[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 189 (Wednesday, September 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58770-58771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24704]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FW-HQ-MB-2015-N186; FF09M29000-156F1611MD-FXMB12320900000]


Proposed Information Collection; Depredation Orders for Double-
Crested Cormorants

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 February 29, 2016. 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 November 30, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the IC to the Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 5275 
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or [email protected] 
(email). Please include ``1018-0121'' 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

    This information collection is associated with regulations 
implementing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (16 U.S.C. 703 et 
seq.). Under the MBTA, it is unlawful to take, possess, import, export, 
transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, purchase, or 
barter, migratory birds or their parts, nests, or eggs, except as 
authorized by regulations implementing the MBTA.
    The regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 
21.47 (Aquaculture Depredation Order) authorize aquaculture producers 
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (APHIS--Wildlife Services) in 13 
States to take double-crested cormorants when the birds are found 
committing or about to commit depredations on commercial freshwater 
aquaculture stocks. The regulations at 50 CFR 21.48 (Public Resource 
Depredation Order) authorize State fish and wildlife agencies, APHIS--
Wildlife Services, and federally recognized tribes in 24 States to take 
double-crested cormorants to prevent depredations on the public 
resources of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.
    Both 50 CFR 21.47 and 21.48 impose reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements on those operating under the depredation orders. We use 
the information collected to:
     Help assess the impact of the depredation orders on 
double-crested cormorant populations.
     Protect nontarget migratory birds or other species.
     Ensure that agencies and individuals are operating in 
accordance with the terms, conditions, and purpose of the orders.
     Help gauge the effectiveness of the orders at mitigating 
cormorant-related damages.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0121.
    Title: Depredation Orders for Double-Crested Cormorants, 50 CFR 
21.47 and 21.48.
    Service Form Number(s): 3-202-18-2147; 3-202-19-2148.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: Aquaculture producers, States, and 
tribes.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually for reports; ongoing for 
recordkeeping.

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                                                                                       Completion
                                                            Number of     Number of     time per    Total annual
                        Activity                           respondents    responses     response    burden hours
                                                                                         (hours)
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Report take of migratory bird species other than double-             1             1             1             1
 crested cormorants (21.47(d)(7); 21.48(d)(7))..........
Report take of species protected under Endangered                    1             1             1             1
 Species Act (21.47(d)(8); 21.48(d)(8)).................
Written notice of intent to conduct control activities              12            12             3            36
 (21.48(d)(9))..........................................
Report of control activities (21.48(d)(10) and (11))....            12            12            20           240
Report effects of management activities (21.48(d)(12))..             9             9            75           675
Recordkeeping (21.47(d)(9)).............................           325           325             7         2,275
                                                         -------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................................           360           360  ............         3,228
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    Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.

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,

[[Page 58771]]

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

    Dated: September 24, 2015.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-24704 Filed 9-29-15; 8:45 am]
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