[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 158 (Thursday, August 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66432-66434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18208]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-OC-2024-N038; FVWF97820900000-XXX-FF09W13000 and 
FVWF54200900000-XXX-FF09W13000; OMB Control Number 1018-0088]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget; 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 16, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted within 30 days of 
publication of this notice at 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-
0088'' in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this information collection request (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.
    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;
    (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.
    On January 3, 2024, we published in the Federal Register (89 FR 
384) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on March 4, 2024. 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 FWS-
HQ-WSFR-2023-0231) to provide the public with an additional method to 
submit comments (in addition to the typical U.S. mail submission 
method). We received the following comments in response to that notice:
    Comment 1: Electronic comment received 01/03/2024, via 
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-WSFR-2023-0231-0002) from Jean Publie, who

[[Page 66433]]

stated this is a propaganda survey and hunting is insane.
    Agency Response to Comment 1: This comment did not address the 
information collection requirements; therefore, no response is 
required.
    Comment 2: Electronic comment received 01/03/2024, via 
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-WSFR-2023-0231-0003) from Holly Huchko, Sport 
Fish Restoration Coordinator/ESA Specialist, Oregon Department of Fish 
and Wildlife. Ms. Huchko stated information should be collected both by 
mail and digital format, and the freshwater/saltwater fishing split for 
coastal States needs to continue to be collected.
    Agency Response to Comment 2: The methodology for the 2027 FHWAR 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 State, free of 
cost.
    Comment 3: Anonymous comment received 03/03/2024, via 
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-WSFR-2023-0231-0004) stating that hunting and 
fishing should not be encouraged, and that animal lives should be 
spared.
    Agency Response to Comment 3: This comment did not address the 
information collection requirements; therefore, no response is 
required.
    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 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 information collected for the National Survey of 
Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR, or National 
Survey) assists the Fish and Wildlife Service in administering the 
Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration grant programs. The FHWAR, 
conducted about every 5 years since 1955, is a comprehensive survey of 
anglers, hunters, and wildlife watchers and includes information on 
their participation and how much they spend on these activities in the 
United States. The FHWAR provides 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, 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 2027 FHWAR 
survey will be the 15th conducted since 1955. We coordinate the survey 
at the States' request, which is made through the Association of Fish 
and Wildlife Agencies. We will contract with a data collector to 
collect the information using internet, telephone, or mail-in paper-
and-pencil instrument (PAPI).
    Respondents are invited to take the survey with a mailed letter. 
The data collector 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, and expenditures for trips and equipment. 
Information on the characteristics of participants includes age, 
income, sex, education, race, and State of residence. The 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 Revision

    Pre-test: Cognitive Interviews--We anticipate the need to conduct 
web-based cognitive interviews prior to the next FHWAR. The cognitive 
interviews will enable the research team to identify problems with 
survey items and with the organization and order of items in the 
instrument. We expect the data from the cognitive interviews to reveal 
potential sources of response error in the National Survey and to 
inform the redesign efforts. The objective of the cognitive interviews 
is to test and refine the proposed instruments from the full survey, 
with particular focus on the revised questions on bounding, expenditure 
reporting, and 5-year recall of activities. We will use the results of 
this research to refine the survey instruments in preparation for 
fielding the next National Survey (likely to be held in 2027 or 2028). 
Respondents will have the option to pause/resume the pretest as they 
work through the questionnaire.
    We anticipate a maximum of 70 respondents will participate in the 
web-based study. Respondents will be individuals who have participated 
in fishing, hunting, and wildlife-watching activities in within 1 year 
of the cognitive interviews. Respondents will be adults ages 18 and 
over and children ages 16 and 17 who participate with the consent of a 
parent or guardian. The participants will represent a range of 
demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education level, State 
of residence).
    We plan to recruit a non-probability sample of respondents for this 
research. The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies will work with 
State fish and wildlife directors to obtain lists of license holders. 
The data collector will send an invitation via email or text message to 
invite license holders to participate in a survey. Further, the data 
collector will place advertisements on Facebook in selected geographies 
in order to recruit individuals interested in being interviewed and 
will disseminate information about the study through word of mouth. 
People responding to an invitation to participate in the research will 
complete a brief eligibility screening to determine whether they have 
recently participated in fishing, hunting, or wildlife watching 
activities and to collect household composition and demographic 
information.
    Potential participants will also be asked whether other household

[[Page 66434]]

members would be interested in participating in the study. Adult 
participants for screener interviews will be household members who 
would likely complete a screener questionnaire, such as a head of 
household or adult sportsperson or wildlife watcher. We plan to request 
that a screener respondent (a respondent who finished the screen 
interview), or another household member aged 16 and up who participates 
in fishing, hunting, or wildlife watching activities, complete the wave 
questionnaires. In addition, two to three respondents who do not 
participate in the relevant activities will be recruited for interviews 
in order to test the functioning of the instruments with non-
participants.
    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: We estimate the pre-test/cognitive 
interviews to begin in 2025 or 2026. The results will be used to inform 
the next full survey estimated to be conducted in 2027, or possibly 
2028.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.

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                                                                                      Median
                                                                     Estimated      completion
                            Activity                                 number of       time per        Estimated
                                                                     household       response     burden hours *
                                                                     responses       (minutes)
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Screener Survey:
    Screener: Web...............................................          27,639               9           4,146
    Screener: Phone.............................................           1,000              15             250
    Screener: PAPI..............................................          31,361              10           5,227
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
Wave 2 Survey:
    Wave Questionnaires: Web....................................          32,173              13           6,971
    Wave Questionnaires: Phone..................................             833              22             305
    Wave Questionnaires: PAPI...................................           3,645              14             851
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 Coastal Freshwater/Saltwater Ratio Questionnaire.....          13,500               3             675
Pre-test/Cognitive Interviews (NEW).............................              70              70              82
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Grand Total:............................................         220,628  ..............          43,008
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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. 2024-18208 Filed 8-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P