Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, Experimental Populations, 25148-25150 [2014-10043]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 85 (Friday, May 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25148-25150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10043]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-ES-2014-N081; FXES11130900000-134-FF09E32000]


Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, 
Experimental Populations

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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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 May 31, 2014. 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 June 2, 2014.

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_Submission@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 hope_grey@fws.gov (email). Please include ``1018-0095'' in 
the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey at hope_grey@fws.gov (email) or 703-
358-2482 (telephone). You may review the ICR online at https://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the 
Interior collections under review by OMB.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Information Collection Request

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0095.
    Title: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, Experimental 
Populations, 50 CFR 17.84.
    Service Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals and households, private 
sector, and State/local/tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 105.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 105.
    Completion Time Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 55 (rounded).
    Abstract: Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(ESA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), authorizes the Secretary of 
the Interior to establish experimental populations of endangered or 
threatened species. Because individuals of experimental populations are 
categorically protected under the ESA, the information we collect is 
important for monitoring the success of reintroduction efforts and 
recovery efforts in general. This is a nonform collection. Information 
collection requirements for experimental populations of endangered and 
threatened species are in 50 CFR 17.84. We collect three categories of 
information:
    (1) General take or removal. Relates to human-related mortality, 
including unintentional taking incidental to otherwise lawful 
activities (e.g., highway mortalities); animal husbandry actions 
authorized to manage the population (e.g., translocation or providing 
aid to sick, injured, or orphaned individuals); take in defense of 
human life; take related to defense of property (if authorized); or 
take in the form of authorized harassment.
    (2) Depredation-related take. Involves take for management purposes 
where

[[Page 25149]]

livestock depredation is documented, and may include authorized 
harassment or authorized lethal take of experimental population animals 
in the act of attacking livestock.
    (3) Specimen collection, recovery, or reporting of dead 
individuals. This information documents incidental or authorized 
scientific collection. Most of the contacts with the public deal 
primarily with the reporting of sightings of experimental population 
animals or the inadvertent discovery of an injured or dead individual.
    The information that we collect includes:
     Name, address, and phone number of reporting party.
     Species involved.
     Type of incident.
     Take (quantity).
     Location and time of the reported incident.
     Description of the circumstances related to the incident.
    Service recovery specialists use this information to determine the 
success of reintroductions in relation to established recovery plan 
goals for the threatened and endangered species involved. In addition, 
this information helps us to assess the effectiveness of control 
activities in order to develop better means to reduce problems with 
livestock for those species where depredation is a problem.

Comments Received and Our Responses

    Comments: On November 8, 2013, we published in the Federal Register 
(78 FR 67185) 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 January 7, 2014. We received three comments in 
response to our 60-day notice. Two commenters urged the Service to 
redefine or expand the term ``depredation incident.'' We note the 
concerns raised by these individuals, but the comments do not address 
issues surrounding the collection of information or the cost and hour 
burden estimates.

Necessity of Collection

    Comments: All three commenters noted that the collection of this 
information is necessary. One commenter stated that this information 
collection is necessary to ensure that the Service relies solely on the 
best scientific and commercial data available. Another commenter stated 
that the information is beneficial, but must be made available to the 
local governments within a short time frame. Another commenter stated 
that without reporting requirements for all take, it would be much more 
difficult to develop a responsive recovery program for these species.
    Response: We concur with the importance of this information 
collection to ensure our programs for experimental populations are 
based on the best scientific and commercial data available, and, 
therefore, aid in development of responsive recovery programs for these 
species. We coordinate closely with State wildlife management agencies 
in the conservation and management of endangered and threatened species 
under the ESA, including the conservation and management of 
experimental populations. State wildlife agencies are our primary 
conservation partners, and we routinely share data with them, including 
the data gathered under this information collection.

Burden Estimates

    Comments: One commenter stated that the burden for reporting 
depredations and take is grossly understated. The commenter noted the 
Service has not responded in a timely manner to confirm depredations, 
leaving citizens to report multiple times and wait by carcasses to 
protect them from scavengers. Another commenter stated that the costs 
of this collection are minimal and impose virtually no burden to the 
public.
    Response: This information collection covers multiple experimental 
populations, multiple species (which may have more than one 
experimental population), multiple types of activities, multiple 
geographic locations across the United States, and multiple Service 
Regions. We estimate that the time required to provide the notification 
varies substantially, but usually ranges between 5 and 45 minutes. We 
acknowledge that it may take some respondents, such as State fish and 
wildlife agencies, longer than others to gather and compile the data 
prior to notifying us. State fish and wildlife agencies may provide 
information to us on multiple species, experimental populations, and 
incidents in a single notification (thereby requiring more than 15 
minutes for them to provide us with the information). In contrast to 
State fish and wildlife agencies, the general public usually provides 
information on a single species, experimental population, and incident 
in one notification (thereby requiring substantially less than 15 
minutes for them to provide us with the information).
    With respect specifically to reporting information for depredation 
incidents, we acknowledge that it may take additional time after the 
take is reported for Service personnel to verify the take as a 
depredation incident. Verification requires physical examination of the 
site and carcass, which requires travel on the part of limited 
personnel who may be otherwise occupied at the time. We apologize for 
any additional burden this may cause some citizens, but note that 
depredation incidents are associated with only a small number of 
experimental populations.
    Given the variety of potential situations requiring notification, 
as well as the variety of potential respondents, but acknowledging the 
added time a small number of citizens may experience for the entire 
interaction beyond their initial reporting of the incident themselves, 
we are revising our average time estimate to 30 minutes per response. 
We believe our estimates are within reason because they represent the 
average amount of time it will take to provide the requested 
information via making a telephone call or to send a facsimile.
    Comment: General sighting reports do not appear to be included in 
the three categories of information collection.
    Response: General sightings are included in the description of the 
information collection for specimen collection.

Ways to Enhance the Quality, Utility, and Clarity of Information

    Comment: Sharing the data in summary form would increase the 
utility of the data.
    Response: State wildlife agencies are our primary conservation 
partners, and we routinely share data with them (and vice versa), 
including the data gathered under this information collection.

Ways to Minimize Burden

    Comments: Two commenters did not suggest ways to minimize the 
burden, but commented specifically with respect to the follow up by 
Federal employees with respect to assessment of reported depredation 
incidents. The third commenter stated there was ``virtually no burden'' 
(already noted above).
    Response: We have not made any changes to our information 
collection requirements as a result of the above comments. With respect 
to the comments made regarding documentation of possible depredation 
incidents, these are law enforcement issues and do not directly relate 
to the collection of information addressed in this notice.

Request for Public Comments

    We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:

[[Page 25150]]

     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: April 28, 2014.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-10043 Filed 5-1-14; 8:45 am]
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