[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10198-10200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03280]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-LE-2013-N037; FF09L00200-FX-LE12240900000G2]


Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Declaration for Importation or 
Exportation of Fish or Wildlife

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. We summarize 
the ICR below and describe the nature of the collection and the 
estimated burden and cost. This information collection is scheduled to 
expire on March 31, 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. However, under OMB 
regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information 
collection while it is pending at OMB.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before March 15, 2013.

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] 
(email). Please provide a copy of your comments to the Service 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, MS 2042-PDM, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 
(mail), or [email protected] (email). Please include ``1018-0012'' in 
the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey at [email protected] (email) or 703-
358-2482 (telephone). You may review the ICR online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the 
Interior collections under review by OMB.

[[Page 10199]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0012.
    Title: Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or 
Wildlife, 50 CFR 14.61-14.64 and 14.94.
    Service Form Numbers: 3-177 and 3-177a.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: Businesses or individuals that import 
or export fish, wildlife, or wildlife products; scientific institutions 
that import or export fish or wildlife scientific specimens; and 
government agencies that import or export fish or wildlife specimens 
for various purposes.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Completion
                                                     Number of       Number of       time per      Total annual
                    Activity                        respondents      responses       response      burden hours
                                                                                     (minutes)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-177 hard copy submission......................           3,148          28,332              15           7,083
3-177 electronic submission.....................          17,593         154,971              10          25,829
Fee waiver certification........................           1,000           1,000               1              17
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................          21,741         184,303  ..............          32,929
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Abstract: The Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) makes 
it unlawful to import or export fish, wildlife, or plants without 
filing a declaration or report deemed necessary for enforcing the Act 
or upholding the Convention on International Trade in Endangered 
Species (CITES) (see 16 U.S.C. 1538(e)). With a few exceptions, 
businesses, individuals, or government agencies importing into or 
exporting from the United States any fish, wildlife, or wildlife 
product must complete and submit to the Service an FWS Form 3-177 
(Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife). This 
form as well as FWS Form 3-177a (Continuation Sheet) and instructions 
for completion are available for electronic submission at https://edecs.fws.gov. These forms are also available in fillable format at 
http://www.fws.gov/forms/.
    The information that we collect is unique to each wildlife shipment 
and enables us to:
     Accurately inspect the contents of the shipment;
     Enforce any regulations that pertain to the fish, 
wildlife, or wildlife products contained in the shipment; and
     Maintain records of the importation and exportation of 
these commodities.
    Businesses or individuals must file FWS Forms 3-177 and 3-177a with 
us at the time and port where they request clearance of the import or 
export of wildlife or wildlife products. Our regulations allow for 
certain species of wildlife to be imported or exported between the 
United States and Canada or Mexico at U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection ports, even though our wildlife inspectors may not be 
present. In these instances, importers and exporters may file the forms 
with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. We collect the following 
information:
    (1) Name of the importer or exporter and broker.
    (2) Scientific and common name of the fish or wildlife.
    (3) Permit numbers (if permits are required).
    (4) Description, quantity, and value of the fish or wildlife.
    (5) Natural country of origin of the fish or wildlife.
    In addition, certain information, such as the airway bill or bill 
of lading number, the location of the shipment containing the fish or 
wildlife for inspection, and the number of cartons containing fish or 
wildlife, assists our wildlife inspectors if a physical examination of 
the shipment is necessary.
    In October 2012, we requested that OMB approve, on an emergency 
basis, our request to collect information associated with a user fee 
exemption program for low-risk importations and exportations. OMB 
approved our request and assigned OMB Control No. 1018-0152, which 
expires April 30, 2013.
    Businesses that possess a valid Service import/export license may 
request to participate in this fee exemption program through our 
electronic filing system (eDecs). Qualified licensees must create an 
eDecs filer account as an importer or exporter if they do not already 
have one and file their required documents electronically. To be an 
approved participating business in the program and receive an exemption 
from the designated port base inspection fee, the licensed business 
must certify that it will exclusively import or export nonliving 
wildlife that is not listed as injurious under 50 CFR part 16 and does 
not require a permit or certificate under 50 CFR parts 15 (Wild Bird 
Conservation Act), 17 (Endangered Species Act), 18 (Marine Mammal 
Protection Act), 20 (Migratory Bird Treaty Act), 21 (Migratory Bird 
Treaty Act), 22 (Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act), or 23 (the 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 
and Flora). The requesting business also must certify that it will 
exclusively import or export the above type of wildlife shipments where 
the quantity in each shipment of wildlife parts or products is 25 or 
fewer and the total value of each wildlife shipment is $5,000 or less. 
Any licensed business that has more than two wildlife shipments that 
were refused clearance in the 5 years prior to its request is not 
eligible for the program. In addition, any licensees that have been 
assessed a civil penalty, issued a Notice of Violation, or convicted of 
a misdemeanor or felony violation involving wildlife import or export 
will not be eligible to participate in the program.
    We are incorporating the certification statement for the user fee 
exemption program into our renewal of OMB Control No. 1018-0012. If OMB 
approves this renewal, we will discontinue OMB Control No. 1018-0152.
    Comments: On October 3, 2012, we published in the Federal Register 
(77 FR 60454) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew approval 
for OMB Control No. 1018-0012. In that notice, we solicited comments 
for 60 days, ending on December 3, 2012. No comments were received in 
response to that notice. On October 26, 2012, we published an interim 
rule (77 FR 65321) announcing the user fee exemption program. In that 
rule, we solicited comments for 60 days on the information collection 
requirements, ending on December 26, 2012. We received two comments. 
One commenter recommended changes in the criteria for the fee exemption 
program. The other commenter objected to the fee waiver. The commenters 
did not address the information collection requirements, and we did not 
make any changes to the information collection.

[[Page 10200]]

    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, 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 OMB in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it 
will be done.

    Dated: February 6, 2013.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-03280 Filed 2-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P