[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 1 (Monday, January 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 116-118]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29047]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2020-N157; [FF09M28100, FXMB1231092MFR0, 212]; OMB Control 
Number 1018-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Online Eastern 
Population Sandhill Crane Survey Data Entry Portal

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, we, 
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing a 
new information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
March 5, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request 
(ICR) by mail to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, 
Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or by email to [email protected]. 
Please reference OMB Control Number ``1018-Sandhill Cranes'' in the 
subject line of your comments.

[[Page 117]]


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. Individuals who are hearing or speech 
impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY 
assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 5 
CFR 1320, all information collections require approval under the PRA. 
We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies 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.
    We are especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    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 ICR. 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 (16 U.S.C. 703-712) 
designates the Department of the Interior as the primary agency 
responsible for managing migratory bird populations frequenting the 
United States and setting hunting regulations that allow for the well-
being of migratory bird populations. These responsibilities dictate 
that we gather accurate data on various characteristics of migratory 
bird populations.
    The Service's fall survey for eastern population sandhill crane was 
established in 1979. It is implemented by state and Federal agencies 
and public volunteers from eight states in the Atlantic and Mississippi 
Flyways, as well as Ontario, Canada. Sandhill cranes are widely 
dispersed during the breeding and wintering seasons and are difficult 
to count. The optimal time to survey cranes is during the last week of 
October when the majority of eastern population cranes breeding in 
Canada migrate to traditional staging grounds in the Great Lake States 
(e.g., Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, Medaryville, Indiana). 
Since the initial survey in 1979, crane numbers have increased to over 
90,000 birds.
    The information collected through this survey is vital in assessing 
the relative changes in the geographic distribution of the species. We 
use the information primarily to inform managers of changes in sandhill 
crane distribution and population trends. Without information on the 
population's status, we might promulgate hunting regulations that:
     Are not sufficiently restrictive, which could cause harm 
to the sandhill crane population, or
     Are too restrictive, which would unduly restrict 
recreational opportunities afforded by sandhill crane hunting.
    Notifications for the survey are sent to volunteers and data 
results are entered into the data portal in order to calculate an 
abundance of sandhill cranes. This survey is conducted via an online 
survey platform to reduce cost, improve data quality, and decrease 
respondent burden. This survey has no statistical design. We collect 
the following information in conjunction with the account setup process 
and survey data submission:

 Account setup process:
    [cir] Email address,
    [cir] User name,
    [cir] Photo (optional),
    [cir] Option for other users to contact the registrant,
    [cir] Time zone,
    [cir] First and last name,
    [cir] Phone number, and
    [cir] Start date.
 Survey data submission:
    [cir] Data submission location via online map,
    [cir] Date and time of observation,
    [cir] Number of cranes,
    [cir] Method (ground count or point count),
    [cir] Habitat (agricultural field, sandbar, wetland, or mixed-
wetland agricultural field), and
    [cir] Any additional notes the user would like to submit.

    We received OMB approval to conduct usability testing of the data 
entry portal in 2019 under Interior's Fast Track clearance process 
``DOI Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on 
Agency Service Delivery'' (OMB Control No. 1090-0011). After conducting 
the usability testing of the data entry portal for one year, we are now 
ready to seek OMB's full approval of this information collection under 
the PRA.
    Title of Collection: Online Eastern Population Sandhill Crane 
Survey Data Entry Portal.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-New.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: New.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and state agencies.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time for the initial registration, and 
on occasion for survey submission.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.

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                                                                                      Average
                                  Average number  Average number  Average number    completion       Estimated
           Requirement               of annual     of responses      of annual       time per      annual burden
                                    respondents        each         responses *      response         hours *
                                                                                      (mins)
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Account Registration:
    Individuals.................              33               1              33               5               3

[[Page 118]]

 
    State agencies..............              18               1              18               5               2
Online Survey Submission:
    Individuals.................              38               2              76               3               4
    State agencies..............              23             1.3              30               3               2
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        Totals..................             112  ..............             157  ..............              11
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* Rounded.

    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.).

    Dated: December 29, 2020.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-29047 Filed 12-31-20; 8:45 am]
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