Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments, 48909-48910 [2015-20125]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• U.s. Geological Survey

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 157 (Friday, August 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48909-48910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20125]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Geological Survey

[GX15.WB12.C25A1.00]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a new information collection, Alaska Beak Deformity 
Observations.

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SUMMARY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) 
described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of

[[Page 48910]]

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.

DATES: To ensure that your comments are considered, we must receive 
them on or before October 13, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this information collection to 
the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648-
7197 (fax); or gs-info_collections@usgs.gov (email). Please reference 
`Information Collection 1028-NEW, Alaska Beak Deformity Observations' 
in all correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colleen Handel, Research Wildlife 
Biologist at (907) 786-7181 or cmhandel@usgs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    As part of the USGS Ecosystems mission to assess the status and 
trends of the Nation's biological resources, the Alaska Science Center 
Landbird Program conducts research on avian populations within Alaska. 
Beginning in the late 1990s, an outbreak of beak deformities in Black-
capped Chickadees emerged in southcentral Alaska. USGS scientists 
launched a study to understand the scope of this problem and its effect 
on wild birds. Since that time, researchers have gathered important 
information about the deformities but their cause still remains 
unknown. The collection of PII is requested as part of this ongoing 
research in resident Alaskan birds. Members of the public provide 
observation reports of birds with deformities from around Alaska and 
other regions of North America. These reports are very important in 
that they allow researchers to determine the geographical distribution 
and species affected. Data collection over such a large and remote area 
would not be possible without the public's assistance. As part of the 
online reporting system, an individual's phone number, email address, 
and mailing address are requested. This information allows researchers 
to request additional details or verify reports if necessary but is not 
required for submission. PII is used only for contact purposes, is 
stored in a separate table that is encrypted, and is not shared in any 
way with other individuals, groups, or organizations.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.
    Title: Alaska Beak Deformity Observations.
    Type of Request: An existing collection without OMB approval.
    Affected Public: General Public.
    Respondent's Obligation: None. Participation is voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Average four observations a week.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 208.
    Estimated Time per Response: Approximately 5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 16 hours.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: 
None.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency 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 and current expiration date.

III. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting comments as to: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its 
duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and (d) how to minimize the burden 
on the respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice 
are a matter of public record. Before including your personal mailing 
address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable 
information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire 
comment, including your personally identifiable information, may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personally identifiable information from 
public view, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Mark Shasby,
Alaska Science Center Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-20125 Filed 8-13-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4311-AM-P