[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 234 (Thursday, December 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62834-62835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26434]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0079]


Notice of Request for Reinstatement of Approval of an Information 
Collection; National Management Information System

ACTION: Reinstatement of approval of an information collection; comment 
request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request a reinstatement of approval of an information 
collection associated with the national management information system 
for cooperative wildlife damage management programs.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
February 4, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0079.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2018-0079, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-
0079 or in our reading room, which is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. 
Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the national 
management information system for cooperative wildlife damage 
management programs, contact Mr. Robert Myers, Wildlife Biologist, 
Wildlife Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 87, Riverdale, MD 20737; 
(301) 651-8845. For more detailed information on the information 
collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' Information Collection 
Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: National Management Information 
System.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0335.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized under Section 
426 of the Act of March 2, 1931, as amended (7 U.S.C. 8351-8354; 46 
Stat. 1468), to conduct a program of wildlife services with respect to 
injurious animal species. Large populations of aggressive wildlife 
species, if left unmanaged, may cause tremendous amounts of damage to 
crops, livestock herds, and private property within the United States. 
Without mitigation, the damage could result in severe economic losses 
for agricultural businesses and private property owners. The Act 
authorizes the Secretary to take any action he considers necessary for 
the control of nuisance mammals and birds and those mammal and bird 
species that are reservoirs for zoonotic diseases.
    The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (WS), is responsible for 
assisting the public with mitigating wildlife damage. WS provides 
advice or enters into agreements with State and local jurisdictions, 
Tribes, public and private agencies, organizations, institutions,

[[Page 62835]]

and individuals to provide its services. Through its technical 
assistance approach, WS offers advice through telephone or onsite 
consultations, training sessions, demonstration projects, and other 
means. Mitigation activities are then performed by the requester. WS 
also provides a cooperative direct control approach where goods, 
services, and expertise are provided on a cost reimbursable basis. WS 
collects only information needed to determine appropriate courses of 
action for providing effective services. Information is used by the 
agency to:
     Identify cooperators appropriately;
     Identify lands on which WS personnel will work;
     Differentiate between cooperators (i.e., property owners, 
land managers, or resource owners) who request assistance to manage 
damage caused by wildlife;
     Identify the land areas on which wildlife damage 
management activities would be conducted;
     Identify the relationship between resources or property, 
WS' protection of such resources or property, and the damage caused by 
wildlife;
     Determine the methods or damage management activities to 
deal with the damage;
     Establish a record that a cooperative agreement has been 
entered into with a cooperator;
     Document that permission has been obtained from landowners 
to go on the cooperator's property;
     Record wildlife damage occurrences on cooperator's 
property and steps to address them;
     Record occurrences which may have affected non-target 
species or humans during, or related to, WS project actions; and
     Determine satisfaction with service to help WS evaluate, 
modify, and improve its programs.
    Information collection activities include work initiation 
documents, assistance requests, protected resource queries, project 
reports, order forms and sales records, equipment issuances, migratory 
bird damage reports, permits, reports of injury or death to non-target 
animals, accident reports, pilot proficiency reviews, and invoice 
transmittals.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for 3 years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.05 hours per response.
    Respondents: State, local, and Tribal governments; businesses, not-
for-profits, and other public sector organizations; and individuals who 
request services from WS or engage in wildlife damage management 
projects with WS.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 98,906.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.123.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 111,120.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 5,503 hours. (Due to 
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per 
response.)
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 29th day of November 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-26434 Filed 12-4-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P