[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 207 (Thursday, October 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65201-65203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26262]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R7-MB-2012-N246; FF09M21200-123-FXMB1231099BPP0L2]


Proposed Information Collection; Alaska Migratory Bird 
Subsistence Harvest Household 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 renew approval for 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 April 30, 2013. 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 December 24, 2012.

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 
[email protected] (email). Please include ``1018-0124'' in the subject 
line of your comments.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 U.S.C. 703-712) and the 
Fish and

[[Page 65202]]

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.
    We gather information on the annual subsistence harvest of about 50 
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 designed 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 sheet for each 
season surveyed, and, on each sheet, there are fields for the household 
code, community name, harvest year, date of completion, and comments.

II. Data

    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: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: 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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                                                                                    Completion
                                                     Number of       Number of       time per      Total annual
                    Activity                        respondents      responses       response      burden hours
                                                                                      (min.)
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3-2380--Tracking Sheet and Household Consent....           2,760           2,760               5             230
3-2381-1 thru 3-2381-4--Harvest Report (three              2,300           6,900               5             575
 seasonal sheets)...............................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................           5,060           9,660  ..............             805
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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, 
email 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

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information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Dated: October 18, 2012.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-26262 Filed 10-24-12; 8:45 am]
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