[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 125 (Wednesday, June 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 38203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-16278]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2011-N133; [91200-1231-00AP-M4]


Proposed Information Collection; North American Woodcock Singing 
Ground Survey

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (U.S. 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. This IC is scheduled to expire 
on January 31, 2012. 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 August 29, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the IC to the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 2042-PDM, 
4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail or hand delivery); 
or [email protected] (e-mail). Please include ``1018-0019'' in the 
subject line of your comments.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-712) and Fish and 
Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a-754j-2) designate the Department 
of the Interior as the primary agency responsible for:
     Wise management of migratory bird populations frequenting 
the United States, and
     Setting hunting regulations that allow for the well-being 
of migratory bird populations.
    These responsibilities dictate that we gather accurate data on 
various characteristics of migratory bird populations.
    The North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey is an essential 
part of the migratory bird management program. State, Federal, 
Provincial, local, and tribal conservation agencies conduct the survey 
annually to provide the data necessary to determine the population 
status of the woodcock. In addition, the information is vital in 
assessing the relative changes in the geographic distribution of the 
woodcock. We use the information primarily to develop recommendations 
for hunting regulations. Without information on the population's 
status, we might promulgate hunting regulations that (1) Are not 
sufficiently restrictive, which could cause harm to the woodcock 
population, or (2) are too restrictive, which would unduly restrict 
recreational opportunities afforded by woodcock hunting. The Service, 
State conservation agencies, university associates, and other 
interested parties use the data for various research and management 
projects.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0019.
    Title: North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey.
    Service Form Number(s): 3-156.
    Type of Request: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: State, Provincial, local, and tribal 
employees.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 680.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,206 hours. We believe 544 
persons (80 percent of the respondents) will enter data electronically, 
with an average reporting burden of 1.8 hours per respondent. For all 
other respondents, we estimate the reporting burden to be 1.67 hours 
per respondent.

III. Comments

    We 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. 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: June 23, 2011.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-16278 Filed 6-28-11; 8:45 am]
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