[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 25 (Monday, February 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6216-6217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2603]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-WSR-2010-N029] [91400-5420-Survey-7B and 91400-9782-Survey-7B]


Proposed Information Collection; OMB Control Number 1018-0088; 
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation 
(FHWAR)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:  Notice; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY:  We (Fish and Wildlife 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. 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: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC, 
we must receive them by April 9, 2010.

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); or 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 information collected for the National Survey of Fishing, 
Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR) assists Federal and 
State agencies in administering the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration 
grant programs. The 2011 FHWAR will provide up-to-date information on 
the uses and demands for wildlife-related recreation resources, trends 
in uses of those resources, and a basis for

[[Page 6217]]

developing and evaluating programs and projects to meet existing and 
future needs.
    We collect the information in conjunction with carrying out our 
responsibilities under the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act 
(16 U.S.C. 777-777M), commonly referred to as the Dingell-Johnson Act, 
and the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669-669i), 
commonly referred to as the Pitman-Robertson Act. Under these acts, as 
amended, we provide approximately $800 million in grants annually to 
States for projects that support sport fish and wildlife management and 
restoration, including:
     Improvement of fish and wildlife habitats,
     Fishing and boating access,
     Fish stocking, and
     Hunting and fishing opportunities.
We also provide grants for aquatic education and hunter education, 
maintenance of completed projects, and research into problems affecting 
fish and wildlife resources. These projects help to ensure that the 
American people have adequate opportunities for fish and wildlife 
recreation.
    We conduct the survey about every 5 years. The 2011 FHWAR will be 
the 12th conducted since 1955. We sponsor the survey at the States' 
request, which is made through the Association of Fish and Wildlife 
Agencies. The Census Bureau collects the information using computer-
assisted telephone or in-person interviews. The Census Bureau will 
select a sample of sportspersons and wildlife watchers from a household 
screen and conduct three detailed interviews during the survey year. 
The survey collects information on the number of days of participation, 
species of animals sought, and expenditures for trips and equipment. 
Information on the characteristics of participants includes age, 
income, sex, education, race, and residency.
    Federal and State agencies use information from the survey to make 
policy decisions related to fish and wildlife restoration and 
management. Participation patterns and trend information help identify 
present and future needs and demands. Land managing agencies use the 
data on expenditures, economic evaluation, and participation to assess 
the value of wildlife-related recreational uses of natural resources. 
States use expenditure information to estimate the economic impact of 
wildlife-related recreation expenditures on their economies and to 
support the dedication of tax revenues for fish and wildlife 
restoration programs. The information collected on resident saltwater 
fishing helps coastal States determine the proper ratio for allocating 
funds between freshwater and saltwater projects as required by the 
Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, as amended. The information 
is not readily available elsewhere because few States have saltwater 
licenses or conduct their own surveys. If the 2011 FHWAR data were not 
available, it would impair the ability of those States to meet their 
obligations under the Act.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0088.
    Title: National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated 
Recreation (FHWAR).
    Service Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement with change of a previously approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Household screen interviews and the first 
detailed sportsperson and wildlife-watcher interviews will be conducted 
April-June 2011. The second detailed interviews will be conducted 
September-October 2011. The third and last detailed interviews will be 
conducted January-March 2012.
    Number of Respondents: 55,625. The estimated number of respondents 
reached from a sample of households will be 44,500. About 50 percent, 
or 22,250, of those respondents will sample in and receive a detailed 
interview. An additional 50 percent of those households where one 
person is sampled (11,125) will have a second person screened in for 
interviews. We estimate the total number of respondents to be 55,625 
(44,500+11,125).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Number of           Number of
            Activity                   household          participant     Completion time per    Annual burden
                                       responses           responses            response             hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Screen..........................              44,500  ..................  7 minutes..........              5,192
Hunting and Fishing - 1st         ..................               7,300  14 minutes.........              1,703
 Interview.
Hunting and Fishing - 2d          ..................              14,500  10 minutes.........              2,417
 interview.
Hunting and Fishing - 3d          ..................              21,800  15 minutes.........              5,450
 Interview.
Wildlife Watching - 1st           ..................               3,600  11 minutes.........                660
 Interview.
Wildlife Watching - 2d Interview  ..................               7,300  11 minutes.........              1,338
Wildlife Watching - 3d Interview  ..................              10,900  11 minutes.........              1,998
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................              44,500              65,400  ...................             18,758
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Request for Comments

     We invite comments concerning this IC 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. 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.

    Dated: February 2, 2010
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
FR Doc. 2010-2603 Filed 2-5-10; 8:45 am
Billing Code 4310-55-S