[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60615-60617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27536]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2017-N166; FF09M21200-167-FXMB1231099BPP0; OMB Control 
Number 1018-0103]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Conservation 
Order for Light Geese

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we), are proposing to renew an 
information collection with revisions.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 22, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget's Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior by email at [email protected]; or 
via facsimile to (202) 395-5806. 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 by email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB 
Control Number 1018-0103 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at (703) 358-2503. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and 
continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact 
of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information 
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired 
format.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
July 3, 2017 (82 FR 30883). The following comments were received:
    Comment 1: The Central Flyway Council commented that a single 
survey conducted by Service is the most appropriate and accurate method 
for annually monitoring the participation and harvest in the light 
goose conservation order. This approach has been used by the Service 
since 1960 to monitor waterfowl harvest nationally for regular hunting 
seasons.
    Agency Response to Comment 1: With regard to the Central Flyway 
proposal to implement a single, uniform survey conducted by the 
Service, during discussions with Flyway Councils regarding initiation 
of the conservation order in the late 1990s there were concerns about 
whether or not a national information collection should be developed 
for the conservation order. That approach was not pursued due to the 
need to develop a new Federal permit, which we continue to believe is 
not a feasible alternative at this time. It was decided that each State 
would conduct its own information collection. Although State harvest 
estimates may not be fully comparable due to differences in 
methodology, we believe that summation of such estimates is warranted 
for general monitoring purposes. Furthermore, our existing Harvest 
Information Program (HIP) is geared towards estimating harvest of birds 
during regular hunting seasons that end on or before March 10 each 
year. Many States hold their light goose conservation order (not a 
regular hunting season) after March 10. Therefore, if HIP was used to 
estimate light goose conservation order harvest, our annual HIP reports 
would be delayed and could affect the normal hunting regulations 
promulgation process. The Service can only require HIP registration for 
regular hunting seasons to develop a sampling frame. There is no 
current mechanism for the Service to require HIP registration for 
conservation order participants. Therefore, there no sampling frame 
exists from which to conduct a single, uniform Federal survey.
    Comment 2: The commenter feels the Service has lied about 
increasing populations of light geese, promotes the killing of birds to 
increase hunting license sales, and only considers input from hunters 
and farmers.
    Agency Response to Comment 2: Our long-term objectives continue to 
include providing opportunities to harvest portions of certain 
migratory game bird populations and to limit harvests to levels 
compatible with each population's ability to maintain healthy, viable 
numbers. Having taken into account the zones of temperature and the 
distribution, abundance, economic value, breeding habits, and times and 
lines of flight of migratory birds, we conclude that the hunting 
seasons are compatible with the current status of migratory bird 
populations and long-term population goals. With regard to the light 
goose conservation order, we documented the exponential growth of light 
goose populations when we authorized the conservation order (64 FR 7517 
and 73 FR 65926). In those Federal Register notices, we also documented 
degradation to breeding habitats as a result of feeding actions of 
overabundant light goose populations.

[[Page 60616]]

For that reason, we implemented the conservation order to increase 
harvest above that which occurs during regulator hunting seasons. 
Furthermore, we continue to annually document high population levels of 
light geese in our annual Waterfowl Status Report (https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/surveys-and-data/Population-status/Waterfowl/WaterfowlPopulationStatusReport17.pdf).
    Additionally, we are obligated to, and do, seriously consider to 
all information received as public comment. While there are problems 
inherent with any type of representative management of public-trust 
resources, the Flyway Council system of migratory game bird management 
has been a longstanding example of State-Federal cooperative management 
since its establishment in 1952. Public input is provided not only at 
the Federal level but also at the State level and the input from State 
public processes is reflected in the Flyway system. Therefore, public 
involvement from hunters and non-hunters (including those that are not 
farmers) alike occurs at multiple levels. We disagree that input from 
the non-hunting, non-agricultural public is ignored. Furthermore, 
because the Federal government does not sell hunting licenses our 
actions associated with light goose management are not tied to selling 
additional hunting licenses. Because the light goose conservation order 
is not a hunting season, States do not require the purchase of a 
hunting license to participate and therefore cannot benefit from 
additional hunting license sales.
    We are again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is 
described below. We are especially interested in public comment 
addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the 
proper functions of the Service; (2) will this information be processed 
and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 
(4) how might the Service enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Service minimize 
the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the 
use of information technology.
    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 us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    Abstract: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (Act; 16 U.S.C. 703-712) 
implements the four bilateral migratory bird treaties the United States 
entered into with Great Britain (for Canada), Mexico, Japan, and 
Russia. The Act authorizes and directs the Secretary of the Interior to 
allow hunting, taking, etc., of migratory birds subject to the 
provisions of and in order to carry out the purposes of the four 
treaties. Section VII of the U.S.-Canada Migratory Bird Treaty 
authorizes the taking of migratory birds that, under extraordinary 
conditions, become seriously injurious to agricultural or other 
interests.
    The number of light geese (lesser snow, greater snow, and Ross' 
geese) in the midcontinent region has nearly quadrupled during the past 
several decades, due to a decline in adult mortality and an increase in 
winter survival. We refer to these species and subspecies as light 
geese because of their light coloration, as opposed to dark geese, such 
as white-fronted or Canada geese. Because of their feeding activity, 
light geese have become seriously injurious to their habitat, as well 
as to habitat important to other migratory birds. This poses a serious 
threat to the short- and long-term health and status of some migratory 
bird populations. We believe that the number of light geese in the 
midcontinent region has exceeded long-term sustainable levels for their 
arctic and subarctic breeding habitats, and that the populations must 
be reduced. Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at part 
21 provides authority for the management of overabundant light geese.
    Regulations at 50 CFR 21.60 authorize States and Tribes in the 
midcontinent and Atlantic flyway regions to control light geese within 
the United States through the use of alternative regulatory strategies. 
The conservation order authorizes States and Tribes to implement 
population control measures without having to obtain a Federal permit, 
thus significantly reducing their administrative burden. The 
conservation order is a streamlined process that affords an efficient 
and effective population reduction strategy, rather than addressing the 
issue through our permitting process. Furthermore, this strategy 
precludes the use of more drastic and costly direct population-
reduction measures such as trapping and culling geese. States and 
tribes participating in the conservation order must:
     Designate participants and inform them of the requirements 
and conditions of the conservation order. Individual States and Tribes 
determine the method to designate participants and how they will 
collect information from participants.
     Keep records of activities carried out under the authority 
of the conservation order, including:
    (1) Number of persons participating in the conservation order;
    (2) Number of days people participated in the conservation order;
    (3) Number of light geese shot and retrieved under the conservation 
order; and
    (4) Number of light geese shot, but not retrieved.
     Submit an annual report summarizing the activities 
conducted under the conservation order on or before September 15 of 
each year. Tribal information can be incorporated in State reports to 
reduce the number of reports submitted.
    Title of Collection: Conservation Order for Light Geese, 50 CFR 
21.60.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0103.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State and Tribal governments; 
individuals who participate in the conservation order.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 21,577.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 21,577.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: 114 hours for State and 
Tribal governments and 8 minutes for individuals.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 7,318.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $78,000, primarily for 
State overhead costs (materials, printing, postage, etc.) associated 
with mailing surveys to conservation order participants of 
approximately $2,000, or a total of $78,000 in non-hour burden costs 
(39 responses x $2,000).
    An agency 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.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).


[[Page 60617]]


    Dated: December 11, 2017.
Madonna L. Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-27536 Filed 12-20-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P