Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Control and Management of Resident Canada Geese, 60455-60457 [2012-24398]
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60455
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 192 / Wednesday, October 3, 2012 / Notices
wildlife product must complete and
submit to the Service an FWS Form 3–
177 (Declaration for Importation or
Exportation of Fish or Wildlife). This
form as well as FWS Form 3–177a
(Continuation Sheet) and instructions
for completion are available for
electronic submission at https://
edecs.fws.gov. These forms are also
available in fillable format at https://
www.fws.gov/forms/.
The information that we collect is
unique to each wildlife shipment and
enables us to:
• Accurately inspect the contents of
the shipment;
• Enforce any regulations that pertain
to the fish, wildlife, or wildlife products
contained in the shipment; and
• Maintain records of the importation
and exportation of these commodities.
Businesses or individuals must file
FWS Forms 3–177 and 3–177a with us
at the time and port where they request
clearance of the import or export of
wildlife or wildlife products. Our
regulations allow for certain species of
wildlife to be imported or exported
between the United States and Canada
or Mexico at U.S. Customs and Border
Protection ports, even though our
wildlife inspectors may not be present.
In these instances, importers and
exporters may file the forms with U.S.
Customs and Border Protection. We
collect the following information:
(1) Name of the importer or exporter
and broker.
(2) Scientific and common name of
the fish or wildlife.
(3) Permit numbers (if permits are
required).
(4) Description, quantity, and value of
the fish or wildlife.
(5) Natural country of origin of the
fish or wildlife.
In addition, certain information, such
as the airway bill or bill of lading
number, the location of the fish or
wildlife for inspection, and the number
Number of
respondents
Activity
of cartons containing fish or wildlife,
assists our wildlife inspectors if a
physical examination of the shipment is
necessary
II. Data
OMB Control Number: 1018–0012.
Title: Declaration for Importation or
Exportation of Fish or Wildlife, 50 CFR
14.61–14.64.
Service Form Numbers: 3–177 and 3–
177a.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Description of Respondents:
Businesses or individuals that import or
export fish, wildlife, or wildlife
products; scientific institutions that
import or export fish or wildlife
scientific specimens; and government
agencies that import or export fish or
wildlife specimens for various purposes.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Number of
responses
Completion
time per
response
(minutes)
Total annual
burden hours
3–177 hard copy submission ...........................................................................
3–177 electronic submission ...........................................................................
4,200
16,500
28,332
154,971
15
10
7,083
25,829
Totals ........................................................................................................
20,700
183,303
........................
32,912
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with
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,
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
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:03 Oct 02, 2012
Jkt 229001
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Dated: September 26, 2012.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives
Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–24397 Filed 10–2–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–HQ–MB–2012–N227;
FXMB1231099BPP0L2–112–FF09M21200]
Information Collection Request Sent to
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for Approval; Control and
Management of Resident Canada
Geese
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service) have sent an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for
review and approval. We summarize the
ICR below and describe the nature of the
collection and the estimated burden and
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00083
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
cost. This information collection is
scheduled to expire on November 30,
2012. 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. However, under OMB
regulations, we may continue to
conduct or sponsor this information
collection while it is pending at OMB.
DATES: You must submit comments on
or before November 2, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments and
suggestions on this information
collection to the Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior at OMB–
OIRA at (202) 395–5806 (fax) or
OIRA_DOCKET@OMB.eop.gov (email).
Please provide a copy of your comments
to the Service Information Collection
Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, MS 2042–PDM, 4401
North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA
22203 (mail), or INFOCOL@fws.gov
(email). Please include ‘‘1018–0133’’ in
the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Hope Grey at
INFOCOL@fws.gov (email) or 703–358–
2482 (telephone). You may review the
ICR online at https://www.reginfo.gov.
E:\FR\FM\03OCN1.SGM
03OCN1
60456
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 192 / Wednesday, October 3, 2012 / Notices
Follow the instructions to review
Department of the Interior collections
under review by OMB.
Title: Control and Management of
Resident Canada Geese, 50 CFR 20.21,
21.49, 21.50, 21.51, 21.52, and 21.61.
Service Form Number: None.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 1018–0133.
Number of
respondents
Activity
Description of Respondents: State fish
and wildlife agencies, tribes, and local
governments; airports; landowners; and
farms.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Number of
responses
Completion time per
response
Total annual
burden hours *
21.49—Airport Control Order—Annual Report ............................
21.50—Nest and Egg Depredation Order—Initial Registration ...
21.50—Nest and Egg Depredation Order—Renew Registration
21.50—Nest and Egg Depredation Order—Annual Report .........
21.51—Agricultural Depredation Order—Recordkeeping ............
21.51—Agricultural Depredation Order—Annual Report .............
21.52—Public Health Control Order—Annual Report .................
21.49, 21.50, 21.51, and 21.52—Report Take of Endangered
Species.
21.61—Population Control Approval Request—Recordkeeping
and Annual Report.
21.61—Population Control Approval Request—Population Estimates.
50
1,000
3,000
4,000
600
20
20
2
50
1,000
3,000
4,000
600
20
20
2
1.5 hours ...........................
30 minutes ........................
15 minutes ........................
15 minutes ........................
30 minutes ........................
8 hours ..............................
1 hour ................................
15 minutes ........................
76
500
751
1,000
300
160
20
1
8
8
24 hours ............................
192
8
8
160 hours ..........................
1,280
Totals ....................................................................................
8,708
8,708
...........................................
4,280
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with
* rounded.
Abstract: The Migratory Bird Treaty
Act prohibits the take, possession,
import, export, transport, sale, purchase,
or bartering of migratory birds or their
parts except as permitted under the
terms of a valid permit or as permitted
by regulations. In 2006, we issued
regulations establishing two
depredation orders and three control
orders that allow State and tribal
wildlife agencies, private landowners,
and airports to conduct resident Canada
goose population management,
including the take of birds. We monitor
the data collected for activities under
these orders and may rescind an order
if monitoring indicates that activities are
inconsistent with conservation of
Canada geese.
Control order for airports. 50 CFR
21.49 allows managers at commercial,
public, and private airports and military
airfields and their employees or agents
to implement management of resident
Canada geese to resolve or prevent
threats to public safety. An airport must
be part of the National Plan of Integrated
Airport Systems and have received
Federal grant-in-aid assistance or be a
military airfield under the jurisdiction,
custody, or control of the Secretary of a
military department. Each facility
exercising the privileges of the order
must submit an annual report with the
date, numbers, and locations of birds,
nests, and eggs taken.
Depredation order for nests and eggs.
50 CFR 21.50 allows private landowners
and managers of public lands to destroy
resident Canada goose nests and eggs on
property under their jurisdiction
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:03 Oct 02, 2012
Jkt 229001
provided they register annually on our
Web site at https://epermits.fws.gov/
eRCGR. Registrants must provide basic
information, such as name, address,
phone number and email, and identify
where the control work will occur and
who will conduct it. Registrants must
return to the Web site to report the
number of nests with eggs they
destroyed.
Depredation order for agricultural
facilities. 50 CFR 21.51 allows States
and tribes, via their wildlife agency, to
implement a program to allow
landowners, operators, and tenants
actively engaged in commercial
agriculture to conduct damage
management control when geese are
committing depredations or to resolve
or prevent other injury to agricultural
interests. State and tribal wildlife
agencies in the Atlantic, Central, and
Mississippi Flyway portions of 41 States
can implement the provisions of the
order. Agricultural producers must
maintain a log of the date and number
of birds taken under this authorization.
States and tribes exercising the
privileges of the order must submit an
annual report of the numbers of birds,
nests, and eggs taken and the county
where take occurred.
Public health control order. 50 CFR
21.52 authorizes States and tribes of the
lower 48 States to conduct (via the State
or tribal wildlife agency) resident
Canada goose control and management
activities when the geese pose a direct
threat to human health. States and tribes
operating under this order must submit
an annual report summarizing activities,
PO 00000
Frm 00084
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
including the numbers of birds taken
and the county where take occurred.
Population control. 50 CFR 21.61
establishes a managed take program to
reduce and stabilize resident Canada
goose populations when traditional and
otherwise authorized management
measures are not successful or feasible.
A State or tribal wildlife agency in the
Atlantic, Mississippi, or Central Flyway
may request approval for this
population control program. If
approved, the State or tribe may use
hunters to harvest resident Canada geese
during the month of August. Requests
for approval must include a discussion
of the State’s or tribe’s efforts to address
its injurious situations using other
methods or a discussion of the reasons
why the methods are not feasible. If the
Service Director approves a request, the
State or tribe must (1) keep annual
records of activities carried out under
the authority of the program, and (2)
provide an annual summary, including
number of individuals participating in
the program and the number of resident
Canada geese shot. Additionally,
participating States and tribes must
monitor the spring breeding population
by providing an annual estimate of the
breeding population and distribution of
resident Canada geese in their State.
Regulations at 50 CFR 21.49, 21.50,
21.51, and 21.52 require that persons or
entities operating under the depredation
and control orders must immediately
report the take of any species protected
under the Endangered Species Act
(ESA) (21.49(d)(1)). This information
ensures that the incidental take limits
E:\FR\FM\03OCN1.SGM
03OCN1
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 192 / Wednesday, October 3, 2012 / Notices
authorized under Section 7 of the ESA
are not exceeded.
Comments: On May 2, 2012, we
published in the Federal Register (77
FR 26032) a notice of our intent to
request that OMB renew approval for
this information collection. In that
notice, we solicited comments for 60
days, ending on July 2, 2012. We
received one comment from the
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
(Wyoming) in response to that notice.
Wyoming generally supported the
information collection to document and
monitor control and management
activities for resident Canada geese.
However, it did not support the level of
detail that we request in the annual
reports, stating that it puts an
unnecessary burden on respondents and
has no practical utility. Although
Wyoming does not indicate which of the
depredation orders it is referring to,
only the control order for resident
Canada geese at agricultural facilities
(21.51), the public health control order
(21.52), and the population control
approval request (21.61) involve State
agencies. To date, the State of Wyoming
has not operated under any of these
orders.
The control order for agricultural
facilities allows State wildlife agencies
and tribes to authorize landowners,
operators, and tenants actively engaged
in commercial agriculture to conduct
direct damage management actions.
These entities must maintain records of
the date and number of geese and eggs
taken and provide it to their agency
upon request. The State or tribal agency
must provide us with an annual
summary of the number of geese, nests,
and eggs destroyed broken down by
month so we can monitor the overall
take of resident Canada geese and the
continued use and effectiveness of the
regulation.
The public health control order may
be implemented by State and tribal
wildlife agencies. The State or tribal
agency must provide us with an annual
summary of the number of geese, nests,
and eggs destroyed broken down by
county. Very few geese are taken under
this order.
The population control order allows
States and tribes to designate
participants to act as their agents under
this order. The State or tribe must keep
records of the following information and
provide an annual summary to us: (1)
The number of individuals participating
in the program; (2) the number of days
individuals participated in the program;
(3) the total number of resident Canada
geese shot and retrieved; and (4) the
number shot but not retrieved.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:03 Oct 02, 2012
Jkt 229001
Overall, we agree that the most
important information the Service and
States need to monitor these
populations is the number of geese,
nests, and eggs destroyed and the
population status. However, the general
time and location of any geese taken
under the various depredation and
control orders provides valuable insight
and ongoing review of the regulations’
continued effectiveness, or lack thereof.
For example, we would expect that over
time the numbers of geese taken with
the various orders should trend
downward, especially in locations
where they are continually
implemented. Further, the information
helps us determine whether the existing
regulations should be revised or
expanded due to changing conditions,
population status, or new conflicts. We
would readily consider any potential
changes in the existing regulations if
information warranted such changes
and have made minor revisions and
clarifications to the regulations since
their promulgation.
Lastly, Wyoming commented that our
60-day Federal Register notice should
have stated that State agencies may
require State permits in order for (1)
airports to operate under the control
order for resident Canada geese at
airports and military airfields (21.49),
and (2) landowners to take nests and
eggs under the nest and egg depredation
order (21.50). Although we do not state
this in the Federal Register notice for
this information collection, that point is
made clear in the regulations for these
orders.
We did not make any changes to our
information collection requirements
based on the above comments.
We again 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. 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
PO 00000
Frm 00085
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
60457
you can ask OMB in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that it will be done.
Dated: September 26, 2012.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives
Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–24398 Filed 10–2–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R3–ES–2012–N225;
FXES11120300000F2–123–FF03E00000]
Draft Midwest Wind Energy MultiSpecies Habitat Conservation Plan
Within Eight-State Planning Area;
Reopening of Comment Period
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Reopening of public comment
period.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), advise the
public that we, in coordination with our
planning partners, are reopening the
public comment period for receipt of
comments pertaining to the
development of the Midwest Wind
Energy Multi-Species Habitat
Conservation Plan.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we
request written comments on or before
December 3, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments or
request information by any one of the
following methods:
U.S. mail: Regional Director, Attn:
Rick Amidon, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Ecological Services, 5600
American Blvd. West, Suite 990,
Bloomington, MN 55437–1458;
Facsimile: 612–713–5292 (Attn: Rick
Amidon); or
Email: midwestwindhcp@fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick
Amidon, (612) 713–5164.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August
30, 2012 (77 FR 52754), we, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
published a Federal Register notice to
advise the public that we, in
coordination with our planning
partners, intend to prepare the Midwest
Wind Energy Multi-Species Habitat
Conservation Plan (MSHCP) under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (ESA). The notice also opened
a 30-day public comment period, which
ended October 1, 2012. With this notice,
we are reopening the public comment
period an additional 60 days. More
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\03OCN1.SGM
03OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60455-60457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24398]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-MB-2012-N227; FXMB1231099BPP0L2-112-FF09M21200]
Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Control and Management of Resident
Canada Geese
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. We summarize
the ICR below and describe the nature of the collection and the
estimated burden and cost. This information collection is scheduled to
expire on November 30, 2012. 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. However, under OMB
regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information
collection while it is pending at OMB.
DATES: You must submit comments on or before November 2, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this information
collection to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at
OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-5806 (fax) or OIRA_DOCKET@OMB.eop.gov (email).
Please provide a copy of your comments to the Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 2042-
PDM, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail), or
INFOCOL@fws.gov (email). Please include ``1018-0133'' in the subject
line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey at INFOCOL@fws.gov (email) or 703-
358-2482 (telephone). You may review the ICR online at https://www.reginfo.gov.
[[Page 60456]]
Follow the instructions to review Department of the Interior
collections under review by OMB.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 1018-0133.
Title: Control and Management of Resident Canada Geese, 50 CFR
20.21, 21.49, 21.50, 21.51, 21.52, and 21.61.
Service Form Number: None.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Description of Respondents: State fish and wildlife agencies,
tribes, and local governments; airports; landowners; and farms.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Number of Completion time per Total annual
Activity respondents responses response burden hours *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.49--Airport Control Order--Annual 50 50 1.5 hours............... 76
Report.
21.50--Nest and Egg Depredation Order-- 1,000 1,000 30 minutes.............. 500
Initial Registration.
21.50--Nest and Egg Depredation Order-- 3,000 3,000 15 minutes.............. 751
Renew Registration.
21.50--Nest and Egg Depredation Order-- 4,000 4,000 15 minutes.............. 1,000
Annual Report.
21.51--Agricultural Depredation Order-- 600 600 30 minutes.............. 300
Recordkeeping.
21.51--Agricultural Depredation Order-- 20 20 8 hours................. 160
Annual Report.
21.52--Public Health Control Order-- 20 20 1 hour.................. 20
Annual Report.
21.49, 21.50, 21.51, and 21.52--Report 2 2 15 minutes.............. 1
Take of Endangered Species.
21.61--Population Control Approval 8 8 24 hours................ 192
Request--Recordkeeping and Annual
Report.
21.61--Population Control Approval 8 8 160 hours............... 1,280
Request--Population Estimates.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals............................ 8,708 8,708 ........................ 4,280
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* rounded.
Abstract: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits the take,
possession, import, export, transport, sale, purchase, or bartering of
migratory birds or their parts except as permitted under the terms of a
valid permit or as permitted by regulations. In 2006, we issued
regulations establishing two depredation orders and three control
orders that allow State and tribal wildlife agencies, private
landowners, and airports to conduct resident Canada goose population
management, including the take of birds. We monitor the data collected
for activities under these orders and may rescind an order if
monitoring indicates that activities are inconsistent with conservation
of Canada geese.
Control order for airports. 50 CFR 21.49 allows managers at
commercial, public, and private airports and military airfields and
their employees or agents to implement management of resident Canada
geese to resolve or prevent threats to public safety. An airport must
be part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems and have
received Federal grant-in-aid assistance or be a military airfield
under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of the Secretary of a
military department. Each facility exercising the privileges of the
order must submit an annual report with the date, numbers, and
locations of birds, nests, and eggs taken.
Depredation order for nests and eggs. 50 CFR 21.50 allows private
landowners and managers of public lands to destroy resident Canada
goose nests and eggs on property under their jurisdiction provided they
register annually on our Web site at https://epermits.fws.gov/eRCGR.
Registrants must provide basic information, such as name, address,
phone number and email, and identify where the control work will occur
and who will conduct it. Registrants must return to the Web site to
report the number of nests with eggs they destroyed.
Depredation order for agricultural facilities. 50 CFR 21.51 allows
States and tribes, via their wildlife agency, to implement a program to
allow landowners, operators, and tenants actively engaged in commercial
agriculture to conduct damage management control when geese are
committing depredations or to resolve or prevent other injury to
agricultural interests. State and tribal wildlife agencies in the
Atlantic, Central, and Mississippi Flyway portions of 41 States can
implement the provisions of the order. Agricultural producers must
maintain a log of the date and number of birds taken under this
authorization. States and tribes exercising the privileges of the order
must submit an annual report of the numbers of birds, nests, and eggs
taken and the county where take occurred.
Public health control order. 50 CFR 21.52 authorizes States and
tribes of the lower 48 States to conduct (via the State or tribal
wildlife agency) resident Canada goose control and management
activities when the geese pose a direct threat to human health. States
and tribes operating under this order must submit an annual report
summarizing activities, including the numbers of birds taken and the
county where take occurred.
Population control. 50 CFR 21.61 establishes a managed take program
to reduce and stabilize resident Canada goose populations when
traditional and otherwise authorized management measures are not
successful or feasible. A State or tribal wildlife agency in the
Atlantic, Mississippi, or Central Flyway may request approval for this
population control program. If approved, the State or tribe may use
hunters to harvest resident Canada geese during the month of August.
Requests for approval must include a discussion of the State's or
tribe's efforts to address its injurious situations using other methods
or a discussion of the reasons why the methods are not feasible. If the
Service Director approves a request, the State or tribe must (1) keep
annual records of activities carried out under the authority of the
program, and (2) provide an annual summary, including number of
individuals participating in the program and the number of resident
Canada geese shot. Additionally, participating States and tribes must
monitor the spring breeding population by providing an annual estimate
of the breeding population and distribution of resident Canada geese in
their State.
Regulations at 50 CFR 21.49, 21.50, 21.51, and 21.52 require that
persons or entities operating under the depredation and control orders
must immediately report the take of any species protected under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) (21.49(d)(1)). This information ensures
that the incidental take limits
[[Page 60457]]
authorized under Section 7 of the ESA are not exceeded.
Comments: On May 2, 2012, we published in the Federal Register (77
FR 26032) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew approval for
this information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for
60 days, ending on July 2, 2012. We received one comment from the
Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Wyoming) in response to that notice.
Wyoming generally supported the information collection to document
and monitor control and management activities for resident Canada
geese. However, it did not support the level of detail that we request
in the annual reports, stating that it puts an unnecessary burden on
respondents and has no practical utility. Although Wyoming does not
indicate which of the depredation orders it is referring to, only the
control order for resident Canada geese at agricultural facilities
(21.51), the public health control order (21.52), and the population
control approval request (21.61) involve State agencies. To date, the
State of Wyoming has not operated under any of these orders.
The control order for agricultural facilities allows State wildlife
agencies and tribes to authorize landowners, operators, and tenants
actively engaged in commercial agriculture to conduct direct damage
management actions. These entities must maintain records of the date
and number of geese and eggs taken and provide it to their agency upon
request. The State or tribal agency must provide us with an annual
summary of the number of geese, nests, and eggs destroyed broken down
by month so we can monitor the overall take of resident Canada geese
and the continued use and effectiveness of the regulation.
The public health control order may be implemented by State and
tribal wildlife agencies. The State or tribal agency must provide us
with an annual summary of the number of geese, nests, and eggs
destroyed broken down by county. Very few geese are taken under this
order.
The population control order allows States and tribes to designate
participants to act as their agents under this order. The State or
tribe must keep records of the following information and provide an
annual summary to us: (1) The number of individuals participating in
the program; (2) the number of days individuals participated in the
program; (3) the total number of resident Canada geese shot and
retrieved; and (4) the number shot but not retrieved.
Overall, we agree that the most important information the Service
and States need to monitor these populations is the number of geese,
nests, and eggs destroyed and the population status. However, the
general time and location of any geese taken under the various
depredation and control orders provides valuable insight and ongoing
review of the regulations' continued effectiveness, or lack thereof.
For example, we would expect that over time the numbers of geese taken
with the various orders should trend downward, especially in locations
where they are continually implemented. Further, the information helps
us determine whether the existing regulations should be revised or
expanded due to changing conditions, population status, or new
conflicts. We would readily consider any potential changes in the
existing regulations if information warranted such changes and have
made minor revisions and clarifications to the regulations since their
promulgation.
Lastly, Wyoming commented that our 60-day Federal Register notice
should have stated that State agencies may require State permits in
order for (1) airports to operate under the control order for resident
Canada geese at airports and military airfields (21.49), and (2)
landowners to take nests and eggs under the nest and egg depredation
order (21.50). Although we do not state this in the Federal Register
notice for this information collection, that point is made clear in the
regulations for these orders.
We did not make any changes to our information collection
requirements based on the above comments.
We again 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. 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 OMB in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it
will be done.
Dated: September 26, 2012.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-24398 Filed 10-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
