[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 206 (Monday, October 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65240-65241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27141]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-WSFR-2015-N195;FVWF97820900000-XXX-FF09W13000 and 
FVWF54200900000-XXX-FFO9W13000]


Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and 
Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR)

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. 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: You must submit comments on or before November 25, 2015.

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 BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 
(mail), or [email protected] (email). Please include ``1018-0088'' 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 view the ICR online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of the 
Interior collections under review by OMB.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Information Collection Request

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0088.
    Title: National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated 
Recreation (FHWAR).
    Service Form Number: None.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement with change of a previously approved 
collection.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals and households.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Pre-screener internet/paper questionnaire 
data collection will be conducted in January 2016. Household screen 
interviews and the first detailed sportsperson and wildlife-watcher 
interviews will be conducted April-June 2016. The second detailed 
interviews will be conducted September-October 2016. The third and last 
detailed interviews will be conducted January-March 2017.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 29,179.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 5 to 35 
minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,355.
    Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: None.
    Abstract: The information collected for the National Survey of 
Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR) assists the 
Fish and Wildlife Service in administering the Wildlife and Sport Fish 
Restoration grant programs. The 2016 FHWAR will 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.
    We collect the information in conjunction with carrying out our 
responsibilities under the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act 
(16 U.S.C. 777-777m), commonly referred to as the Dingell-Johnson Act, 
and the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669-669i), 
commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act. Under these acts, as 
amended, we provide approximately $1 billion in grants annually to 
States for projects that support sport fish and wildlife management and 
restoration, including:
     Improvement of fish and wildlife habitats,
     Fishing and boating access,
     Fish stocking, and
     Hunting and fishing opportunities.
    We also provide grants for aquatic education and hunter education, 
maintenance of completed projects, and research into problems affecting 
fish and wildlife resources. These projects help to ensure that the 
American people have adequate opportunities for fish and wildlife 
recreation.
    We conduct the survey about every 5 years. The 2016 FHWAR will be 
the 12th conducted since 1955. We sponsor the survey at the States' 
request, which is made through the Association of Fish and Wildlife 
Agencies. We contract with the Census Bureau, which collects the 
information using computer-assisted telephone or in-person interviews. 
The Census Bureau will select a sample of sportspersons and wildlife 
watchers from a household screen and conduct three detailed interviews 
during the survey year. The survey collects information on the number 
of days of participation, species of animals sought, and expenditures 
for trips and equipment. Information on the characteristics of 
participants includes age, income, sex, education, race, and State of 
residence.
    Federal and State agencies use information from the survey to make 
policy decisions related to fish and wildlife restoration and 
management. Participation patterns and trend information help identify 
present and future needs and demands. Land managing agencies use the 
data on expenditures and participation to assess the value of wildlife-
related recreational uses of natural resources. Wildlife-related 
recreation expenditure information is used to estimate the economic 
impact on the economy and to support the dedication of tax revenues for 
fish and wildlife restoration programs.

Comments Received and Our Responses

    Comments: On February 18, 2015, we published in the Federal 
Register (80 FR 8681) a notice of our intent to request that OMB 
approve this information collection. In that notice, we solicited 
comments for 60 days, ending on April 20, 2015. We received two 
comments, both from the same individual. This individual was concerned 
that the survey estimates are presented as aggregations of wildlife 
watching, hunting, and fishing data, suggesting this biases the results 
toward hunting and fishing and away from wildlife watching. The Census 
Bureau draws scientifically designed separate samples of wildlife 
watchers and sportspersons. These samples are interviewed 
independently, and estimates of each activity are tabulated separately 
in the Survey reports. We did not make any changes to the survey based 
on these comments.

Request for Public Comments

    We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
     Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including

[[Page 65241]]

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

    Dated: October 21, 2015.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-27141 Filed 10-23-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P