Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Electronic Federal Duck Stamp Program, 76209-76210 [2022-26987]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76209-76210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26987]



[[Page 76209]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2021-N070; FF09M13100, FXMB12330900000 (234); OMB Control 
Number 1018-0135]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Electronic 
Federal Duck Stamp Program

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, we, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew an 
information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 12, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to 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 ``1018-0135'' in the 
subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 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.

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 by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 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.
    On March 4, 2022, we published in the Federal Register (87 FR 
12482) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on May 3, 2022. 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-MB-2021-0161) 
to provide the public with an additional method to submit comments (in 
addition to the typical [email protected] email and U.S. mail 
submission methods). We did not receive any comments addressing the 
information collection in response to that notice.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we invite 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.
    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 ICR. 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: On March 16, 1934, Congress passed, and President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt signed, the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (16 
U.S.C. 718a et seq.). Popularly known as the Duck Stamp Act, it 
requires all migratory waterfowl hunters 16 years of age or older to 
buy a Federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp (Federal 
Duck Stamp) annually. The stamps are a vital tool for wetland 
conservation. Ninety-eight cents out of every dollar generated by the 
sale of Federal Duck Stamps goes directly to purchase or lease wetland 
habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The 
Federal Duck Stamp program is one of the most successful conservation 
programs ever initiated and is a highly effective way to conserve 
America's natural resources. Besides serving as a hunting license and a 
conservation tool, a current year's Federal Duck Stamp also serves as 
an entrance pass for national wildlife refuges where admission is 
charged. Duck Stamps and products that bear stamp images are also 
popular collector's items.
    The Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-266) required 
the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 3-year pilot program, under 
which States could issue electronic Federal Duck Stamps. This pilot 
program is now permanent with the passage of the Permanent Electronic 
Duck Stamp Act of 2013 (Pub. L. 113-239). Anyone, regardless of State 
residence, is able to purchase an electronic Duck Stamp through any 
State that participates in the program. The electronic stamp is issued 
as a temporary permit and is valid from the date of purchase through up 
to 45 days after the date of purchase, and thus is available for 
immediate use by the purchaser while he or she waits to receive the 
actual physical stamp in the mail. Upon receipt of the physical stamp 
or after the temporary permit expires, whichever comes first, the 
purchaser must carry the signed physical Federal Duck Stamp while 
hunting or to gain fee-free access to national wildlife refuges.
    Eight States participated in the pilot. At the end of the pilot, we 
provided a report to Congress outlining the successes of the program. 
The program improved public participation by increasing the ability of 
the public to obtain required Federal Duck Stamps.

[[Page 76210]]

    Under our authorities in 16 U.S.C. 718 et seq., we continued the 
Electronic Duck Stamp Program in the eight States that participated in 
the pilot. Currently, the expanded program includes 28 States. Several 
additional States have indicated interest in participating, and we have 
had requests to continue to expand the program by continuing to invite 
the remaining eligible State fish and wildlife agencies to apply to 
participate. Interested States must submit an application (FWS Form 3-
2341). We will use the information provided in the application to 
determine a State's eligibility to participate in the program and 
willingness to comply with the temporary permit requirements of issuing 
an electronic stamp. Information includes, but is not limited to:
     Information verifying the current systems the State uses 
to sell hunting, fishing, and other associated licenses and products.
     Applicable State laws, regulations, or policies that 
authorize the use of electronic systems to issue licenses.
     Examples and explanations of the codes the State proposes 
to use to create and endorse the unique identifier for the individual 
to whom each stamp is issued.
     Mockup copy of the printed version of the State's proposed 
electronic stamp, including a description of how attention will be 
drawn to the 45-day validity of the temporary electronic stamp, 
customer support information, and identifying features of the licensee 
to be specified on the temporary permit.
     Description of any fee the State will charge for issuance 
of an electronic stamp.
     Description of the process the State will use to account 
for and transfer the amounts collected by the State that are required 
to be transferred under the program.
     Manner in which the State will transmit electronic stamp 
customer data.
    Each State approved to participate in the program must provide the 
following information, on a regular basis (not to exceed 7 days post 
purchase), to the Service-approved stamp distribution company, to 
enable that company to issue the physical stamp within the required 45-
day period:
     Full name (first, middle, last, and any prefixes/
suffixes), and complete mailing address of each individual who 
purchases an electronic stamp from the State.
     Date of e-stamp purchase.
    We did not make any substantive changes to the application form 
(FWS Form 3-2341); however, we updated the formatting of the form to 
comply with the requirements of section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 
of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), and to conform with formatting requirements 
of the Department of the Interior and the Service. No substantive 
changes were made to the information collected from States. Upon 
request, a copy of the draft form is available by sending a request to 
the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer at 
[email protected].
    Title of Collection: Electronic Federal Duck Stamp Program.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0135.
    Form Number: FWS Form 3-2341.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State fish and wildlife agencies.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: One time for applications, and an average 
of once every 9 days per respondent for fulfillment reports.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.

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                                                     Estimated       Estimated      Completion
                                                     number of       number of       time per        Estimated
              Activity/Requirement                    annual          annual         response      total annual
                                                    respondents      responses        (hours)      burden hours
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Application (FWS Form 3-2341)...................               6               6              40             240
Fulfillment Reports.............................              33           1,353               1           1,353
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................              39           1,359  ..............           1,593
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    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. 2022-26987 Filed 12-12-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P