Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, Experimental Populations, 16654-16657 [2023-05550]
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16654
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 53 / Monday, March 20, 2023 / Notices
Notice of receipt of permit
application; request for comments.
ACTION:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, have received an
application for a permit to conduct
activities intended to enhance the
propagation and survival of endangered
species under the Endangered Species
Act. We invite the public and local,
State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to
comment on this application. Before
issuing the requested permit, we will
take into consideration any information
that we receive during the public
comment period.
DATES: We must receive your written
comments on or before April 19, 2023.
ADDRESSES:
Document availability and comment
submission: Submit a request for a copy
of the application and related
documents and submit any comments
by one of the following methods. All
requests and comments should specify
the applicant name and application
number (i.e., Zoological Society of San
Diego, ES060179):
• Email: permitsR1ES@fws.gov.
• U.S. Mail: Marilet Zablan, Regional
Program Manager, Restoration and
Endangered Species Classification,
Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Pacific Regional
Office, 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland,
OR 97232–4181.
SUMMARY:
Application No.
ES060179 ......
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Background
With some exceptions, the ESA
prohibits activities that constitute take
of listed species unless a Federal permit
is issued that allows such activity. The
ESA’s definition of ‘‘take’’ includes such
activities as pursuing, harassing,
trapping, capturing, or collecting, in
addition to hunting, shooting, harming,
wounding, or killing.
Applicant, city, state
Zoological Society of San
Diego, San Diego, CA.
Public Availability of Comments
Written comments we receive become
part of the administrative record
associated with this action. 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 request in your comment
that we withhold your personal
identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so. All submissions
from organizations or businesses, and
from individuals identifying themselves
as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Karen Colson, Acting Regional Recovery
Permit Coordinator, Ecological Services,
(208) 685–6956 (telephone);
permitsR1ES@fws.gov (email).
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: We, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite
the public to comment on an
application for a permit under section
10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The requested
permit would allow the applicant to
conduct activities intended to promote
recovery of species that are listed as
endangered under the ESA.
17:19 Mar 17, 2023
Jkt 259001
A recovery permit issued by us under
section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA
authorizes the permittee to conduct
activities with endangered or threatened
species for scientific purposes that
promote recovery or for enhancement of
propagation or survival of the species.
These activities often include such
prohibited actions as capture and
collection. Our regulations
implementing section 10(a)(1)(A) for
these permits are found in the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR
17.22 for endangered wildlife species,
50 CFR 17.32 for threatened wildlife
species, 50 CFR 17.62 for endangered
plant species, and 50 CFR 17.72 for
threatened plant species.
Permit Applications Available for
Review and Comment
Proposed activities in the following
permit request are for the recovery and
enhancement of propagation or survival
of the species in the wild. The ESA
requires that we invite public comment
before issuing this permit. Accordingly,
we invite local, State, Tribal, and
Federal agencies and the public to
submit written data, views, or
arguments with respect to this
application. The comments and
recommendations that will be most
useful and likely to influence agency
decisions are those supported by
quantitative information or studies.
Species
Location
Take activity
¯ kohekohe (Palmeria dolei),
‘A
Maui Parrotbill/Kiwikiu
(Pseudonestor
xanthophrys), Akikiki
(Oreomystis bardii).
Hawaii ............
Increase in the number of individuals taken from the
wild for captive holding
and breeding.
made available for public disclosure in
their entirety.
Next Steps
If we decide to issue a permit to the
applicant listed in this notice, we will
publish a notice in the Federal Register.
Authority
We publish this notice under section
10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.).
Marilet A. Zablan,
Regional Program Manager for Restoration
and Endangered Species Classification,
Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2023–05573 Filed 3–17–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
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Permit action
Amend.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–HQ–ES–2023–N012;
FXES11130900000/234/FF09E32000; OMB
Control Number 1018–0095]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife, Experimental
Populations
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\20MRN1.SGM
20MRN1
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 53 / Monday, March 20, 2023 / Notices
(Service), are proposing to renew an
existing information collection without
change.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before April 19,
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 ‘‘1018–0095’’ in the subject
line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum,
Service Information Collection
Clearance Officer, by email at Info_
Coll@fws.gov, 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-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 October 4, 2022, we published in
the Federal Register (87 FR 60197) a
notice of our intent to request that OMB
approve this information collection. In
that notice, we solicited comments for
60 days, ending on December 5, 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–ES–2022–0140) 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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:19 Mar 17, 2023
Jkt 259001
methods). We received the following
comments in response to that notice:
Comment 1: Electronic comment
received via Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–
ES–2022–0140–0002) from Jean Publiee
on October 7, 2022. The comment did
not address the information collection
requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 1: No
response required.
Comment 2: Anonymous electronic
comment received via Regulations.gov
(FWS–HQ–ES–2022–0140–0003) on
October 19, 2022. The comment did not
address the information collection
requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 2: No
response required.
Comment 3: Anonymous electronic
comment received via Regulations.gov
(FWS–HQ–ES–2022–0140–0004) on
December 5, 2022. The comment did not
address the information collection
requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 3: No
response required.
Comment 4: Electronic comment
received via Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–
ES–2022–0140–0005) from Francisco
Santiago-Avila on December 2, 2022.
Mr. Santiago-Avila supports this
information collection and provides
suggestions on ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected. Specifically,
he suggests collaboration with
volunteers to perform monitoring,
recommends publication of specific
mortality data, and recommends
analyzing the effectiveness of
management interventions.
Agency Response to Comment 4: We
appreciate Mr. Santiago-Avila’s
suggestions and acknowledge that many
of the recommended actions are already
under way. This information collection
includes all experimental population
monitoring and reporting requirements
described by regulation under 50 CFR
17.84, where species-specific
requirements are described in further
detail. It is the responsibility of the lead
office for an experimental population to
engage with the public for any
assistance needed for the monitoring of
these populations, if appropriate. The
lead field office tracks, manages, and
analyzes mortality data, as appropriate
for the species, as part of the
requirement to periodically evaluate the
success or failure of the reintroduction.
The requirements for the periodic
evaluation of effectiveness are also
specified in each species-specific
experimental population final rule.
Publishing location-specific mortality
information, as the commenter
suggested, is not feasible because it
could result in an increased risk of
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16655
illegal/unauthorized take. Furthermore,
for monitoring the effectiveness of
management interventions, it is not
always feasible to measure effectiveness
of indirect preventative techniques due
to the variability in year-to-year
variation in where experimental
populations overlap with livestock, and
landowners are not required to report on
their use of indirect preventative
techniques to the Service as they are
often voluntary measures.
Comment 5: Electronic comment
received via Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–
ES–2022–0140–0006) from Michael
Robinson on December 5, 2022. Mr.
Robinson suggested additional
categories of information that could be
collected under this information
collection, including: (1) preventative
techniques implemented to protect
livestock from predation by animals in
an experimental population, (2) time
elapsed between initial and subsequent
predations on livestock by a particular
animal of an experimental population,
(3) information regarding illegal take of
animals of experimental populations,
and (4) identities of individuals having
or intending to illegally take animals of
experimental populations.
Agency Response to Comment 5: Mr.
Robinson’s suggestions for information
collection include data that are already
collected and tracked by Service
employees as specified in 50 CFR part
17 subpart H (existing data collections
approved under OMB Control Number
1018–0095), as well as in each speciesspecific final rule issued by the Service
establishing an experimental
population. If we issue a permit for take
of a listed animal of an experimental
population relative to depredation
prevention, the reporting requirements
would be specified under the permit’s
terms and conditions and be covered
under OMB Control Number 1018–0094.
The Service acknowledges the
importance of this type of information
and affirms that this information is
being collected in this collection or
within 1018–0094.
Additionally, the commenter’s third
and fourth suggestions request
information regarding investigations
performed by the Service’s Office of
Law Enforcement. This information
cannot be shared during ongoing
investigations; however, once
investigations are resolved, the
outcomes of cases may be shared at
https://www.fws.gov/program/office-oflaw-enforcement/news.
Comment 6: Electronic comment
received via Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–
ES–2022–0140–0007) from Joe
Bushyhead on December 5, 2022. Mr.
Bushyhead supports the renewal and
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suggests that the information collection
include mandatory reporting and that
information collection should be
conducted at regular intervals with
subsequent public disclosure, as
appropriate.
Agency Response to Comment 6: The
Service cannot require the public or its
partners to report on information
broadly. However, if we issue a permit
for take of a listed animal of an
experimental population, the reporting
requirements would be specified under
the permit’s terms and conditions and
be covered under OMB Control Number
1018–0094. Where specific reporting
requirements exist with regards to
permits, especially as to whether the
reporting is mandatory, would be
contained in that permit’s terms and
conditions. Failure to adhere to the
terms of the permit could result in
permit revocation or non-renewal. The
required timing interval for reporting of
take, if any, is specified in each species’
specific regulations under 50 CFR 17.84.
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: Section 10(j) of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.),
authorizes the Secretary of the Interior
to establish experimental populations of
endangered or threatened species.
Because the ESA protects individuals of
experimental populations, the
information we collect is important for
monitoring the success of reintroduction
and recovery efforts. This is a nonform
collection (meaning there is no
designated form associated with this
collection). Regulations at 50 CFR 17.84
contain information collection
requirements for experimental
populations of vertebrate endangered
and threatened species. These
regulations identify and describe the
three categories of information we
collect, which include:
(1) General take or removal. ‘‘Take’’ is
defined by the ESA as ‘‘[to] harass,
harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill,
trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to
engage in any such conduct.’’ In this
information collection, take most
commonly is considered to be in the
form of human-related mortality,
including:
a. Unintentional taking incidental to
otherwise lawful activities (e.g.,
highway mortalities);
b. Animal husbandry actions
authorized to manage the population
(e.g., translocation or providing aid to
sick, injured, or orphaned individuals);
c. Take in defense of human life;
d. Take related to defense of property
(if authorized); or
Annual
number of
respondents
Requirement
e. Take in the form of authorized
harassment.
(2) Depredation-related take. Involves
take for management purposes of
documented livestock depredation, and
may include authorized harassment or
authorized lethal take of experimental
population animals in the act of
attacking livestock. See 50 CFR 17.84 for
specific provisions of harassment for
each species within this section.
The information that we collect
includes:
a. Name, address, and phone number
of reporting party,
b. Species involved,
c. Type of incident,
d. Quantity of take,
e. Location and time of the reported
incident, and
f. Description of the circumstances
related to the incident.
(3) Specimen collection, recovery, or
reporting of dead individuals. This
information documents incidental or
authorized scientific collection. Most of
the information collected addresses the
reporting of sightings of experimental
population animals or the inadvertent
discovery of an injured or dead
individual.
Service recovery specialists use this
information to determine the success of
reintroductions in relation to
established recovery plan goals for the
experimental populations of vertebrate
endangered and threatened 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.
Title of Collection: Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife, Experimental
Populations, 50 CFR 17.84.
OMB Control Number: 1018–0095.
Form Numbers: None.
Type of Review: Extension without
change of a currently approved
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Individuals and households, private
sector, and State/local/Tribal
governments.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: None.
Total
annual
responses
Completion
time per
response
Total annual
burden
hours *
Notification—General Take or Removal
Individuals ........................................................................................................
Private Sector ..................................................................................................
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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12
7
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12
7
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.5
.5
6
4
16657
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 53 / Monday, March 20, 2023 / Notices
Annual
number of
respondents
Requirement
Government .....................................................................................................
Total
annual
responses
29
Completion
time per
response
Total annual
burden
hours *
29
.5
15
25
2
9
.5
.5
.5
13
1
5
Notification—Depredation-Related Take
Individuals ........................................................................................................
Private Sector ..................................................................................................
Government .....................................................................................................
25
2
9
Notification—Specimen Collection
Individuals ........................................................................................................
Private Sector ..................................................................................................
Government .....................................................................................................
3
2
16
3
2
16
.5
.5
.5
2
1
8
Totals ........................................................................................................
105
105
........................
55
* 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. 2023–05550 Filed 3–17–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2023–0031;
FF09S00000/XXX/FXSC42050900000/4205;
OMB Control Number 1018—New]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Big Cat Public Safety Act
Registration
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), are proposing emergency
clearance of a new collection of
information.
SUMMARY:
Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before May 19,
2023.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the
information collection request (ICR) by
one of the following methods (reference
‘‘1018–BCPSA Registration’’ in the
subject line of your comment):
• Internet (preferred): https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:19 Mar 17, 2023
Jkt 259001
instructions for submitting comments
on Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2023–0031.
• Email: Info_Coll@fws.gov.
• U.S. mail: Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg
Pike, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), Falls Church,
VA 22041–3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum,
Service Information Collection
Clearance Officer, by email at Info_
Coll@fws.gov, 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-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.
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.
PO 00000
Frm 00079
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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 may 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 intends to seek
emergency clearance of a new
information collection under the
authority of 16 U.S.C. 3372(e), pursuant
to the Big Cat Public Safety Act
(BCPSA), Public Law 117–243,
December 20, 2022, 136 Stat. 2336
(amending the Captive Wildlife Safety
Act, and Lacey Act Amendments of
E:\FR\FM\20MRN1.SGM
20MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 53 (Monday, March 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16654-16657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05550]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-ES-2023-N012; FXES11130900000/234/FF09E32000; OMB Control
Number 1018-0095]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife, Experimental Populations
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
[[Page 16655]]
(Service), are proposing to renew an existing information collection
without change.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
April 19, 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 ``1018-0095'' in the
subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, 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 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 October 4, 2022, we published in the Federal Register (87 FR
60197) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60
days, ending on December 5, 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-ES-2022-0140) 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-
ES-2022-0140-0002) from Jean Publiee on October 7, 2022. The comment
did not address the information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 1: No response required.
Comment 2: Anonymous electronic comment received via
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-ES-2022-0140-0003) on October 19, 2022. The
comment did not address the information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 2: No response required.
Comment 3: Anonymous electronic comment received via
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-ES-2022-0140-0004) on December 5, 2022. The
comment did not address the information collection requirements.
Agency Response to Comment 3: No response required.
Comment 4: Electronic comment received via Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-
ES-2022-0140-0005) from Francisco Santiago-Avila on December 2, 2022.
Mr. Santiago-Avila supports this information collection and provides
suggestions on ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected. Specifically, he suggests collaboration
with volunteers to perform monitoring, recommends publication of
specific mortality data, and recommends analyzing the effectiveness of
management interventions.
Agency Response to Comment 4: We appreciate Mr. Santiago-Avila's
suggestions and acknowledge that many of the recommended actions are
already under way. This information collection includes all
experimental population monitoring and reporting requirements described
by regulation under 50 CFR 17.84, where species-specific requirements
are described in further detail. It is the responsibility of the lead
office for an experimental population to engage with the public for any
assistance needed for the monitoring of these populations, if
appropriate. The lead field office tracks, manages, and analyzes
mortality data, as appropriate for the species, as part of the
requirement to periodically evaluate the success or failure of the
reintroduction. The requirements for the periodic evaluation of
effectiveness are also specified in each species-specific experimental
population final rule.
Publishing location-specific mortality information, as the
commenter suggested, is not feasible because it could result in an
increased risk of illegal/unauthorized take. Furthermore, for
monitoring the effectiveness of management interventions, it is not
always feasible to measure effectiveness of indirect preventative
techniques due to the variability in year-to-year variation in where
experimental populations overlap with livestock, and landowners are not
required to report on their use of indirect preventative techniques to
the Service as they are often voluntary measures.
Comment 5: Electronic comment received via Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-
ES-2022-0140-0006) from Michael Robinson on December 5, 2022. Mr.
Robinson suggested additional categories of information that could be
collected under this information collection, including: (1)
preventative techniques implemented to protect livestock from predation
by animals in an experimental population, (2) time elapsed between
initial and subsequent predations on livestock by a particular animal
of an experimental population, (3) information regarding illegal take
of animals of experimental populations, and (4) identities of
individuals having or intending to illegally take animals of
experimental populations.
Agency Response to Comment 5: Mr. Robinson's suggestions for
information collection include data that are already collected and
tracked by Service employees as specified in 50 CFR part 17 subpart H
(existing data collections approved under OMB Control Number 1018-
0095), as well as in each species-specific final rule issued by the
Service establishing an experimental population. If we issue a permit
for take of a listed animal of an experimental population relative to
depredation prevention, the reporting requirements would be specified
under the permit's terms and conditions and be covered under OMB
Control Number 1018-0094. The Service acknowledges the importance of
this type of information and affirms that this information is being
collected in this collection or within 1018-0094.
Additionally, the commenter's third and fourth suggestions request
information regarding investigations performed by the Service's Office
of Law Enforcement. This information cannot be shared during ongoing
investigations; however, once investigations are resolved, the outcomes
of cases may be shared at https://www.fws.gov/program/office-of-law-enforcement/news.
Comment 6: Electronic comment received via Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-
ES-2022-0140-0007) from Joe Bushyhead on December 5, 2022. Mr.
Bushyhead supports the renewal and
[[Page 16656]]
suggests that the information collection include mandatory reporting
and that information collection should be conducted at regular
intervals with subsequent public disclosure, as appropriate.
Agency Response to Comment 6: The Service cannot require the public
or its partners to report on information broadly. However, if we issue
a permit for take of a listed animal of an experimental population, the
reporting requirements would be specified under the permit's terms and
conditions and be covered under OMB Control Number 1018-0094. Where
specific reporting requirements exist with regards to permits,
especially as to whether the reporting is mandatory, would be contained
in that permit's terms and conditions. Failure to adhere to the terms
of the permit could result in permit revocation or non-renewal. The
required timing interval for reporting of take, if any, is specified in
each species' specific regulations under 50 CFR 17.84.
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: Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), authorizes the Secretary of the
Interior to establish experimental populations of endangered or
threatened species. Because the ESA protects individuals of
experimental populations, the information we collect is important for
monitoring the success of reintroduction and recovery efforts. This is
a nonform collection (meaning there is no designated form associated
with this collection). Regulations at 50 CFR 17.84 contain information
collection requirements for experimental populations of vertebrate
endangered and threatened species. These regulations identify and
describe the three categories of information we collect, which include:
(1) General take or removal. ``Take'' is defined by the ESA as
``[to] harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture,
or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.'' In this
information collection, take most commonly is considered to be in the
form of human-related mortality, including:
a. Unintentional taking incidental to otherwise lawful activities
(e.g., highway mortalities);
b. Animal husbandry actions authorized to manage the population
(e.g., translocation or providing aid to sick, injured, or orphaned
individuals);
c. Take in defense of human life;
d. Take related to defense of property (if authorized); or
e. Take in the form of authorized harassment.
(2) Depredation-related take. Involves take for management purposes
of documented livestock depredation, and may include authorized
harassment or authorized lethal take of experimental population animals
in the act of attacking livestock. See 50 CFR 17.84 for specific
provisions of harassment for each species within this section.
The information that we collect includes:
a. Name, address, and phone number of reporting party,
b. Species involved,
c. Type of incident,
d. Quantity of take,
e. Location and time of the reported incident, and
f. Description of the circumstances related to the incident.
(3) Specimen collection, recovery, or reporting of dead
individuals. This information documents incidental or authorized
scientific collection. Most of the information collected addresses the
reporting of sightings of experimental population animals or the
inadvertent discovery of an injured or dead individual.
Service recovery specialists use this information to determine the
success of reintroductions in relation to established recovery plan
goals for the experimental populations of vertebrate endangered and
threatened 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.
Title of Collection: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife,
Experimental Populations, 50 CFR 17.84.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0095.
Form Numbers: None.
Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and households, private
sector, and State/local/Tribal governments.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Completion
Requirement Annual number Total annual time per Total annual
of respondents responses response burden hours *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notification--General Take or Removal
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individuals..................................... 12 12 .5 6
Private Sector.................................. 7 7 .5 4
[[Page 16657]]
Government...................................... 29 29 .5 15
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notification--Depredation-Related Take
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individuals..................................... 25 25 .5 13
Private Sector.................................. 2 2 .5 1
Government...................................... 9 9 .5 5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notification--Specimen Collection
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individuals..................................... 3 3 .5 2
Private Sector.................................. 2 2 .5 1
Government...................................... 16 16 .5 8
---------------------------------------------------------------
Totals...................................... 105 105 .............. 55
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 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. 2023-05550 Filed 3-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P