Proposed Information Collection; Conservation Order for Light Geese, 30188-30189 [2011-12810]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30188-30189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12810]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2011-N097;
[91200-1231-9BPP-L2]


Proposed Information Collection; Conservation Order for Light 
Geese

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) 
described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take 
this opportunity to comment on this IC. This IC is scheduled to expire 
on October 31, 2011. We 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.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC, 
we must receive them by July 25, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the IC to the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 2042-PDM, 
4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail); or 
INFOCOL@fws.gov (e-mail). Please include 1018-0103 in the subject line 
of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this IC, contact Hope Grey at INFOCOL@fws.gov (e-mail) or 703-
358-2482 (telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The number of light geese (lesser snow, greater snow, and Ross' 
geese) in the midcontinent region has nearly quadrupled during the past 
several decades due to a decline in adult mortality and an increase in 
winter survival. We refer to these species and subspecies as light 
geese because of their light coloration as opposed to dark geese, such 
as white-fronted or Canada

[[Page 30189]]

geese. Because of their feeding activity, light geese have become 
seriously injurious to their habitat as well as to habitat important to 
other migratory birds. This poses a serious threat to the short- and 
long-term health and status of some migratory bird populations. We 
believe that the number of light geese in the midcontinent region has 
exceeded long-term sustainable levels for their arctic and subarctic 
breeding habitats and that the populations must be reduced. Title 50 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 21 provides authority for the 
management of overabundant light geese.
    Regulations at 50 CFR 21.60 authorize States and tribes in the 
midcontinent and Atlantic flyway regions to control light geese within 
the United States through the use of alternative regulatory strategies. 
The conservation order authorizes States and tribes to implement 
population control measures without having to obtain a permit, thus 
significantly reducing their administrative burden. The conservation 
order is a streamlined process that affords an efficient and effective 
population reduction strategy, rather than addressing the issue through 
our permitting process. Furthermore, this strategy precludes the use of 
more drastic and costly direct population-reduction measures such as 
trapping and culling geese. States and tribes participating in the 
conservation order must:
     Designate participants and inform them of the requirements 
and conditions of the conservation order. Individual States and tribes 
determine the method to designate participants.
     Keep records of activities carried out under the authority 
of the conservation order, including:
    (1) Number of persons participating in the conservation order;
    (2) Number of days that people participated in the conservation 
order;
    (3) Number of persons who pursued light geese with the aid of a 
shotgun capable of holding more than three shells;
    (4) Number of persons who pursued light geese with the aid of an 
electronic call;
    (5) Number of persons who pursued light geese during the period 
one-half hour after sunset;
    (6) Total number of light geese shot and retrieved during the 
conservation order;
    (7) Number of light geese taken with the aid of an electronic call;
    (8) Number of light geese taken with the fourth, fifth, or sixth 
shotgun shell;
    (9) Number of light geese taken during the period one-half hour 
after sunset; and
    (10) Number of light geese shot, but not retrieved.
     Submit an annual report summarizing the activities 
conducted under the conservation order on or before September 15 of 
each year. Tribal information can be incorporated in State reports to 
reduce the number of reports submitted.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0103.
    Title: Conservation Order for Light Geese, 50 CFR 21.60.
    Service Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: State and tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Number of Respondents: 39.
    Number of Annual Responses: 39.
    Completion Time per Response: 74 hours (collect information from 
respondents, maintain records, and prepare reports).
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,886.
    Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $97,500, primarily for 
overhead costs (materials, printing, postage, etc.)

III. Comments

    We invite comments concerning this information collection on:
     Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
     The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 
collection of information;
     Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents.
    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 IC. Before including your address, phone number, 
e-mail 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.

    Dated: May 19, 2011.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-12810 Filed 5-23-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P