[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9535-9538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03091]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-N079; FF09R23000-223-FXRS126109WH000; OMB Control 
Number 1018-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service Bison Donations Request Program

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 
March 16, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice 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, MS: PRB 
(JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or by 
email to [email protected]. Please reference ``1018-Bison'' in the 
subject line of your comments.

[[Page 9536]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at (703) 358-2503. You may review the ICR online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the 
Interior collections under review by OMB. 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.
    On August 12, 2022, we published in the Federal Register (87 FR 
49878) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on October 11, 2022. 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 on Regulations.gov (Docket No. 
FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087) 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: Electronic comment received via Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-
NWRS-2022-0087-0002) from Jean Publiee on August 13, 2022. The comment 
did not address the information collection requirements.
    Agency Response to Comment 1: The comment did not address the 
information collection requirements. No response required.
    Comment 2: Anonymous electronic comment received via 
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087-0003) on September 1, 2022. The 
comment did not address the information collection requirements.
    Agency Response to Comment 2: The comment did not address the 
information collection requirements. No response required.
    Comment 3: Anonymous electronic comment received via 
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087-0004) on October 10, 2022. The 
comment did not address the information collection requirements.
    Agency Response to Comment 3: The comment did not address the 
information collection requirements. No response required.
    Comment 4: Electronic comment received via Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-
NWRS-2022-0087-0005) from Troy Heinert, as representative of 
InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), on October 11, 2022. The comment 
provided background information for ITBC as an organization serving 78 
member Tribes in 20 States, serving over 1 million enrolled Tribal 
members. The comment referenced past successful collaboration with the 
Service to restore buffalo to Tribal lands and affirmed the commitment 
of ITBC to seek future collaborations. While the comment stated that 
the form does not fully articulate what many Tribes are doing with the 
donated animals, it acknowledges that it is difficult to put a number 
on animals that may be intended for multiple purposes. The comment 
identifies ITBC's capacity to facilitate and implement bison donations 
from Service-managed herds.
    Agency Response to Comment 4: ITBC's internal Surplus Buffalo 
Program Request for Proposals process helps facilitate bison donations 
from Service-managed herds through requests from member Tribes, and we 
incorporated ITBC comments provided in past years into the form. The 
Service looks forward to continuing our successful collaboration with 
ITBC to help restore bison as native North American wildlife to Tribal 
lands.
    Comment 5: Email comment submitted to Bison Donation Request Form 
Outreach Coordinator on October 6, 2022, from Joshua Wiese, Range 
Manager of the Crane Trust. The comment states the questions and 
validations are warranted, and the form only takes about 10 minutes to 
read through and fill out completely. The comment suggested that 
additional clarification be added for bison use categories, and that an 
online platform/survey/questionnaire alternative might provide 
additional accessibility and speed up the process.
    Agency Response to Comment 5: Comment validated the minimal time 
investment to complete the form. Descriptions of bison use categories 
are included in the text of the form, followed by a clear definition 
prefaced in bold font. Many donation requestors do not utilize 
electronic web-based platforms or the electronic fillable PDF with 
electronic signatures. Transitioning to a fully online system would 
likely exclude many applicants with less reliable internet access and 
would limit access to many of the communities which the form currently 
serves.
    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 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

[[Page 9537]]

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 (Public Law 95-341);
     Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
(Public Law 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 (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 assist in the restoration of bison to 
Tribal lands, support the efforts of States and other conservation 
organizations, and ensure that the ecological needs of other species 
are met on refuges of limited size. 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 download a copy of the proposed Form 3-2555 from the 
ICR on at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review 
Department of the Interior collections under review by OMB.
    Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bison Donations 
Request Program.
    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.

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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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* Rounded.


[[Page 9538]]

    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. 2023-03091 Filed 2-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P