[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 179 (Friday, September 16, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56970-56972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20046]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0113; FF09R23000/XXX/FXRS420309ARPA0; OMB 
Control Number 1018-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service Animal Use Committee

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.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
November 15, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request 
(ICR) by one of the following methods (please reference OMB Control No. 
1018-IACUC 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-
2022-0113.
     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 
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: Pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (AWA; 7 U.S.C. 
2131 et seq.), as amended, and the U.S. Government Principles for 
Utilization of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and 
Training (1995), any entity or institution that uses vertebrate animals 
for research, testing, or training purposes must have an oversight 
committee to evaluate all aspects of that institution's animal care and 
use. The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), as amended, the Service's Code of Scientific 
Integrity and Scholarly Conduct (212 FW 7; 2011), and the Service's 
Inventory and Monitoring Program Policy (701 FW 2; 2014) ensure that 
Service staff adhere to accepted practices for the treatment of 
wildlife used in science, conservation efforts, and population 
management. To ensure compliance, the Service's Animal Welfare Program 
is standing up an Animal Use Committee (also known as an Institutional 
Animal Care and Use Committee, or IACUC), which will provide guidance 
to staff to promote animal welfare, human and animal safety, and 
scientific integrity in the form of protocol review.
    The Service's Animal Use Committee (AUC), organizationally aligned 
under the National Wildlife Refuge System, will provide the experience 
and expertise necessary to assess and approve all activities involving 
vertebrate animals on national wildlife refuges (NWRs). The Service's 
AUC serves as the primary oversight mechanism for animal welfare by 
reviewing and approving proposed activities related to the care and use 
of both free-ranging and captive wildlife. In order to comply with the 
Animal Welfare Act, at minimum, the Service's AUC membership will 
consist of a chair, an administrator, an attending veterinarian, 
Service biologist(s) representing various specialties, and a non-
Service-affiliated member representing society's expectations for 
animal welfare. Ad hoc species-specific expert advisors will be 
requested to help with protocol review as needed. All projects 
conducted on NWRs by Service staff and non-FWS entities that involve 
wildlife use must be reviewed and approved by the Service's AUC prior 
to their commencement. Other branches of the Service are welcome to 
submit protocols for review, but it will not be required. The majority 
of people requesting AUC review are anticipated to be Service staff, 
but other Federal employees or researchers from universities or private 
institutions conducting projects on NWRs will also require AUC review.
    The Service proposes to utilize a new platform, Key Solutions 
eProtocol IACUC Software Module for Animal Subjects (eProtocol IACUC), 
to implement the AUC. The eProtocol

[[Page 56971]]

IACUC will help ensure that Service staff and anyone else using 
wildlife on a NWR employ field methods that are consistent with current 
best practices that minimize discomfort, distress, and pain by 
facilitating effective and efficient communication between the AUC and 
submitters and assisting with committee administration management. 
Additionally, the Service and the National Park Service (NPS) will 
jointly use the eProtocol IACUC platform to facilitate collaboration 
and coordination with the NPS IACUC. The shared, but compartmentalized, 
Service/NPS platform will allow the two bureaus to maintain separate 
committees and protocol submissions but share data and move protocols 
and technical experts between the committees, as necessary.
    The eProtocol IACUC will collect the following information from 
submitters:
     Wildlife Protocol Review Form--Information collected in 
this form includes a description of the proposed project, including 
objectives and methodology, rationale for the use of animals, a summary 
of literature cited to show novelty of the work, any procedures or 
treatments to be performed (e.g., sample collection, marking or tagging 
methods, etc.), a description of all capture devices utilized, 
pharmaceuticals to be administered, anesthetic protocol description, 
surgical protocol description, and a description of the selected humane 
dispatch technique.
     Field Study Form--Information collected in this form 
includes a description of the proposed project, including objectives 
and methodology, and rationale describing why the project qualifies as 
a field study.
     Amendment Form--Information collected includes a 
description of proposed new capture devices, treatments, procedures, 
pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical administration route, new personnel, 
etc. that were not included on the Wildlife Protocol Review Form.
     Wildlife Protocol Annual Review Form--Information 
collected includes the number of target, non-target, and opportunistic 
animals used, treatments or procedures performed, and number of 
injuries or deaths.
     Field Study Annual Review Form--Information collected 
includes the number of target, non-target, and opportunistic animals 
observed, non-invasive and non-harmful treatments or procedures 
performed, and a description of any adverse events.
     Non-FWS AUC/IACUC Approval Form--Information requested 
includes a copy of the non-FWS AUC/IACUC general submission form, 
copies of all communications with the non-FWS AUC/IACUC, and 
notification of approval by the non-FWS IACUC.
     Adverse Event Form--Information collected in this form 
includes the number and species of animals injured and/or dead, 
timeframe for the observed injures and/or mortalities, a description of 
injuries or illness, and any other pertinent information (e.g., 
documented trap malfunction, excessive environmental temperatures, 
evidence of predation, signs of illness, etc.)
     Animal Welfare Violation Reporting Form--Information 
includes a description of action(s) or behavior(s) that violate the 
AWA; the U.S. Government Principles of Utilization of Vertebrate 
Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training; or the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, 212 FW 7.
    Records are required to be kept for the duration of the animal 
activity and for at least 3 years after the conclusion of the project. 
Wildlife Protocol Review Forms submitted to the AUC that are not 
granted approval shall be kept for at least 3 years. Pertinent training 
history for anyone working on the project will be collected in the 
Wildlife Protocol Review Form.
    Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Animal Use 
Committee.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-New.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: New.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Private sector (including nonprofits, 
NGOs, and universities) and State/local/Tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion for project submissions, 
adverse event reporting, and violation reporting, and annually for 
annual report.
    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 *
                                                                                      (hours)
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                                          Wildlife Protocol Review Form
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Private Sector..................              25               1              25               1              25
Government......................             100               2             200               4             800
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                                                Field Study Form
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Private Sector..................              10               1              10              .5               5
Government......................              50               2             100              .5              50
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                                                 Amendment Form
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Private Sector..................              10               1              10              .5               5
Government......................              50               1              50              .5              25
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                                      Wildlife Protocol Annual Review Form
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Private Sector..................              25               1              25               1              25
Government......................             100               1             100               1             100
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                                         Field Study Annual Review Form
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Private Sector..................              10               1              10              .5               5
Government......................              50               1              50              .5              25
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[[Page 56972]]

 
                                          Non-FWS AUC/IACUC Review Form
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Private Sector..................              50               1              50              .5              25
Government......................              25               1              25              .5              13
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                                               Adverse Event Form
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Private Sector..................              20               1              20              .5              10
Government......................              40               1              40              .5              20
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                                     Animal Welfare Violation Reporting Form
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Private Sector..................               3               1               3              .5               2
Government......................               5               1               5              .5               3
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    Totals:.....................             573  ..............             723  ..............           1,138
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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. 2022-20046 Filed 9-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P