[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 36 (Friday, February 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11603-11604]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03582]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2017-N009; FXMB12310900WHO-178-FF09M26000]


Proposed Information Collection; Migratory Bird Surveys

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 June 30, 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.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC, 
we must receive them by April 25, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the IC 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 ``1018-0023'' in the 
subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madonna Baucum, at 
[email protected] (email) or (703) 358-2503 (telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-711) and the Fish and 
Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate the Department of the 
Interior as the key agency responsible for (1) the wise management of 
migratory bird populations frequenting the United States, and (2) 
setting hunting regulations that allow appropriate harvests that are 
within the guidelines that will allow for those populations' well-
being. These responsibilities dictate that we gather accurate data on 
various characteristics of migratory bird harvest. Based on information 
from harvest surveys, we can adjust hunting regulations as needed to 
optimize harvests at levels that provide a maximum of hunting 
recreation while keeping populations at desired levels.
    Under 50 CFR 20.20, migratory bird hunters must register for the 
Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) in each State in which 
they hunt each year. State natural resource agencies must send names 
and addresses of all migratory bird hunters to Branch of Harvest 
Surveys, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Migratory Bird 
Management, on an annual basis.
    The Migratory Bird Hunter Survey is based on the Migratory Bird 
Harvest Information Program. We randomly select migratory bird hunters 
and ask them to report their harvest. The resulting estimates of 
harvest per hunter are combined with the complete list of migratory 
bird hunters to provide estimates of the total harvest for the species 
surveyed.
    The Parts Collection Survey estimates the species, sex, and age 
composition of the harvest, and the geographic and temporal 
distribution of the harvest. Randomly selected successful hunters who 
responded to the Migratory Bird Hunter Survey the previous year are 
asked to complete and return a postcard if they are willing to 
participate in the Parts Collection Survey. We provide postage-paid 
envelopes to respondents before the hunting season and ask them to send 
in a wing or the tail feathers from each duck or goose that they 
harvest, or a wing from each mourning dove, woodcock, band-tailed 
pigeon, snipe, rail, or gallinule that they harvest. We use the wings 
and tail feathers to identify the species, sex, and age of the 
harvested sample. We also ask respondents to report on the envelope the 
date and location of harvest for each bird. We combine the results of 
this survey with the harvest estimates obtained from the Migratory Bird 
Hunter Survey to provide species-specific national harvest estimates.
    The combined results of these surveys enable us to evaluate the 
effects of season length, season dates, and bag limits on the harvest 
of each species, and thus help us determine appropriate hunting 
regulations.
    The Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey is an annual questionnaire survey 
of people who obtained a sandhill crane hunting permit. At the end of 
the hunting season, we randomly select a sample of permit holders and 
ask them to report the date, location, and number of birds harvested 
for each of their sandhill crane hunts. Their responses provide 
estimates of the temporal and geographic distribution of the harvest as 
well as the average harvest per hunter, which, combined with the total 
number of permits issued, enables us to estimate the total harvest of 
sandhill cranes. Based on information from this survey, we adjust 
hunting regulations as needed.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0023.
    Title: Migratory Bird Surveys, 50 CFR 20.20.
    Service Form Number(s): 3-165, 3-165A through E, 3-2056J through N.
    Type of Request: Revision to a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: States and migratory game bird hunters.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory for HIP registration 
information; voluntary for participation in the surveys.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually or on occasion.

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                                         Number of       Number of        Completion time per      Total annual
              Activity                  respondents      responses             response            burden hours
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                                   Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program
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                                                  49             806  185 hours.................         149,110
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                                          Migratory Bird Hunter Survey
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Form 3-2056J........................          37,046          37,046  5 minutes.................           3,087
Form 3-2056K........................          22,585          22,585  4 minutes.................           1,506
Form 3-2056L........................           8,910           8,910  4 minutes.................             594

[[Page 11604]]

 
Form 3-2056M........................          11,698          11,698  3 minutes.................             858
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                                             Parts Collection Survey
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Form 3-165..........................           4,155          93,563  5 minutes.................           7,797
Form 3-165A.........................           3,590           3,590  1 minute..................              60
Form 3-165B.........................           1,008           5,545  5 minutes.................             462
Form 3-165C.........................             445             445  1 minute..................               7
Form 3-165D.........................           1,050           1,050  1 minute..................              18
Form 3-165E.........................             880           1,425  5 minutes.................             119
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                                          Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey
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Form 3-2056N........................           4,008           4,008  3.5 minutes...............             234
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    Totals..........................          95,424         190,671  ..........................         163,852
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    Estimated Annual Non-Hour 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, 
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: February 17, 2017.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-03582 Filed 2-23-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P