[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24207-24209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08237]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-R7-NWRS-2023-0005; FF07R08000-234-FXRS12630700000; OMB 
Control Number 1018-0141]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Alaska Guide Service 
Evaluation

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 with revisions.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
June 20, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request 
(ICR) by one of the following methods (please reference 1018-041 in the 
subject line of your comments):
     Internet (preferred): https://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R7-NWRS-
2023-0005.
     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: 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

[[Page 24208]]

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: We collect information via Form 3-2349 (Alaska Guide 
Service Evaluation) to help us evaluate commercial guide services on 
our national wildlife refuges in the State of Alaska (State). The 
National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act of 1966, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-ee), authorizes us to permit uses, including commercial 
visitor services, on national wildlife refuges when we find the 
activity to be compatible with the purposes for which the refuge was 
established. With the objective of making available a variety of 
quality visitor services for wildlife-dependent recreation on National 
Wildlife Refuge System lands, we issue permits for commercial guide 
services, including big game hunting, sport fishing, wildlife viewing, 
river trips, and other guided activities. We use FWS Form 3-2349 as a 
method to:
     Monitor the quality of services provided by commercial 
guides.
     Gauge client satisfaction with the services.
     Assess the impacts of the activity on refuge resources.
    The client is the best source of information on the quality of 
commercial guiding services. We collect:
     Client name.
     Guide name(s).
     Type of guided activity.
     Dates and location of guided activity.
     Information on the services received, such as the client's 
expectations, safety, environmental impacts, and client's overall 
satisfaction.
    We encourage respondents to provide any additional comments that 
they wish regarding the guide service or refuge experience, and ask 
whether or not they wish to be contacted for additional information.
    The above information, in combination with State-required guide 
activity reports and contacts with guides and clients in the field, 
provides a comprehensive method for monitoring permitted commercial 
guide activities. A regular program of client evaluation helps refuge 
managers detect potential problems with guide services so that we can 
take corrective actions promptly. In addition, we use this information 
during the competitive selection process for big game and sport fishing 
guide permits to evaluate a renewing applicant's ability to provide a 
quality guiding service.
    The Service is actively reviewing the current evaluation form to 
identify ways to improve the information collected to:
     Provide more quantifiable and defensible data;
     Provide statistical data for each completed and submitted 
form; and
     Translate the client responses into useful information, so 
refuge management can make better informed decisions.

Proposed Revision

    With this submission, the Service will propose a new form 
(tentatively assigned Form 3-2538, ``Alaska Guide Service Evaluation'') 
to OMB for approval. The Service initially proposed this form for 
viability testing under OMB Control No. 1090-0011, ``DOI Generic 
Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service 
Delivery,'' in our December 22, 2020, Federal Register notice (85 FR 
83604). However, due to a delay and changes to Control No. 1090-0011 
that now prohibit testing of new forms, we are proposing the form be 
approved for testing under this information collection (OMB Control No. 
1018-0141). Upon approval and after successfully testing the form in at 
least two guide seasons, the Service anticipates discontinuing Form 3-
2349 and instead using Form 3-2538 as the single guide service 
evaluation form (incorporating appropriate changes identified in the 
usability testing phase).
    In order to effectively adapt visitor services programming in the 
Alaska Region, we need to understand visitor satisfaction. To that end, 
the Alaska Guide Service Evaluation team, comprised of representatives 
from across the Region, with the assistance of the Human Dimensions 
Branch and the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, has 
revised the current guide evaluation form. The revised form provides 
the region's refuges with a useful and quantitative tool that reflects 
social science survey design best practices, and that is standardized 
for use across refuges in the region. Form 3-2538 would collect the 
following information from participants in the Alaska guide program:
     Details regarding the guided trip--name of the 
outfitter(s) and person(s) guiding the trip and top three purposes for 
visiting the refuge.
     Experiences with the guided trip.
     Level of satisfaction with the guided trip and details 
regarding purpose of visit to refuge.
     Suggestions for improvements.
     Details about visitor--gender; State and/or country of 
residence; year of birth; race or ethnicity; details regarding formal 
schooling; and approximate household income.
     Contact information for follow-up questions (optional).
    The public may request copies of any form contained in this 
information collection by sending a request to the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer (see ADDRESSES).
    Title of Collection: Alaska Guide Service Evaluation.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0141.
    Form Number: Forms 3-2349 and 3-2538.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Clients of permitted commercial guide 
service providers.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 264.

[[Page 24209]]

    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 264.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 66.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time, following use of commercial 
guide services.
    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. 2023-08237 Filed 4-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P