[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5596-5597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00960]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-IA-2017-N007; FXIA16710900000-167-FF09A30000]


Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Import of Sport-Hunted African Elephant 
Trophies

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (the 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 January 31, 2017. 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 February 17, 2017.

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 Madonna L. Baucum, 
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 ``1018-0164'' 
in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum, Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 
[email protected] (email), or (703) 358-2503 (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: 

I. Abstract

    Applications for permits for import of African elephant sport-
hunted trophies from Appendix-I populations under the Convention on 
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 
(CITES) are approved under OMB Control Number 1018-0093, which expires 
May 31, 2017. Under newly revised regulations at 50 CFR 17.40(e), 
import permits must now also be obtained for import of African elephant 
sport-hunted trophies from CITES Appendix-II populations. Based on this 
change, we expect to receive an additional 300 applications for permits 
per year. The burden associated with these additional applications is 
the basis of this information collection. If OMB grants regular 
approval, we will include the burden associated with the expected 300 
additional applications in OMB Control Number 1018-0093 when we renew 
the approval in May 2017.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0164.
    Title: Import of Sport-Hunted African Elephant Trophies, 50 CFR 17.
    Service Form Number: 3-200-19, Importing African elephant trophies 
from Appendix-II populations.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Number of Respondents: 300.
    Number of Annual Responses: 300.
    Completion Time per Response: 20 minutes.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 100 hours.
    Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: $30,000, primarily 
associated with application fees. The application fee is $100 per 
application.

III. Comments

    On June 9, 2016, we published in the Federal Register (81 FR 37207) 
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 August 8, 2016. We received the following substantive 
comments in response to this request.
    Comment 1: The International Fund for Animal Welfare and the 
Natural Resources Defense Council submitted a joint response to the 
notice. They expressed their strong support for the permit requirement 
for import of sport-hunted trophies from all African elephant 
populations (both Appendix-I and Appendix-II populations) and the 
associated collection of information. They said that prospective trophy 
importers should be required to provide information on the specific 
elephant and population, which should be added to section E2 and/or E3 
of FWS Form 3-200-19. Such information should include but not be 
limited to (1) sex and approximate age of the elephant and (2) 
approximate status of the individual within the herd's hierarchy. In 
addition, they stated that section E5 of FWS Form 3-200-19 should be 
rephrased to require trophy hunters to provide information regarding 
``how the funds from license/trophy fees will be spent [and] what 
portion of the hunting fee will support conservation,'' because they 
believe that the current language on the FWS form suggests that hunters 
may provide this information at their own discretion. They also assert 
that in section E5, the Service should include specific subquestions 
and ``require supporting documentation that places an increased burden 
on hunters to prove that their trophy meets the enhancement standard.''
    Response to Comment 1: We believe that Form 3-200-19 requests the

[[Page 5597]]

information we need from applicants. Hunters often apply for import 
permits before leaving on safari and therefore are not in a position to 
provide information on the specific elephant and population. In 
addition, hunters are not necessarily in a position to know what 
portion of their hunting fees will support conservation. This is 
information that we acquire from the countries of origin, not from 
permit applicants.
    Comment 2: With regard to the cost burden, the International Fund 
for Animal Welfare and the Natural Resources Defense Council claim that 
the permit application fee is too small and that it should be increased 
to fully compensate FWS for costs associated with performing 
individualized (as opposed to country-wide) enhancement findings. They 
note that the 2015 market rate for an African elephant hunting package 
was between $25,000 and $60,000, and add that the $100 permit 
application fee ``imposes trivial additional costs on the importer.''
    Response to Comment 2: We are currently reevaluating our permit 
fees and may, in the future, publish a proposed rule to revise our fee 
structure.
    Comment 3: The Humane Society of the United States and Humane 
Society International jointly submitted comments in support of the 
request for extension of approval for information collection through 
FWS Form 3-200-19 from all importers of African elephant sport-hunted 
trophies. They stated their belief that it is critically important that 
this information is collected from applicants for import permits under 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), because the 
information ``is essential for FWS to comply with its statutory duties 
to protect African elephants from threats that jeopardize the species' 
continued existence.'' They also believe that FWS Form 3-200-19 
requests the ``bare minimum information needed'' from an applicant.
    These joint commenters also stated that the current ``paltry'' 
applicant fee of $100 for an African elephant sport-hunted trophy 
import permit is too low and should be increased. They assert that the 
$100 application fee for import of trophies ``cannot possibly reimburse 
the agency for all of its costs associated with ensuring that 
applicants are eligible for permits,'' and they ``urge OMB to formally 
request that FWS amend this fee structure.''
    Response to Comment 3: See our response to Comment 2.
    Comment 4: Conservation Force submitted comments in opposition to 
the information collection, stating that ``it is unnecessary and over 
burdensome for both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . . . and permit 
applicants/tourist safari hunters, and it will not provide any useful 
information.'' They contend that it is ``a burden without a benefit'' 
and that the burden cannot be reduced unless the permit requirement is 
removed. Conservation Force also asserts that the burden estimate is 
inaccurate, because the Service has not considered its current backlog 
of applications in assessing its ability to process another 300 
permits, the additional costs and demands for seizures and law 
enforcement actions, and the permit renewal fee.
    Response to Comment 4: Our newly revised regulations require that 
we issue an ESA import permit for import of all African elephant sport-
hunted trophies. We are seeking authorization to collect the 
information necessary for us to issue these permits. The burden 
estimates are developed in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. 
In estimating the burden to the Service, we consider the time required 
to process an application, the cost of processing an application, 
including the salaries of the people doing the work, and the estimated 
number of applications. In estimating the burden to the applicant, we 
consider the time it takes to complete an application, including 
gathering the necessary information, an estimate of the salary of the 
person completing the form, and the permit fee. Based on our 
experience, we believe our burden estimates are accurate.
    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: January 11, 2017.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-00960 Filed 1-17-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P