[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 155 (Friday, August 12, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49878-49880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17336]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087; FF09R23000-223-FXRS126109WH000; OMB Control 
Number 1018-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service Bison Donations Request Form

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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing a new 
information collection in use without Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) approval.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 11, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request 
(ICR) by one of the following methods (reference Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1018--Bison in the subject line of your 
comment):
     Internet (preferred): https://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-
2022-0087.
     Email: [email protected].
     U.S. Mail: Service Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: PRB 
(JAO/3W), Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

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 in the United States who are 
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay 
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay 
services offered within their country to make international calls to 
the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 5 
CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 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

[[Page 49879]]

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 Service's ``Bison Donations Transfer Protocol'' 
(protocol) describes the process for the donation of the available 
surplus bison from the Service to eligible organizations, Tribes, or 
intertribal organizations as outlined in regulations at 50 CFR 30.1, as 
well as in Service Manual chapters 701 FW 5 and 701 FW 8. Surplus bison 
are offspring that exceed the ecological carrying capacity of the 
Service bison metapopulation. The primary purposes of donating these 
bison are to support conservation of the species as native North 
American wildlife and to assist in the restoration of bison herds on 
conservation partner lands, with special emphasis on restoring 
conservation herds to Tribal lands. Our authorities governing the 
Protocol include:
     National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (16 
U.S.C. 668dd and 668ee; as amended);
     American Indian Religious Freedom Act (Pub. L. 95-341);
     Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
(Pub. L. 93-638, as amended);
     Surplus Range Animals (50 CFR 30.1);
     Disposition of Surplus Range Animals (50 CFR 30.2);
     Native American Policy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (510 FW 1);
     Fenced Animal Management policy (701 FW 8); and
     Collections, Donations, and Disposals policy (701 FW 5).
    In 2020, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Bison Working 
Group published the Department of the Interior Bison Conservation 
Initiative 2020 (2020 initiative), recognizing bison as a wildlife 
species in need of conservation. Consistent with this initiative, 
Service policy identifies the ecological and cultural values of bison 
as nationally and/or historically significant animals.
    The Bison Conservation Genetics Workshop: Report and 
Recommendations (2010 report) identifies DOI bison herds as a valuable 
source with which to start new conservation herds proposed by other 
Federal, State/provincial, or Tribal governments. The DOI Bison Report: 
Looking Forward (2014 report) acknowledges the challenges to achieving 
bison restoration on DOI lands and emphasizes the importance of 
partnerships for achieving bison conservation and ecological 
restoration. Both the 2010 and 2014 reports also identify the potential 
for bison herds maintained by Indian Tribes to contribute to species 
conservation, and the Service recognizes that such bison may also 
support Tribal cultural rights and practices.
    Periodic reduction in the size of Service bison herds is required 
to remain within the ecological carrying capacity of Service lands. 
Live bison capture and removal assists in the restoration of bison to 
Tribal lands, supports the efforts of States and other conservation 
organizations, and ensures that the ecological needs of other species 
are met on limited-size refuges. To support maximum conservation of 
genetic diversity within and across Service herds, selection of young 
bison available for donation is coordinated across all refuges. From 
the surplus bison made available for donation from refuges, requests 
will be prioritized for bison restoration and conservation purposes.
    We propose Form 3-2555, ``Bison Donations Request Form,'' to 
request surplus bison. Respondents will generally be from Tribal 
governments and intertribal organizations, although we do expect to 
receive a small number of requests from States and private sector 
organizations (nonprofit and educational/research organizations). The 
request form provides details governing the protocol and collects the 
following information:
     Name of requesting Tribe, intertribal organization, State, 
or private sector organization.
     Documentation that the proposed project or program meets 
the definition of a conservation herd.
     Demonstration of the educational contribution of the 
donation to increasing public knowledge and appreciation of the 
wildlife values of bison (for educational and research organizations 
only).
     Total number (or percentage of total donation request) of 
bison and purpose of request:

--Establish a free-ranging conservation herd;
--Supplement or augment a free-ranging conservation herd;
--Establish a self-sustaining herd for non-conservation purposes;
--Supplement or augment a self-sustaining herd for non-conservation 
purposes;
--Public display, educational purposes and/or research;
--Tribal spiritual or cultural purposes; or
--A description if ``Other'' purpose.

     Signature of requesting Tribe, intertribal organization, 
State, or private sector organization official.
    In addition to completion of Form 3-2555, recipients of donated 
bison must inform the Service of the destination State for donated 
bison no fewer than 30 days prior to a scheduled bison capture 
operation, to allow the Service time to meet interstate transport 
regulatory testing requirements. Recipients of donated bison must also 
inform the Service of the destination physical address for donated 
bison no fewer than 10 days prior to scheduled bison loadout, to 
facilitate timely completion of required interstate veterinary permit 
applications and veterinary inspection certificates.
    The public may request a copy of the proposed Form 3-2555 by 
sending a request to the Service Information Collection Clearance 
Officer (see ADDRESSES, above).
    Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bison Donations 
Request Form.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-New.
    Form Number: 3-2555.
    Type of Review: Existing collection in use without an OMB control 
number.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Private sector organizations and 
State/local/Tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: There is no cost 
associated with the Protocol.

[[Page 49880]]



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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 *
                                                                                      (hour)
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Submission of Form 3-2555:
    Private Sector..............               2               1               2               1               2
    Government..................              18               1              18               1              18
Required Notifications:
    Private Sector..............               2               2               4              .5               2
    Government..................              18               2              36              .5              18
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        Totals..................              40  ..............              60  ..............              40
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    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.).

Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-17336 Filed 8-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P