[Federal Register: January 15, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 10)]
[Notices]
[Page 2559-2560]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ja10-83]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R7-MB-2010-N007] [70151-1231-BS51-L6]
Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for Approval; OMB Control Number 1018-0124; Alaska
Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest Household Survey
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which
is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the
estimated burden and cost. This ICR is scheduled to expire on January
31, 2010. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to
respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number. However, under OMB regulations, we may
continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is
pending at OMB.
DATES: You must send comments on or before February 16, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this information
collection to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at
OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-5806 (fax) or OIRA_DOCKET@OMB.eop.gov (e-mail).
Please provide a copy of your comments to Hope Grey, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 222-ARLSQ,
4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail) or hope_
grey@fws.gov (e-mail).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail or e-mail (see ADDRESSES) or
by telephone at (703) 358-2482.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 1018-0124.
Title: Alaska Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest Household Survey.
Service Form Number(s): 3-2380, 3-2381-1, 3-2381-2, 3-2381-3, and
3-2381-4.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Households within subsistence eligible areas of
Alaska (Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Archipelago, the Aleutian Islands, or
in areas north and west of the Alaska Range).
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Annually for Tracking Sheet and Household
Consent; three times annually for Harvest Report.
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Number of annual Number of annual Completion time per Annual burden
Activity respondents responses response hours
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3-2380--Tracking Sheet and 2,829 2,829 5 minutes.......... 236
Household Consent.
3-2381-1 thru 3-2381-4--Harvest 2,300 6,900 5 minutes.......... 575
Report (three seasonal sheets).
Totals...................... 5,129 9,729 ................... 811
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Abstract: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 U.S.C. 703-712)
and the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate the
Department of the Interior as the key agency responsible for managing
migratory bird populations that frequent the United States and for
setting harvest regulations that allow for the conservation of those
populations. These responsibilities include gathering accurate
geographical and temporal data on various characteristics of migratory
bird harvest. We use harvest data to review regulation proposals and to
issue harvest regulations.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act Protocol Amendment (1995) (Amendment)
provides for the customary and traditional use of migratory birds and
their eggs for subsistence use by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska. The
Amendment states that its intent is not to cause significant increases
in the take of species of migratory birds relative to their continental
population sizes. A submittal letter from the Department of State to
the White House (May 20, 1996) accompanied the Amendment and specified
the need for harvest monitoring. The submittal letter stated that the
Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), and Alaska
Native organizations would collect harvest information cooperatively
within the subsistence eligible areas. Harvest survey data help to
ensure that customary and traditional subsistence uses of migratory
birds and their eggs by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska do not
significantly increase the take of species of migratory birds relative
to their continental population sizes.
Between 1989 and 2004, we monitored subsistence harvest of
migratory birds using annual household surveys in the Yukon-Kuskokwim
Delta, which is the region of highest subsistence bird harvest in the
State of Alaska. In 2004, we began monitoring subsistence harvest of
migratory birds in subsistence eligible areas Statewide. The Statewide
harvest assessment program helps to track trends and changes in levels
of harvest. The harvest assessment program relies on collaboration
among the Service, the ADFG, and a number of Alaska Native
organizations.
[[Page 2560]]
We gather information on the annual subsistence harvest of 60 bird
species/species categories (ducks, geese, swans, cranes, upland game
birds, seabirds, shorebirds, and grebes and loons) in the subsistence
eligible areas of Alaska. The survey covers 10 regions of Alaska, which
are further divided in 29 subregions. We survey the regions and
villages in a rotation schedule to accommodate budget constraints and
to minimize respondent burden. The survey covers spring, summer, and
fall harvest in most regions.
In collaboration with Alaska Native organizations, we hire local
resident surveyors to collect the harvest information. The surveyors
list all households in the villages to be surveyed and provide survey
information and harvest report forms to randomly selected households
that have agreed to participate in the survey. To ensure anonymity of
harvest information, we identify households by a numeric code. The
surveyor visits households three times during the survey year. At the
first household visit, the surveyor explains the survey purposes and
invites household participation. The surveyor returns at the end of the
season of most harvest and at the end of the two other seasons combined
to help the household complete the harvest report form.
We have revised the survey methods to streamline procedures and
reduce respondent burden. We plan to use two forms for household
participation:
FWS Form 3-2380 (Tracking Sheet and Household Consent).
The surveyor visits each household selected to participate in the
survey to provide information on the objectives and to obtain household
consent to participate. The surveyor uses this form to record consent
and track subsequent visits for completion of harvest reports
FWS Forms 3-2381-1, 3-2381-2, 3-2381-3, and 3-2381-4
(Harvest Report). The Harvest Report has drawings of bird species most
commonly available for harvest in the different regions of Alaska with
fields for writing down the numbers of birds and eggs taken. There are
four versions of this form: Interior Alaska, North Slope, Southern
Coastal Alaska, and Western Alaska. This form has a page for each
season surveyed, and, on each page, there are fields for the household
code, community name, harvest year, date of completion, and comments.
Comments: On July 6, 2009, we published in the Federal Register (74
FR 31970) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew this ICR. In
that notice, we solicited comments for 60 days, ending on September 4,
2009. We did not receive any comments in response to that notice.
We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
Whether or not the collection of information is necessary,
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this
collection of information;
Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on respondents.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal
identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask OMB in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it
will be done.
Dated: January 7, 2010.
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-663 Filed 1-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S