident Canada Geese, 50 CFR 
20.21, 21.46, 21.50, 21.51, 21.52, and 21.61.
    Service Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: State fish and wildlife agencies, tribes, and 
local governments; airports, and landowners.
    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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21.49 - Airport Control Order -                  110                 110  1.5 hours..........                165
 Annual Report.
21.50 - Nest and Egg Depredation               1,600               1,600  .5 hours...........                800
 Order - Registration.
21.50 - Nest and Egg Depredation               1,600               1,600  .5 hours...........                800
 Order - Annual Report.
21.51 - Agricultural Depredation                 460                 460  .5 hours...........                230
 Order - Recordkeeping.
21.51 - Agricultural Depredation                  20                  20  8 hours............                160
 Order - Annual Report.
21.52 - Public Health Control                     20                  20  1 hour.............                 20
 Order - Annual Report.
21.61 - Population Control                        15                  15  24 hours...........                360
 Approval Request -
 Recordkeeping and Annual Report.
21.61 - Population Control                        10                  10  160 hours..........              1,600
 Approval Request - Monitoring.
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    Totals......................               3,835               3,835  ...................              4,135
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III. Request for Comments

    We invite comments concerning this IC 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. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this IC. 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 us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.


[[Page 11599]]


    Dated: March 9, 2009
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
FR Doc. E9-5960 Filed 3-17-09; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S