[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 47 (Friday, March 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15065-15069]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04908]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2023-N017; FXMB12310900WH0-234-FF09M26000; OMB Control 
Number 1018-0023]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Migratory Bird 
Surveys

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 to renew an 
information collection without change.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
April 10, 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 ``1018-0023'' in the 
subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 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 in 
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 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.
    On June 22, 2022, we published in the Federal Register (87 FR 
37353) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on August 22, 2022. In an effort to increase public 
awareness of, and participation in, our public commenting processes 
associated with information collection requests, the

[[Page 15066]]

Service also published the Federal Register notice on Regulations.gov 
(Docket FWS-HQ-MB-2022-0077) 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: From Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Angi Bruce, 
Deputy Director), received 8/9/2022 by email:
    The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Department) provided the 
following comment in response to our first question in the Federal 
Register notice (``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''):
    The data provided from these surveys is utilized by Department 
biologists and is crucial for the management of migratory game bird 
populations in the State of Wyoming and across State boundaries. 
Without this data, it would be difficult for our biologists to set 
harvest limits and determine proper season dates.
    (2) The Department provided the following comment in response to 
question 2 in the Federal Register notice (``The accuracy of our 
estimate of the burden for this collection of information, including 
the validity of the methodology and assumptions used''):
    The Department has not conducted an in-depth review of the 
methodology and assumptions used to determine the ``burden'' associated 
with these surveys. However, given that this data has been used 
historically to successfully manage migratory game birds across State 
boundaries, the Department appreciates the USFWS efforts and recommends 
continuing these data collection efforts.
    (3) The Department provided the following comment in response to 
question 3 in the Federal Register notice (``Ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected''):
    The Department appreciates the USFWS's past efforts to modernize 
the surveys through consultation with various partners and utilizing 
new technologies. The Department encourages the USFWS to continue 
utilizing emerging technologies to further enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the surveys. The Department supports the USFWS 
efforts to compare old and new data collection methodologies to ensure 
data integrity and comparability of data sets.
    (4) The Department provided the following comment in response to 
question 4 in the Federal Register notice (``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''):
    As previously mentioned, the Department appreciates the USFWS's 
efforts to modernize data collection procedures and utilize emerging 
technologies. The Department recommends that the USFWS continue to 
utilize automated electronic messaging approaches to send surveys to 
hunters and also remind them to submit this vital data. The Department 
also recommends that the USFWS provide technical assistance to 
respondents as necessary to accommodate for some users' lack of access 
to, or difficulty using, new technology.
    Agency Response to Comment 1, from the Wyoming Game and Fish 
Department: We have utilized, and are continuing to explore, new 
technologies to increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve data 
quality in both the online harvest survey and Parts Collection Survey. 
For example, we are conducting a pilot project to evaluate the efficacy 
of bird photos submitted by hunters to supplement the Parts Collection 
Survey, and will be developing a prototype mobile phone app for taking 
and submitting photos. We have collaborated with State partners and the 
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies to promote the Harvest 
Information Program with targeted outreach efforts and materials. We 
have expanded communication options for hunters to contact us for 
technical support, including an additional email address and contact 
form that are monitored by technical support providers, and we have 
developed a clerical interface with the online survey database so that 
clerks can access information to assist hunters with technical support. 
Also, we have collected data from a side-by-side 3-year comparison of 
both the online and paper surveys and are analyzing those data to 
evaluate any possible differences in harvest estimates arising from use 
of the two platforms. This information will be provided to States and 
other partners when completed, to allow a better understanding of the 
effects of changing data collection platforms on the time series of 
migratory bird harvest provided by the Migratory Bird Harvest Survey.
    Comment 2: From Andrew Reamer, submitted 6/22/22 by email:
    On behalf of the American Economic Association and the Industry 
Studies Association, I write to request a copy of the draft ICR for the 
Migratory Bird Information Program and Migratory Bird Surveys--1018-
0023, as invited by today's Federal Register. Thank you and we look 
forward to seeing the materials when they are available. Please feel 
free to upload them to https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FWS-HQ-MB-2022-0077.
    Agency Response to Comment 2: We provided a draft ICR as requested.
    Comment 3: Email comment from Jean Publieeer, submitted on 06/22/
2022--The commenter did not address the information collection 
requirements.
    Agency Response to Comment 3: No response required.
    Comment 4: Anonymous comment, submitted on 08/15/2022--The 
commenter did not address the information collection requirements.
    Agency Response to Comment 4: No response required.
    Comment 5: From Atlantic Flyway Council (Gray Anderson), submitted 
8/21/22 by email:
    The Atlantic Flyway Council (AFC) provided the following comment in 
response to our question 1 in the Federal Register notice (``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''):
    The data obtained from these surveys are crucial for the proper 
management of migratory game bird populations, and for the provision of 
hunting opportunity. The Flyway Councils and USFWS maintain a 
longstanding cooperative partnership to set (and when necessary, 
adjust) hunting regulations based on the best available scientific 
information. Without the data on hunter activity and harvest obtained 
from these surveys, management decisions would be more likely to result 
in migratory bird populations being higher or lower than desired, and/
or could unnecessarily restrict recreational opportunities. Further, 
the long time series and statistical reliability of the harvest surveys 
data places migratory game bird hunting on a solid footing against any 
legal challenges. For these reasons, the AFC firmly believes that 
continuing to collect the data provided by these surveys is necessary 
and provides practical utility not only for the USFWS, but also for the 
AFC's member agencies.

[[Page 15067]]

    AFC provided the following comment in response to our question 2 in 
the Federal Register notice (``The accuracy of our estimate of the 
burden for this collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used''):
    The methodology and assumptions used to estimate the time burden 
for this collection of information are not clear to the AFC. However, 
from our involvement in various aspects of the surveys, the estimates 
appear reasonably accurate. We do not believe the surveys place a 
significant burden on respondents, and in any case the benefits 
provided to wildlife managers and resource users from having this 
information make it well worth the investment of time and effort needed 
to collect it.
    AFC provided the following comment in response to our question 3 in 
the Federal Register notice (``Ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected''):
    The AFC is pleased to note that, in keeping with its comments 
provided in 2017 on a previous iteration of this information collection 
request, the USFWS has made significant strides in improving and 
modernizing its migratory bird harvest surveys over the past 5 years. 
The transition to an online survey platform appears to be progressing 
well and has improved data quality and reduced costs, without 
increasing the burden for respondents. The USFWS has also performed and 
partnered in various biological, social science, and statistical work 
to ensure that sample frames and survey question structure are 
maximizing survey efficiency and data quality, and that wings and tails 
in the Parts Collection Survey are appropriately classified. We 
encourage the USFWS to proceed with the side-by-side comparison of old 
and new survey methodology described in the Federal Register notice and 
we reiterate our commitment to assist the USFWS with identifying and 
implementing further improvements that will enable the harvest surveys 
to keep pace with and take advantage of technological advances.
    It should also be noted that an important element in data quality 
and cost control is ensuring the sample frames include all relevant 
migratory game bird hunters--but only migratory game bird hunters--and 
that surveyed hunters understand the vital importance of their 
participation. In this regard, the Association of Fish and Wildlife 
Agencies' Harvest Information Program Communication Plan is a valuable 
resource and we encourage the USFWS to incorporate appropriate elements 
of that plan in its communications with the hunting public.
    AFC provided the following comment in response to our question 4 in 
the Federal Register notice (``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''):
    As noted above, the USFWS has made good use of appropriate 
technologies in recent years to enhance data quality, reduce costs, and 
minimize burden on respondents. As information technology continues to 
rapidly advance, currently unforeseen methodologies are likely to arise 
and the entire migratory game bird management community should remain 
attuned to these opportunities.
    Finally, it is important to highlight the AFC's increasing concern 
regarding inadequate Federal agency funding for many aspects of 
migratory bird management, including the harvest surveys program. It is 
our understanding that one of the reminders for participants to 
complete the Migratory Bird Hunter Survey has already been cut due to 
budget constraints, and that additional cuts to sample frames may need 
to be considered. These changes negatively affect the accuracy and 
precision of harvest estimates, and further erosion of data quality 
could increase the risk of negative conservation outcomes. 
Consequently, along with requesting that the continuation of these 
surveys be approved from an administrative standpoint, we urge that the 
necessary financial resources be provided for ongoing implementation.
    The AFC greatly values our partnership with the USFWS in monitoring 
and managing the migratory bird resources so important to our 
constituents. We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments on this 
specific aspect of that partnership and we look forward to working with 
the USFWS to continue to collect and apply harvest surveys data, and to 
implement further survey improvements if and when necessary.
    Agency Response to Comment 5, from AFC: We have collected data from 
a side-by-side 3-year comparison of both the online and paper surveys 
and are analyzing those data to evaluate any possible differences in 
harvest estimates arising from use of the two platforms. This 
information will be provided to States and other partners when 
completed, to allow a better understanding of the effects of changing 
data collection platforms on the time series of migratory bird harvest 
provided by the Migratory Bird Harvest Survey. We are working with the 
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies to adopt the Harvest 
Information Program Communications Plan, and are developing data 
visualizations and hunter-focused web pages to help hunters and the 
public understand how we collect harvest data and how we use it in 
science based harvest and population management.
    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. 703-711) and the 
Fish

[[Page 15068]]

and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate the Department of 
the Interior as the key agency responsible for (1) the wise management 
of migratory bird populations frequenting the United States, and (2) 
the setting of hunting regulations that allow appropriate harvests that 
are within the guidelines that will allow for those populations' well-
being. These responsibilities dictate that we gather accurate data on 
various characteristics of migratory bird harvest. Based on information 
from harvest surveys, we can adjust hunting regulations as needed to 
optimize harvests at levels that provide a maximum of hunting 
recreation while keeping populations at desired levels.
    Under 50 CFR 20.20, migratory bird hunters must register for the 
Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) in each State in which 
they hunt each year. State natural resource agencies must send names 
and addresses of all migratory bird hunters to the Branch of Monitoring 
and Information Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of 
Migratory Bird Management, on an annual basis.
    The Migratory Bird Hunter Survey is based on the Migratory Bird 
Harvest Information Program. We randomly select migratory bird hunters 
and ask them to report their harvests. The resulting estimates of 
harvest per hunter are combined with the complete list of migratory 
bird hunters to provide estimates of the total harvest for the species 
surveyed.
    The Parts Collection Survey estimates the species, sex, and age 
composition of the harvest, and the geographic and temporal 
distribution of the harvest. Randomly selected successful hunters who 
responded to the Migratory Bird Hunter Survey the previous year, as 
well as a sample of hunters who were not surveyed the previous year, 
are asked to complete and return a letter if they are willing to 
participate in the Parts Collection Survey. We provide postage-paid 
envelopes to respondents before the hunting season and ask them to send 
in a wing or the tail feathers from each duck or goose that they 
harvest, or a wing from each mourning dove, woodcock, band-tailed 
pigeon, or rail that they harvest. We use the wings and tail feathers 
to identify the species, sex, and age of the harvested sample. We also 
ask respondents to report the date and location of harvest for each 
bird on the outside of the envelope. We combine the results of this 
survey with the harvest estimates obtained from the Migratory Bird 
Hunter Survey to provide species-specific national harvest estimates.
    The combined results of these surveys enable us to evaluate the 
effects of season length, season dates, and bag limits on the harvest 
of each species, and thus help us determine appropriate hunting 
regulations.
    The Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey is an annual questionnaire survey 
of people who obtained a sandhill crane hunting permit. At the end of 
the hunting season, we randomly select a sample of permit holders and 
ask them to report the date, location, and number of birds harvested 
for each of their sandhill crane hunts. Their responses provide 
estimates of the temporal and geographic distribution of the harvest as 
well as the average harvest per hunter, which, combined with the total 
number of permits issued, enables us to estimate the total harvest of 
sandhill cranes. Based on information from this survey, we adjust 
hunting regulations as needed.
    In fall of 2019, we implemented a new, online platform for the 
Migratory Bird Hunter Survey. The platform is optimized for use on 
multiple devices (computer, tablet, or phone, Android or Apple OS). 
This online survey platform walks a participant through the process of 
entering their harvest for a single day and asks for one piece of 
information at a time, which reduces confusion and the likelihood that 
the hunter will provide incorrect information. The online system 
improves data quality and prevents errors (e.g., reporting harvest of 
the wrong species, or in the wrong State). We will continue to conduct 
the full paper survey through 2022, in order to ensure that data 
collected through the online platform is sound, and to provide a side-
by-side comparison of harvest estimates that can be used to calibrate 
the old survey to the new one. This is particularly important for 
maintaining a continuous time series of harvest estimates, despite 
changing methodology. Going forward, we will conduct the full survey 
using the online application but will provide a paper survey by mail to 
those hunters who request them.
    Title of Collection: Migratory Bird Information Program and 
Migratory Bird Surveys, 50 CFR 20.20.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0023.
    Form Number: FWS Forms 3-165, 3-165A through E, and 3-2056J through 
N.
    Type of Review: Renewal without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: States and migratory game bird 
hunters.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory for HIP registration 
information; voluntary for participation in the surveys.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually for States or on occasion for 
migratory bird hunters.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.

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                                              Average number     Number of
  Collection type/form No.       Number of     of responses       annual       Average time per    Total annual
                                respondents        each         responses *        response       burden hours *
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                         Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (State Governments)
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                                          49              18             882  129 hours.........         113,778
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                                   Migratory Bird Hunter Survey (Individuals)
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Form 3-2056J................          31,900               1          31,900  4 minutes.........           2,127
Form 3-2056K................          16,900               1          16,900  3 minutes.........             845
Form 3-2056L................           8,500               1           8,500  3 minutes.........             425
Form 3-2056M................          10,200               1          10,200  2 minutes.........             340
    Subtotals...............          67,500  ..............          67,500  ..................           3,737
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                                      Parts Collection Survey (Individuals)
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Form 3-165..................           4,760              22         104,720  5 minutes.........           8,727
Form 3-165A.................             830             5.5           4,565  5 minutes.........             380
Form 3-165B.................           3,600               1           3,600  1 minute..........              60

[[Page 15069]]

 
Form 3-165C.................             320               1             320  1 minute..........               5
Form 3-165D.................             800               1             800  1 minute..........              13
Form 3-165E.................             780             1.5           1,170  5 minutes.........              98
    Subtotals...............          11,090  ..............         115,175  ..................           9,283
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                                   Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey (Individuals)
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Form 3-2056N................           5,900               1           5,900  1.5 minutes.......             148
                             -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Totals..............          84,539  ..............         189,457  ..................         126,946
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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. 2023-04908 Filed 3-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P