[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 82 (Thursday, April 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25417-25418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09952]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-LE-2016-N078; FF09L00200-FX-LE18110900000]


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 April 30, 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. 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 May 31, 2016.

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 ``1018-0012'' 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Information Collection Request

    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: Extension 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       time per      Total annual
                            Activity                                 responses       response      burden hours
                                                                                     (minutes)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-177 hard copy submission......................................          16,207              15           4,052
3-177 electronic submission.....................................         172,446              10          28,741
Fee waiver certification........................................         190,874               1           3,181
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................................         379,527  ..............          35,974
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
    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.

[[Page 25418]]

    (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 2009, we implemented a new user fee system intended to recover 
the costs of the compliance portion of the wildlife inspection program. 
Since that time, we have been made aware that we may have placed an 
undue economic burden on businesses that exclusively trade in small 
volumes of low-value, non-federally protected wildlife parts and 
products. To address this issue, we implemented a program that exempts 
certain businesses from the designated port base inspection fees as an 
interim measure while we reassess the current user fee system. 
Businesses that possess a valid Service import/export license may 
request to participate in the 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 and 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 types 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.

Comments Received and Our Responses

    Comments: On December 28, 2016, we published in the Federal 
Register (80 FR 80792) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew 
approval for this information collection. In that notice, we solicited 
comments for 60 days, ending on February 26, 2016. We did not receive 
any comments.

Request for Public Comments

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

    Dated: April 25, 2016.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-09952 Filed 4-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P