[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16464-16465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06021]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request: National Survey 
of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR) Pre-
Screener Test

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before May 14, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Denise Pepe via phone on 301-763-3785, or via 
mail at the U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Room 7H113, 
Washington, DC 20233-8400 or via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the 2011 National Survey of 
Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR) for the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We completed three waves of data 
collection for the 2011 FHWAR under OMB clearance number 1018-0088 in 
May 2012. The FHWAR data assist Federal and state agencies in 
administering the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration grant programs 
and 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 developing and evaluating programs and 
projects to meet existing and future needs.
    Historically, the Census Bureau has conducted the FHWAR by 
computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), which yielded high 
response rates. In 2011, because of limited funding, we modified our 
data collection methodology from mostly CAPI to approximately 90% 
computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) and 10% CAPI. In order 
to obtain phone numbers for the CATI, we conducted a telephone research 
operation and match operation. Many phone numbers collected during the 
research and match operations did not reach the sample addresses in the 
Wave 1 CATI causing response rates to plummet. CATI response rates 
improved in Wave 2 and Wave 3 because we obtained phone numbers 
directly from the respondents in Wave 1.
    In preparation for the 2016 FHWAR, the Census Bureau proposes a 
two-part test to determine new methodologies for collecting phone 
numbers in an effort to improve response rates throughout the three 
waves of interviewing. The first part of the test is a mail operation 
that will ask household respondents to complete a pre-screener survey 
by paper questionnaire or by Internet for the purpose of collecting a 
household roster, obtaining household telephone numbers, verifying the 
sample address, and obtaining general household-level information on 
hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching activities. The mail operation 
will include three panels. The first panel will receive a letter and a 
self-administered paper pre-screener questionnaire. The letter will ask 
a household member to complete the paper questionnaire and to return it 
by mail to the Census Bureau. The second panel will receive a letter 
with an Internet invitation for a household member to complete the pre-
screener on the Internet. The third panel will receive a letter, paper 
questionnaire, and information on how to complete an interview by 
Internet. In this panel, the household member is given a choice for 
conducting the pre-screener by paper or by Internet. We estimate that 
both the paper and Internet pre-screener will take approximately 5 
minutes to complete. If a household does not complete the pre-screener 
in the requested time frame, we will mail up to two additional packages 
(that include the same materials as the initial mailing) requesting the 
household's participation.

[[Page 16465]]

    The sample size for each of the panels will be 5,000 sample 
households. We expect fifty-percent or 7,500 households to respond by 
either mail or Internet.
    The second part of the test includes delivering the completed pre-
screener data to the Census Bureau's Jeffersonville Contact Center who 
will conduct a telephone operation using a paper questionnaire to 
verify that the phone numbers collected from the mail and Internet pre-
screener either reached, or did not reach, the sample addresses. This 
telephone interview will last approximately 2 minutes.
    Upon completion of the telephone operation, the Census Bureau will 
analyze the accuracy of the telephone numbers collected from the paper 
and the Internet pre-screeners to determine if either of these methods 
could benefit the 2016 FHWAR. If either mode improves our success in 
obtaining accurate telephone numbers for sample households, we may 
improve contact and response rates and reduce the costs for conducting 
the 2016 FHWAR. A mail pre-screener operation is less expensive than 
the telephone research operation we conducted for the 2011 FHWAR, and 
we could potentially conduct more interviews in CATI with accurate 
phone numbers provided by household members
    Additionally, use of a pre-screener will identify households that 
do not participate in wildlife-related activities more efficiently than 
the existing data collection methodology which requires a longer 
screener interview. This results in lower interviewing costs and 
reduced respondent burden.

II. Method of Collection

    Part one of the test will be a mail operation with one panel 
receiving a paper questionnaire. The second panel will receive an 
Internet invite to complete the pre-screener by Internet. The third 
panel will have the option of conducting the pre-screener by paper or 
Internet. This operation will take about four weeks to conduct.
    Part two of the test will be a telephone operation with data 
collected by paper questionnaire. This operation will take about 3 
weeks.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number: To be determined.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 7,500.
    Estimated Time per Response:
    (Part 1) Pre-screener mail operation--5 minutes.
    (Part 2) Telephone Follow-up Operation--2 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 875 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: No cost to the respondent.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 8.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 12, 2013.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-06021 Filed 3-14-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P