[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8102-8103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3367]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-IA-2010-N033] [96300-1671-0000-P5]


Proposed Information Collection; OMB Control Number 1018-0137; 
Applications for Single Use Permits and Registration of Production 
Facilities (CITES)

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 July 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.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC, 
we must receive them by April 26, 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 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora (CITES) uses a system of permits and certificates to 
help ensure that international trade is legal and does not threaten the 
survival of wildlife or plant species in the wild. Prior to the import 
or export of CITES-listed species, the Management Authority and 
Scientific Authority must make appropriate determinations and issue 
CITES documents. Section 8A of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.) designates the Secretary of the Interior as the U.S. 
Management Authority and U.S. Scientific Authority for CITES. The 
Secretary delegated these authorities to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
    Before a country can issue an export permit for CITES Appendix I or 
II specimens, the CITES Scientific Authority of the exporting country 
must determine that the export will not be detrimental to the species, 
and the Management Authority must be satisfied that the specimens were 
acquired legally. For the export of Appendix III specimens, the 
Management Authority must be satisfied that the specimens were acquired 
legally (CITES does not require findings from the Scientific 
Authority). Prior to the importation of Appendix I specimens, both the 
Scientific Authority and the Management Authority of the importing 
country must make required findings. The Scientific Authority must also 
monitor trade of all species to ensure that the level of trade is 
sustainable.
    Article VIII(3) of the treaty states that participating parties 
should make efforts to ensure that CITES specimens are traded with a 
minimum of delay. Section XII of Resolution Conf. 12.3 (Rev. CoP13) 
recommends use of simplified procedures for issuing CITES documents to 
expedite trade that will have no impact, or a negligible impact, on 
conservation of the species involved.
    We use FWS Form 3-200-74 (Single-Use Export Permits Under a Master 
File or Annual Program File (CITES)) to streamline the application 
process for CITES documents that involve multiple, similar actions over 
a given amount of time. For the initial application, respondents use 
forms designed specifically to address their particular activity 
(approved under OMB Control No. 1018-0093). From information in the 
application, we create a master file or annual program file that 
contains all the information necessary for us to make the required 
legal acquisition and nondetriment findings. The applicant can then 
submit FWS Form 3-200-74 to request authorization to carry out 
multiple, identical activities over the next 6 months. On FWS Form 3-
200-74, we request information only about the number of additional 
documents the applicant requires to carry out activities approved under 
the previous application process. By referencing information in the 
master file or annual program file, we can quickly issue partially 
completed CITES documents (with certain specific areas left blank for 
completion by the applicant).
    United States facilities, such as farms and aquaculture operations, 
produce several native U.S. taxa listed in CITES Appendices II and III 
in closed and semi-closed production systems. By registering a 
production facility and setting up a master file, we can expedite 
issuance of export permits for that facility. The registration is valid 
for 1 year. We use FWS Form 3-200-75 (Registration of a Production 
Facility for Export of Certain Native Species (CITES)) to collect 
information on annual production levels, method of producing specimens, 
source of the parental and founder stock, and method of transport for 
international trade. This information allows us to issue documents on a 
very short turnaround time, and we do not need to collect additional 
information prior to the issuance of export documents.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0137.
    Title: Applications for Single Use Permits and Registration of 
Production Facilities (CITES), 50 CFR 13.11, 23.20, 23.36, and 23.51.
    Service Form Number(s): 3-200-74 and 3-200-75.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, 
and State, tribal, and local governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

[[Page 8103]]



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                                   Number of annual    Number of annual   Completion time per    Annual burden
            Activity                  respondents          responses            response             hours
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FWS Form 3-200-74...............                 270                 810  6 minutes..........                 81
FWS Form 3-200-75...............                  25                  25  30 minutes.........                 13
    Totals......................                 295                 835  ...................                 94
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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 17, 2010
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
FR Doc. 2010-3367 Filed 2-22-10; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S