[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 166 (Monday, August 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52805-52807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18497]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-WSFR-2022-N046; FVWF97820900000-XXX-FF09W13000 and 
FVWF54200900000-XXX-FFO9W13000; OMB Control Number 1018-0088]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; National 
Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR)

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 (PRA), 
we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to 
revise a currently approved information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
September 28, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request 
(ICR) before the close of the comment period listed under DATES to 
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Please provide a 
copy of your comments to the Service Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: PRB 
(JAO/3W), Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or by email to 
[email protected]. Please reference OMB Control No. 1018-0088 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. 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. You may also view the ICR at 
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

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.
    On April 26, 2022, we published a Federal Register notice (87 FR 
24584) with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this 
collection of information. In an effort to increase public awareness 
of, and participation in, our public commenting processes associated 
with information collection requests, the Service also published the 
Federal Register notice at https://www.regulations.gov (Docket No. FWS-
HQ-WSFR-2022-0035) to provide the public with an additional method to 
submit comments (in addition to the typical [email protected] email and 
U.S. mail submission methods). We received the following comments in 
response to that notice:
    Comment 1: Email comment from Jean Public received April 26, 2022: 
The commenter did not address the information collection requirements.
    Agency Response to Comment 1: No response required.
    Comment 2: Letter (submitted via email) from Holly Huchko, 
Endangered Species Act Program Specialist/Sport Fish Restoration 
Coordinator for the State of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 
received May 17, 2022:
    The data provided in the National FHWAR Survey is used by the 
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife when working with their partners 
and public. It has also been the source of the freshwater/saltwater 
split calculation for their fishing management funding. Collecting 
information through mail and digital format properly reaches their 
angling and hunting constituents.
    Agency Response to Comment 2: The methodology for the 2022 FHWAR 
survey is responsive to the needs identified in this comment. Oregon 
and other coastal States will continue to receive data on the number of 
freshwater/saltwater anglers within their respective States, free of 
cost. The 2022 FHWAR survey responses will also be fielded in mail, 
telephone, and web modes.
    Comment 3: Comment submitted on June 23, 2022, via Regulations.gov 
(FWS-HQ-WSFR-2022-0035-0002) from Friends of Animals:
    Wildlife watchers should be a source of funding for the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, in addition to hunters and anglers and boaters. 
Quantifying wildlife watching participation and expenditures will 
enable the appropriate management of non-consumptive wildlife-related 
recreation and funding. Birdwatching questions should be asked during 
all three waves of data collection.
    Agency Response to Comment 3: Birding has always been a subset of 
all wildlife watching in this Survey; we include people who bird in our 
total wildlife watching estimates. After the 2022 questionnaire was 
finalized for the screening and Wave 1 interview, we decided birding 
warranted its own participation estimate. With this submission, we are 
putting the birding participation questions back in. We won't have 
clearance until Wave 3 at the earliest. The Survey is not part of/
involved in the funding source for the Service.
    Comment 4: Comment submitted on June 26, 2022, via Regulations.gov 
(FWS-HQ-WSFR-2022-0035-0003) from Anonymous:
    The commenter did not address the information collection 
requirements.
    Agency Response to Comment 4: No response required.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again inviting 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;

[[Page 52806]]

    (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. 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 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 information collected for the National Survey of 
Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR) assists the 
Fish and Wildlife Service in administering the Wildlife and Sport Fish 
Restoration grant programs. The 2022 FHWAR survey will provide up-to-
date information on the uses and demands for wildlife-related 
recreation resources and a basis for developing and evaluating programs 
and projects to meet existing and future needs.
    We collect the information in conjunction with carrying out our 
responsibilities under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act 
(16 U.S.C. 777-777m) and the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act 
(16 U.S.C. 669-669i). Under these acts, as amended, we provide 
approximately $1 billion in grants annually to States for projects that 
support sport fish and wildlife management and restoration, including:
     Improvement of fish and wildlife habitats,
     Fishing and boating access,
     Fish stocking, and
     Hunting and fishing opportunities.
    We also provide grants for aquatic education and hunter education, 
maintenance of completed projects, and research into problems affecting 
fish and wildlife resources. These projects help to ensure that the 
American people have adequate opportunities for fish and wildlife 
recreation. We conduct the survey about every 5 years. The 2022 FHWAR 
survey will be the 14th conducted since 1955. We sponsor the survey at 
the States' request, which is made through the Association of Fish and 
Wildlife Agencies. We contract with the National Opinion Research 
Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, which collects the 
information using internet, telephone, or mail-in paper-and-pencil 
instrument (PAPI).
    Respondents are invited to take the survey with a mailed letter. 
NORC will select a sample of sportspersons and wildlife watchers from a 
household screen and conduct three detailed interviews during the 
survey year. The survey collects information on the number of days of 
participation, species of animals sought, and expenditures for trips 
and equipment. Information on the characteristics of participants 
includes age, income, sex, education, race, and State of residence. The 
Wave 3 Freshwater/Saltwater Ratio Questionnaire is designed to get 
freshwater and saltwater fishing data for coastal states. The Service's 
Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program is required to divide 
fishing management funds according to the ratio of freshwater and 
saltwater anglers in each coastal state.
    Federal and State agencies use information from the survey to make 
policy decisions related to fish and wildlife restoration and 
management. Participation patterns and trend information help identify 
present and future needs and demands. Land management agencies use the 
data on expenditures and participation to assess the value of wildlife-
related recreational uses of natural resources. Wildlife-related 
recreation expenditure information is used to estimate the impact on 
the economy and to support the dedication of tax revenues for fish and 
wildlife restoration programs.

Proposed Revisions

    The 2022 FHWAR does not currently include the questions on 
birdwatching participation and days of participation that had been 
asked in previous rounds of the FHWAR. However, due to high interest in 
the birdwatching data, we are submitting an amendment to add these 
questions to the survey. These questions will be included in Wave 3 and 
will ask about participation in birdwatching and days of participation 
for the 12-month reference period of 2022. The sample will not be 
affected and will be the same across modes.
    Below are the questions we will add to the Wave 3 wildlife watching 
questionnaire:
     Last year (from January 1 to December 31, 2022), did you 
closely observe or try to identify birds around your home, meaning the 
area within a 1-mile radius of your home?
     Last year (from January 1 to December 31, 2022), on how 
many days did you closely observe or try to identify birds around your 
home?
     Last year (from January 1 to December 31, 2022), on your 
wildlife watching trips or outings within the United States, did you 
closely observe birds?
     Last year (from January 1 to December 31, 2022), on how 
many days did you closely observe birds on your wildlife watching trips 
or outings within the United States?
    Title of Collection: National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and 
Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR).
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0088.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals/households.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Screener data collection was conducted 
from January through March 2022. The first detailed sportsperson and 
wildlife-watcher interviews was conducted in May 2022. The second 
detailed interviews will be conducted in September 2022. The third and 
final detailed interviews will be conducted in January 2023.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.

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                                                        Estimated number    Median completion
                       Activity                           of household      time per response   Estimated burden
                                                            responses           (minutes)            hours *
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2022 Screener Survey:
    Screener: web....................................              27,639                    9             4,146
    Screener: phone..................................               1,000                   15               250
    Screener: PAPI...................................              31,361                   10             5,227

[[Page 52807]]

 
2022 Wave 1 Survey:
    Wave Questionnaires: web.........................              43,068                   13             9,331
    Wave Questionnaires: phone.......................                 833                   22               305
    Wave Questionnaires: PAPI........................               6,972                   14             1,627
2022 Wave 2 Survey:
    Wave Questionnaires: web.........................              32,173                   13             6,971
    Wave Questionnaires: phone.......................                 833                   22               305
    Wave Questionnaires: PAPI........................               3,645                   14               851
2022 Wave 3 Survey:
    Wave Questionnaires: web.........................              46,773                   13            10,134
    Wave Questionnaires: phone.......................                 950                   22               348
    Wave Questionnaires: PAPI........................              11,811                   14             2,756
    Wave 3 Fishing-Only Questionnaire................              13,500                    3               675
                                                      ----------------------------------------------------------
        Grand Total..................................             220,558  ...................            42,926
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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.).

Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-18497 Filed 8-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P