[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 10 (Friday, January 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2559-2560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-663]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R7-MB-2010-N007] [70151-1231-BS51-L6]


Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for Approval; OMB Control Number 1018-0124; Alaska 
Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest Household Survey

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 January 
31, 2010. 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 send comments on or before February 16, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this information 
collection to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at 
OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-5806 (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) or [email protected] (e-mail).

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0124.
    Title: Alaska Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest Household Survey.
    Service Form Number(s): 3-2380, 3-2381-1, 3-2381-2, 3-2381-3, and 
3-2381-4.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Households within subsistence eligible areas of 
Alaska (Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Archipelago, the Aleutian Islands, or 
in areas north and west of the Alaska Range).
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually for Tracking Sheet and Household 
Consent; three times annually for Harvest Report.

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                                   Number of annual    Number of annual   Completion time per    Annual burden
            Activity                  respondents          responses            response             hours
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3-2380--Tracking Sheet and                     2,829               2,829  5 minutes..........                236
 Household Consent.
3-2381-1 thru 3-2381-4--Harvest                2,300               6,900  5 minutes..........                575
 Report (three seasonal sheets).
    Totals......................               5,129               9,729  ...................                811
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    Abstract: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 U.S.C. 703-712) 
and the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate the 
Department of the Interior as the key agency responsible for managing 
migratory bird populations that frequent the United States and for 
setting harvest regulations that allow for the conservation of those 
populations. These responsibilities include gathering accurate 
geographical and temporal data on various characteristics of migratory 
bird harvest. We use harvest data to review regulation proposals and to 
issue harvest regulations.
    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act Protocol Amendment (1995) (Amendment) 
provides for the customary and traditional use of migratory birds and 
their eggs for subsistence use by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska. The 
Amendment states that its intent is not to cause significant increases 
in the take of species of migratory birds relative to their continental 
population sizes. A submittal letter from the Department of State to 
the White House (May 20, 1996) accompanied the Amendment and specified 
the need for harvest monitoring. The submittal letter stated that the 
Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), and Alaska 
Native organizations would collect harvest information cooperatively 
within the subsistence eligible areas. Harvest survey data help to 
ensure that customary and traditional subsistence uses of migratory 
birds and their eggs by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska do not 
significantly increase the take of species of migratory birds relative 
to their continental population sizes.
    Between 1989 and 2004, we monitored subsistence harvest of 
migratory birds using annual household surveys in the Yukon-Kuskokwim 
Delta, which is the region of highest subsistence bird harvest in the 
State of Alaska. In 2004, we began monitoring subsistence harvest of 
migratory birds in subsistence eligible areas Statewide. The Statewide 
harvest assessment program helps to track trends and changes in levels 
of harvest. The harvest assessment program relies on collaboration 
among the Service, the ADFG, and a number of Alaska Native 
organizations.

[[Page 2560]]

    We gather information on the annual subsistence harvest of 60 bird 
species/species categories (ducks, geese, swans, cranes, upland game 
birds, seabirds, shorebirds, and grebes and loons) in the subsistence 
eligible areas of Alaska. The survey covers 10 regions of Alaska, which 
are further divided in 29 subregions. We survey the regions and 
villages in a rotation schedule to accommodate budget constraints and 
to minimize respondent burden. The survey covers spring, summer, and 
fall harvest in most regions.
    In collaboration with Alaska Native organizations, we hire local 
resident surveyors to collect the harvest information. The surveyors 
list all households in the villages to be surveyed and provide survey 
information and harvest report forms to randomly selected households 
that have agreed to participate in the survey. To ensure anonymity of 
harvest information, we identify households by a numeric code. The 
surveyor visits households three times during the survey year. At the 
first household visit, the surveyor explains the survey purposes and 
invites household participation. The surveyor returns at the end of the 
season of most harvest and at the end of the two other seasons combined 
to help the household complete the harvest report form.
    We have revised the survey methods to streamline procedures and 
reduce respondent burden. We plan to use two forms for household 
participation:
     FWS Form 3-2380 (Tracking Sheet and Household Consent). 
The surveyor visits each household selected to participate in the 
survey to provide information on the objectives and to obtain household 
consent to participate. The surveyor uses this form to record consent 
and track subsequent visits for completion of harvest reports
     FWS Forms 3-2381-1, 3-2381-2, 3-2381-3, and 3-2381-4 
(Harvest Report). The Harvest Report has drawings of bird species most 
commonly available for harvest in the different regions of Alaska with 
fields for writing down the numbers of birds and eggs taken. There are 
four versions of this form: Interior Alaska, North Slope, Southern 
Coastal Alaska, and Western Alaska. This form has a page for each 
season surveyed, and, on each page, there are fields for the household 
code, community name, harvest year, date of completion, and comments.
    Comments: On July 6, 2009, we published in the Federal Register (74 
FR 31970) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew this ICR. In 
that notice, we solicited comments for 60 days, ending on September 4, 
2009. We did not receive any comments in response to that notice.
    We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
     Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
     The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 
collection of information;
     Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     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: January 7, 2010.
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-663 Filed 1-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S