Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bison Donations Request Program, 9535-9538 [2023-03091]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 14, 2023 / Notices
course of their one-year graduate
experience so project officers can gauge
the impact and effectiveness of the
training. After graduating, the scholars
are requested to fill out an assessment
to further our understanding of the
course’s impact. We also ask students to
help develop communication and
outreach materials to share the impacts
of the scholarships with partners and
the public.
Course enrollees are asked to
complete pre- and post-training
assessments which collects the
following information:
• Trainee information, to include:
—Name,
—Gender,
—Age range,
—Institution represented,
—Job title/position,
—Contact information such as their
include complete address, phone
numbers, and email, and
—Country.
• Trainee’s assessment of training—
Questions provide participants an
opportunity to offer feedback on their
training to help inform how we can
improve project activities and goals.
• Potential effect of training on the
trainee’s job—Questions provide an
opportunity for participants to share
how the technical training provided
through the scholarships may open
professional opportunities.
• Knowledge of biodiversity and
CITES—Questions are designed to
measure the impact of training by
quantifying changes in each
participant’s knowledge of biodiversity
and CITES between pre- and posttraining assessments.
• Capacity to apply knowledge on
biodiversity and CITES—Questions are
designed to measure the impact in
training by quantifying changes in
knowledge between pre- and posttraining assessments.
The Service will use the information
collected to ensure project activities are
meeting high project standards and are
achieving intended outcomes. In
addition, information collected for
Average
number of
annual
respondents
Requirement
Nomination/Application:
Private Sector ...............................................................
Government ..................................................................
Pre-Assessment Questionnaire:
Private Sector ...............................................................
Government ..................................................................
Post-Assessment Questionnaire:
Private Sector ...............................................................
Government ..................................................................
Totals .....................................................................
Average
number of
responses
each
9535
project outreach and communication
will be used to inform the public on
project outcomes and to garner interest
in future scholarship opportunities.
The public may request copies of the
application form contained in this
information collection by sending a
request to the Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer in
ADDRESSES, above.
Title of Collection: CITES Masters
Course.
OMB Control Number: 1018–New.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Existing information
collection in use without OMB
approval.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Program participants from foreign
public sector and foreign government
entities.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: None.
Average
number of
annual
responses
Average
completion
time per
response
Estimated
annual burden
hours *
3
30
1
1
3
30
1 hour ............
1 hour ............
3
30
1
14
1
1
1
14
20 minutes .....
20 minutes .....
0
5
1
14
1
1
1
14
20 minutes .....
20 minutes .....
0
5
63
........................
63
........................
43
* Rounded.
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. 2023–03092 Filed 2–13–23; 8:45 am]
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–HQ–NWRS–2022–N079; FF09R23000–
223–FXRS126109WH000; OMB Control
Number 1018–New]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Bison Donations Request
Program
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), are proposing a new
information collection in use without
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:12 Feb 13, 2023
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Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before March
16, 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 Info_Coll@fws.gov. Please
reference ‘‘1018-Bison’’ in the subject
line of your comments.
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 14, 2023 / Notices
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Madonna L. Baucum, Service
Information Collection Clearance
Officer, by email at Info_Coll@fws.gov,
or by telephone at (703) 358–2503. 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. 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-ofcontact 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 under the
PRA. 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 August 12, 2022, we published in
the Federal Register (87 FR 49878) a
notice of our intent to request that OMB
approve this information collection. In
that notice, we solicited comments for
60 days, ending on October 11, 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 No. FWS–HQ–NWRS–2022–
0087) to provide the public with an
additional method to submit comments
(in addition to the typical Info_Coll@
fws.gov email and U.S. mail submission
methods). We received the following
comments in response to that notice:
Comment 1: Electronic comment
received via Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–
NWRS–2022–0087–0002) from Jean
Publiee on August 13, 2022. The
comment did not address the
information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 1: The
comment did not address the
information collection requirements. No
response required.
Comment 2: Anonymous electronic
comment received via Regulations.gov
(FWS–HQ–NWRS–2022–0087–0003) on
September 1, 2022. The comment did
not address the information collection
requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 2: The
comment did not address the
information collection requirements. No
response required.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:12 Feb 13, 2023
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Comment 3: Anonymous electronic
comment received via Regulations.gov
(FWS–HQ–NWRS–2022–0087–0004) on
October 10, 2022. The comment did not
address the information collection
requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 3: The
comment did not address the
information collection requirements. No
response required.
Comment 4: Electronic comment
received via Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–
NWRS–2022–0087–0005) from Troy
Heinert, as representative of InterTribal
Buffalo Council (ITBC), on October 11,
2022. The comment provided
background information for ITBC as an
organization serving 78 member Tribes
in 20 States, serving over 1 million
enrolled Tribal members. The comment
referenced past successful collaboration
with the Service to restore buffalo to
Tribal lands and affirmed the
commitment of ITBC to seek future
collaborations. While the comment
stated that the form does not fully
articulate what many Tribes are doing
with the donated animals, it
acknowledges that it is difficult to put
a number on animals that may be
intended for multiple purposes. The
comment identifies ITBC’s capacity to
facilitate and implement bison
donations from Service-managed herds.
Agency Response to Comment 4:
ITBC’s internal Surplus Buffalo Program
Request for Proposals process helps
facilitate bison donations from Servicemanaged herds through requests from
member Tribes, and we incorporated
ITBC comments provided in past years
into the form. The Service looks forward
to continuing our successful
collaboration with ITBC to help restore
bison as native North American wildlife
to Tribal lands.
Comment 5: Email comment
submitted to Bison Donation Request
Form Outreach Coordinator on October
6, 2022, from Joshua Wiese, Range
Manager of the Crane Trust. The
comment states the questions and
validations are warranted, and the form
only takes about 10 minutes to read
through and fill out completely. The
comment suggested that additional
clarification be added for bison use
categories, and that an online platform/
survey/questionnaire alternative might
provide additional accessibility and
speed up the process.
Agency Response to Comment 5:
Comment validated the minimal time
investment to complete the form.
Descriptions of bison use categories are
included in the text of the form,
followed by a clear definition prefaced
in bold font. Many donation requestors
do not utilize electronic web-based
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platforms or the electronic fillable PDF
with electronic signatures. Transitioning
to a fully online system would likely
exclude many applicants with less
reliable internet access and would limit
access to many of the communities
which the form currently serves.
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: The Service’s ‘‘Bison
Donations Transfer Protocol’’ (protocol)
describes the process for the donation of
the available surplus bison from the
Service to eligible organizations, Tribes,
or intertribal organizations as outlined
in regulations at 50 CFR 30.1, as well as
in Service Manual chapters 701 FW 5
and 701 FW 8. Surplus bison are
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 14, 2023 / Notices
offspring that exceed the ecological
carrying capacity of the Service bison
metapopulation. The primary purposes
of donating these bison are to support
conservation of the species as native
North American wildlife and to assist in
the restoration of bison herds on
conservation partner lands, with special
emphasis on restoring conservation
herds to Tribal lands. Our authorities
governing the Protocol include:
• National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd
and 668ee, as amended);
• American Indian Religious Freedom
Act (Public Law 95–341);
• Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (Public Law
93–638, as amended);
• Surplus Range Animals (50 CFR
30.1);
• Disposition of Surplus Range
Animals (50 CFR 30.2);
• Native American Policy of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (510 FW 1);
• Fenced Animal Management policy
(701 FW 8); and
• Collections, Donations, and
Disposals policy (701 FW 5).
In 2020, the U.S. Department of the
Interior (DOI) Bison Working Group
published the Department of the Interior
Bison Conservation Initiative 2020
(initiative), recognizing bison as a
wildlife species in need of conservation.
Consistent with this initiative, Service
policy identifies the ecological and
cultural values of bison as nationally
and/or historically significant animals.
The Bison Conservation Genetics
Workshop: Report and
Recommendations (2010 report)
identifies DOI bison herds as a valuable
source with which to start new
conservation herds proposed by other
Federal, State/provincial, or Tribal
governments. The DOI Bison Report:
Looking Forward (2014 report)
acknowledges the challenges to
achieving bison restoration on DOI
lands and emphasizes the importance of
partnerships for achieving bison
conservation and ecological restoration.
Both the 2010 and 2014 reports also
identify the potential for bison herds
maintained by Indian Tribes to
contribute to species conservation, and
the Service recognizes that such bison
may also support Tribal cultural rights
and practices.
Periodic reduction in the size of
Service bison herds is required to
remain within the ecological carrying
capacity of Service lands. Live bison
capture and removal assist in the
restoration of bison to Tribal lands,
support the efforts of States and other
conservation organizations, and ensure
that the ecological needs of other
species are met on refuges of limited
size. To support maximum conservation
of genetic diversity within and across
Service herds, selection of young bison
available for donation is coordinated
across all refuges. From the surplus
bison made available for donation from
refuges, requests will be prioritized for
bison restoration and conservation
purposes.
We propose Form 3–2555, ‘‘Bison
Donations Request Form,’’ to request
surplus bison. Respondents will
generally be from Tribal governments
and intertribal organizations, although
we do expect to receive a small number
of requests from States and private
sector organizations (nonprofit and
educational/research organizations).
The request form provides details
governing the protocol and collects the
following information:
• Name of requesting Tribe,
intertribal organization, State, or private
sector organization.
• Documentation that the proposed
project or program meets the definition
of a conservation herd.
• Demonstration of the educational
contribution of the donation to
increasing public knowledge and
appreciation of the wildlife values of
bison (for educational and research
organizations only).
• Total number (or percentage of total
donation request) of bison and purpose
of request:
—Establish a free-ranging conservation
herd;
Average
number of
annual
respondents
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES
Requirement
Submission of Form 3–2555:
Private Sector ...............................................................
Government ..................................................................
Required Notifications:
Private Sector ...............................................................
Government ..................................................................
Totals .....................................................................
Average
number of
responses
each
—Supplement or augment a free-ranging
conservation herd;
—Establish a self-sustaining herd for
non-conservation purposes;
—Supplement or augment a selfsustaining herd for non-conservation
purposes;
—Public display, educational purposes
and/or research;
—Tribal spiritual or cultural purposes;
or
—A description if ‘‘Other’’ purpose.
• Signature of requesting Tribe,
intertribal organization, State, or private
sector organization official.
In addition to completion of Form 3–
2555, recipients of donated bison must
inform the Service of the destination
State for donated bison no fewer than 30
days prior to a scheduled bison capture
operation, to allow the Service time to
meet interstate transport regulatory
testing requirements. Recipients of
donated bison must also inform the
Service of the destination physical
address for donated bison no fewer than
10 days prior to scheduled bison
loadout, to facilitate timely completion
of required interstate veterinary permit
applications and veterinary inspection
certificates.
The public may download a copy of
the proposed Form 3–2555 from the ICR
on at https://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the
instructions to review Department of the
Interior collections under review by
OMB.
Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Bison Donations
Request Program.
OMB Control Number: 1018–New.
Form Number: 3–2555.
Type of Review: Existing collection in
use without an OMB control number.
Respondents/Affected Public: Private
sector organizations and State/local/
Tribal governments.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: There is no cost associated
with the Protocol.
Average
number of
annual
responses *
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Estimated
annual burden
hours *
2
18
1
1
2
18
1
1
2
18
2
18
2
2
4
36
.5
.5
2
18
40
........................
60
........................
40
* Rounded.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Average
completion
time per
response
(hour)
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 14, 2023 / Notices
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. 2023–03091 Filed 2–13–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
[23XD4523WS/DWSN00000.000000/
DS61500000/DP.61501]
Notice of Public Meeting of the
Invasive Species Advisory Committee
National Invasive Species
Council, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the provisions of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act,
notice is hereby given that the Invasive
Species Advisory Committee (ISAC)
will meet as indicated below.
DATES: The Invasive Species Advisory
Committee will convene by Zoom
virtual platform on Monday, March 6,
2023, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.; Tuesday,
March 7, 2023, 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.; and
Wednesday, March 8, 2023, 1:00 p.m.–
5:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The final agenda will be
available on the National Invasive
Species Council (NISC) website at least
48 hours in advance of the meeting at
https://www.invasivespecies.gov.
Registration is required (see
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information concerning attending the
ISAC meeting, submitting written
comments to the ISAC, or requesting to
address the ISAC, contact Kelsey
Brantley, NISC Operations Director and
ISAC Coordinator, National Invasive
Species Council Staff, telephone (202)
577–7012; fax: (202) 208–4118, or email
kelsey_brantley@ios.doi.gov.
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-ofcontact in the United States.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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20:12 Feb 13, 2023
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The
purpose of the ISAC is to provide advice
to the NISC, as authorized by Executive
Orders 13112 and 13751, on a broad
array of issues related to preventing the
introduction of invasive species and
providing for their control and
minimizing the economic, ecological,
and human health impacts that invasive
species cause. NISC is co-chaired by the
Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of
Agriculture, and the Secretary of
Commerce. The duty of NISC is to
provide national leadership regarding
invasive species issues.
The purpose of the virtual meetings is
to convene the full ISAC to orient new
members to NISC and their role in ISAC,
receive updates from NISC member
agencies regarding ongoing priority
activities; and start deliberations on
select issues warranting ISAC advice to
NISC.
Meeting Registration: Due to the
limited number of connections
available, individuals must register no
later than Friday, March 3, 2023; 3:00
p.m. ET at: https://forms.office.com/g/
dna7MJd8Mn.
Meeting Agenda. The meeting will be
conducted as follows: Monday, March 6,
2023 (1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. ET): Opening
remarks, Member introductions;
Tuesday, March 7, 2023 (1:00 p.m.–5:00
p.m. ET): NISC Agency Updates,
Committee deliberations and selection
of Committee officers, Public Comment;
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 (1:00 p.m.–
5:00 p.m. ET): Continued deliberations,
Public Comment.
The final agenda, records, and other
reference documents for discussion
during the meeting will be available for
public viewing as they become
available, but no later than 48 hours
prior to the start of the meeting at
https://www.invasivespecies.gov.
Interested members of the public may
provide either oral or written comments
to ISAC for consideration. Oral
comments may be given during
designated times as specified in the
meeting agenda. Written comments
must be submitted by email to Kelsey
Brantley (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT), no later than Friday, March 3,
2023, 3:00 p.m. (ET). All written
comments will be provided to members
of the ISAC. Due to time constraints
during the virtual meeting, written
public statements will be submitted
directly into the record.
Depending on the number of people
who want to comment during the time
available, the length of individual oral
comments may be limited. Requests to
address the ISAC during the meeting
will be accommodated in the order the
requests are received. Individuals who
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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wish to expand upon their oral
statements, or those who had wished to
speak but could not be accommodated
on the agenda, may submit written
comments to Kelsey Brantley (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), up to 30
days following the meeting.
All comments will be made part of the
public record and will be electronically
distributed to all ISAC members.
Detailed minutes of the meeting will be
available for public inspection within
90 days of the meeting.
Meeting Accessibility/Special
Accommodations: The meeting is open
to the public. Registration is required
(see Meeting Registration above). Please
make requests in advance for sign
language interpreter services, assistive
listening devices, or other reasonable
accommodations. We ask that you
contact Kelsey Brantley (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), at least
seven (7) business days prior to the
meeting to give the Department of the
Interior sufficient time to process your
request. All reasonable accommodation
requests are managed on a case-by-case
basis.
Public Disclosure of Comments:
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
written comments, you should be aware
that your entire comment including
your personal identifying information
will be made publicly available. 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.
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 10.
Stanley W. Burgiel,
Executive Director, National Invasive Species
Council.
[FR Doc. 2023–03122 Filed 2–13–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334–63–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVW01000.L14400000.EQ0000.241A; N–
98541, MO# 4500163159]
Notice of Realty Action: Recreation
and Public Purposes Act Classification
of Public Lands in Humboldt County,
Nevada
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of realty action.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), Humboldt River
Field Office, has examined certain
public lands in Humboldt County,
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\14FEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9535-9538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03091]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-N079; FF09R23000-223-FXRS126109WH000; OMB Control
Number 1018-New]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Bison Donations Request Program
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing a new
information collection in use without Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
March 16, 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-Bison'' in the
subject line of your comments.
[[Page 9536]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at [email protected], or by
telephone at (703) 358-2503. 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. 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 under
the PRA. 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 August 12, 2022, we published in the Federal Register (87 FR
49878) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60
days, ending on October 11, 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 No.
FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087) 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 received the following comments
in response to that notice:
Comment 1: Electronic comment received via Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-
NWRS-2022-0087-0002) from Jean Publiee on August 13, 2022. The comment
did not address the information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 1: The comment did not address the
information collection requirements. No response required.
Comment 2: Anonymous electronic comment received via
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087-0003) on September 1, 2022. The
comment did not address the information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 2: The comment did not address the
information collection requirements. No response required.
Comment 3: Anonymous electronic comment received via
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0087-0004) on October 10, 2022. The
comment did not address the information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 3: The comment did not address the
information collection requirements. No response required.
Comment 4: Electronic comment received via Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-
NWRS-2022-0087-0005) from Troy Heinert, as representative of
InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), on October 11, 2022. The comment
provided background information for ITBC as an organization serving 78
member Tribes in 20 States, serving over 1 million enrolled Tribal
members. The comment referenced past successful collaboration with the
Service to restore buffalo to Tribal lands and affirmed the commitment
of ITBC to seek future collaborations. While the comment stated that
the form does not fully articulate what many Tribes are doing with the
donated animals, it acknowledges that it is difficult to put a number
on animals that may be intended for multiple purposes. The comment
identifies ITBC's capacity to facilitate and implement bison donations
from Service-managed herds.
Agency Response to Comment 4: ITBC's internal Surplus Buffalo
Program Request for Proposals process helps facilitate bison donations
from Service-managed herds through requests from member Tribes, and we
incorporated ITBC comments provided in past years into the form. The
Service looks forward to continuing our successful collaboration with
ITBC to help restore bison as native North American wildlife to Tribal
lands.
Comment 5: Email comment submitted to Bison Donation Request Form
Outreach Coordinator on October 6, 2022, from Joshua Wiese, Range
Manager of the Crane Trust. The comment states the questions and
validations are warranted, and the form only takes about 10 minutes to
read through and fill out completely. The comment suggested that
additional clarification be added for bison use categories, and that an
online platform/survey/questionnaire alternative might provide
additional accessibility and speed up the process.
Agency Response to Comment 5: Comment validated the minimal time
investment to complete the form. Descriptions of bison use categories
are included in the text of the form, followed by a clear definition
prefaced in bold font. Many donation requestors do not utilize
electronic web-based platforms or the electronic fillable PDF with
electronic signatures. Transitioning to a fully online system would
likely exclude many applicants with less reliable internet access and
would limit access to many of the communities which the form currently
serves.
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: The Service's ``Bison Donations Transfer Protocol''
(protocol) describes the process for the donation of the available
surplus bison from the Service to eligible organizations, Tribes, or
intertribal organizations as outlined in regulations at 50 CFR 30.1, as
well as in Service Manual chapters 701 FW 5 and 701 FW 8. Surplus bison
are
[[Page 9537]]
offspring that exceed the ecological carrying capacity of the Service
bison metapopulation. The primary purposes of donating these bison are
to support conservation of the species as native North American
wildlife and to assist in the restoration of bison herds on
conservation partner lands, with special emphasis on restoring
conservation herds to Tribal lands. Our authorities governing the
Protocol include:
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (16
U.S.C. 668dd and 668ee, as amended);
American Indian Religious Freedom Act (Public Law 95-341);
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
(Public Law 93-638, as amended);
Surplus Range Animals (50 CFR 30.1);
Disposition of Surplus Range Animals (50 CFR 30.2);
Native American Policy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (510 FW 1);
Fenced Animal Management policy (701 FW 8); and
Collections, Donations, and Disposals policy (701 FW 5).
In 2020, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Bison Working
Group published the Department of the Interior Bison Conservation
Initiative 2020 (initiative), recognizing bison as a wildlife species
in need of conservation. Consistent with this initiative, Service
policy identifies the ecological and cultural values of bison as
nationally and/or historically significant animals.
The Bison Conservation Genetics Workshop: Report and
Recommendations (2010 report) identifies DOI bison herds as a valuable
source with which to start new conservation herds proposed by other
Federal, State/provincial, or Tribal governments. The DOI Bison Report:
Looking Forward (2014 report) acknowledges the challenges to achieving
bison restoration on DOI lands and emphasizes the importance of
partnerships for achieving bison conservation and ecological
restoration. Both the 2010 and 2014 reports also identify the potential
for bison herds maintained by Indian Tribes to contribute to species
conservation, and the Service recognizes that such bison may also
support Tribal cultural rights and practices.
Periodic reduction in the size of Service bison herds is required
to remain within the ecological carrying capacity of Service lands.
Live bison capture and removal assist in the restoration of bison to
Tribal lands, support the efforts of States and other conservation
organizations, and ensure that the ecological needs of other species
are met on refuges of limited size. To support maximum conservation of
genetic diversity within and across Service herds, selection of young
bison available for donation is coordinated across all refuges. From
the surplus bison made available for donation from refuges, requests
will be prioritized for bison restoration and conservation purposes.
We propose Form 3-2555, ``Bison Donations Request Form,'' to
request surplus bison. Respondents will generally be from Tribal
governments and intertribal organizations, although we do expect to
receive a small number of requests from States and private sector
organizations (nonprofit and educational/research organizations). The
request form provides details governing the protocol and collects the
following information:
Name of requesting Tribe, intertribal organization, State,
or private sector organization.
Documentation that the proposed project or program meets
the definition of a conservation herd.
Demonstration of the educational contribution of the
donation to increasing public knowledge and appreciation of the
wildlife values of bison (for educational and research organizations
only).
Total number (or percentage of total donation request) of
bison and purpose of request:
--Establish a free-ranging conservation herd;
--Supplement or augment a free-ranging conservation herd;
--Establish a self-sustaining herd for non-conservation purposes;
--Supplement or augment a self-sustaining herd for non-conservation
purposes;
--Public display, educational purposes and/or research;
--Tribal spiritual or cultural purposes; or
--A description if ``Other'' purpose.
Signature of requesting Tribe, intertribal organization,
State, or private sector organization official.
In addition to completion of Form 3-2555, recipients of donated
bison must inform the Service of the destination State for donated
bison no fewer than 30 days prior to a scheduled bison capture
operation, to allow the Service time to meet interstate transport
regulatory testing requirements. Recipients of donated bison must also
inform the Service of the destination physical address for donated
bison no fewer than 10 days prior to scheduled bison loadout, to
facilitate timely completion of required interstate veterinary permit
applications and veterinary inspection certificates.
The public may download a copy of the proposed Form 3-2555 from the
ICR on at https://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review
Department of the Interior collections under review by OMB.
Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bison Donations
Request Program.
OMB Control Number: 1018-New.
Form Number: 3-2555.
Type of Review: Existing collection in use without an OMB control
number.
Respondents/Affected Public: Private sector organizations and
State/local/Tribal governments.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: There is no cost
associated with the Protocol.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Average number Average number Average number completion Estimated
Requirement of annual of responses of annual time per annual burden
respondents each responses * response hours *
(hour)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submission of Form 3-2555:
Private Sector.............. 2 1 2 1 2
Government.................. 18 1 18 1 18
Required Notifications:
Private Sector.............. 2 2 4 .5 2
Government.................. 18 2 36 .5 18
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals.................. 40 .............. 60 .............. 40
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Rounded.
[[Page 9538]]
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. 2023-03091 Filed 2-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
