[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 4, 2020)] [Notices] [Pages 6212-6213] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2020-02084] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-HQ-ES-2019-N175; FXES11130900000-201-FF09E32000; OMB Control Number 1018-0095] Agency Information Collection Activities; 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 (Service), are proposing to renew an information collection. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 6, 2020. ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request (ICR) by mail to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/PERMA (JAO/1N), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or by email to Info_Coll@fws.gov. Please reference OMB Control Number 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. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity 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 soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper functions of the Service; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Service enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Service minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. 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 [[Page 6213]] regulations identify and describe the three categories of information we collect, which includes: (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:Name, address, and phone number of reporting party, Species involved, Type of incident, Quantity of take, Location and time of the reported incident, and 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 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual number Completion Requirement of Total annual time per Total annual respondents responses response burden hours * ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notification--General Take or Removal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Individuals..................................... 12 12 .5 6 Private Sector.................................. 7 7 .5 4 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 rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 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.). Dated: January 20, 2020. Madonna Baucum, Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2020-02084 Filed 2-3-20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333-15-P