60636 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 196 / Tuesday, October 12, 2004 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Information Collection Submitted to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for Approval Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act; Migratory 

Bird Harvest Surveys

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service has submitted the collection of 

information listed below to OMB for 

approval under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act. If you wish 

to obtain copies of the proposed 

information collection requirement, 

related forms, or explanatory material, 

contact the Service Information 

Collection Clearance Officer at the 

address listed below.

DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to 

approve or disapprove information 

collection but may respond after 30 

days. Therefore, to ensure maximum 

consideration, you must submit 

comments on or before November 12, 

2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments on 

this information collection to the Desk 

Officer for the Department of the 

Interior at OMB–OIRA via facsimile or 

electronic mail: (202) 395–6566 (fax); or 

OIRA_DOCKET@omb.eop.gov

(electronic mail). Please provide a copy 

of your comments to the Fish and 

Wildlife Service’s Information 

Collection Clearance Officer via postal 

mail, electronic mail, or facsimile: 4401 

N. Fairfax Dr., MS 222 ARLSQ, 

Arlington, VA 22203; 

Hope_Grey@fws.gov (electronic mail); or 

(703) 358–2269 (fax).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request a copy of the information 

collection request, explanatory 

information, or related forms, contact 

Hope Grey at(703) 358–2482, or 

electronically to Hope_Grey@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) 

regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, which 

implement provisions of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 

et seq.), require that interested members 

of the public and affected agencies be 

given an opportunity to comment on 

information collection and record 

keeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (We) 

have submitted a request to OMB to 

renew its approval of the collection of 

information for the Migratory Bird 

Harvest Surveys. We are requesting a 3-

year term of approval for this 

information collection activity. 

Federal agencies 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 OMB control 

number for this collection of 

information is 1018–0015. 

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 

U.S.C. 703–711) and Fish and Wildlife 

Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate 

the Department of the Interior as the key 

agency responsible for the wise 

management of migratory bird 

populations frequenting the United 

States and for the setting of hunting 

regulations that allow appropriate 

harvests that are within the guidelines 

that will allow for those populations’

well-being. These responsibilities 

dictate the gathering of accurate data on 

various characteristics of migratory bird 

harvest. Knowledge attained by 

determining harvests and harvest rates 

of migratory game birds is used to 

regulate populations (by promulgating 

hunting regulations) and to encourage 

hunting opportunity, especially where 

crop depredations are chronic and/or 

lightly harvested populations occur. 

Based on information from harvest 

surveys, hunting regulations can be 

adjusted as needed to optimize harvests 

at levels that provide a maximum of 

hunting recreation while keeping 

populations at desired levels.

This information collection approval 

request combines two sets of surveys 

(the Migratory Bird Hunter Survey and 

the Parts Collection Survey) and 

associated forms because they are 

interrelated and/or dependent upon 

each other. The Waterfowl Hunter 

Survey that was previously included in 

this information collection, and its 

associated forms (form 3–1823A and 3–

2056G), have now been completely 

replaced by the Migratory Bird Hunter 

Survey and therefore are eliminated. 

The Migratory Bird Hunter Survey is 

based on the Migratory Bird Harvest 

Information Program, under which each 

State annually provides a list of all 

licensed migratory bird hunters in the 

State. Randomly selected migratory bird 

hunters are sent either a waterfowl 

questionnaire (form 3–2056J), a dove 

and band-tailed pigeon questionnaire 

(form 3–2056K), a woodcock 

questionnaire (form 3–2056L), or a 

snipe, rail, gallinule, and coot 

questionnaire (form 3–2056M) and are 

asked to report their harvest of those 

species. The resulting estimates of 

harvest per hunter are combined with 

the complete list of migratory bird 

hunters to provide estimates of the total 

harvest of those species. 

The Parts Collection Survey estimates 

the species, sex, and age composition of 

the harvest, and the geographic and 

temporal distribution of the harvest. 

Randomly selected successful hunters 

who responded to the Migratory Bird 

Hunter Survey the previous year are 

asked to complete and return a postcard 

(forms 3–165A and C) if they are willing 

to participate in the Parts Collection 

Survey. Respondents are provided 

postage-paid envelopes before the 

hunting season and asked to send in a 

wing or the tail feathers from each duck, 

goose, or coot (form 3–165) they harvest, 

or a wing from each woodcock, bandtailed pigeon, snipe, rail, or gallinule 

(form 3–165B) they harvest. The wings 

and tail feathers are used to identify the 

species, age, and sex of the harvested 

sample. Respondents are also asked to 

report on the envelope the date and 

location (state and county) of harvest for 

each bird. Results of this survey are 

combined with harvest estimates from 

the Migratory Bird Hunter Survey to 

provide species-specific national 

harvest estimates. 

The combined results of these surveys 

enable the Service to evaluate the effects 

of season length, season dates, and bag 

limits on the harvest of each species, 

and thus help determine appropriate 

hunting regulations. 

On March 29, 2004, we published in 

the Federal Register (69 FR 16283) a 

notice informing the public that we 

planned to submit the forms described 

below to OMB for approval under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act. We requested 

public comment on the information 

collection for 60 days, ending May 28, 

2004. By that date, we did not receive 

any comments in response to the notice. 

Title: Migratory Bird Harvest Surveys. 

Approval Number: 1018–0015. 

Service Form Number(s): 3–165, 3–

165A–C, 3–2056J–M. 

Frequency of Collection: Annually. 

Description of Respondents:

Individuals and households. 

Number of Respondents: About 

3,600,000 individuals are expected to 

participate in the Migratory Bird 

Harvest Information Program. Recent 

Service experience indicates that about 

80,000 hunters will respond to the 

Migratory Bird Hunter Survey each year, 

and about 9,500 hunters will respond to 

the Parts Collection Survey annually. 

Total Annual Burden Hours: Total 

annual burden is estimated to be 

135,930 hours. The reporting burden is 

estimated to average 2 minutes per 

respondent for the Migratory Bird 

Harvest Information Program, 4 minutes 

per respondent for the Migratory Bird 

Hunter Survey, and 50 minutes per 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 196 / Tuesday, October 12, 2004 / Notices 60637

respondent for the Parts Collection 

Survey. 

We again invite comments concerning 

this renewal on: (1) Whether the 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of our 

migratory bird management functions, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of 

our estimate of the burden of the 

collection of information; (3) ways to 

enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 

of the information to be collected; and, 

(4) ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents. The information 

collections in this program are part of a 

system of record covered by the Privacy 

Act (5 U.S.C 552(a)).

Dated: September 30, 2004. 

Hope G. Grey, 

Information Collection Clearance Officer, 

Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 04–22846 Filed 10–8–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Information Collection Submitted to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for Approval Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act; Sandhill 

Crane Harvest Survey

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service has submitted the collection of 

information listed below to OMB for 

approval under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act. If you wish 

to obtain copies of the proposed 

information collection requirement, 

related forms, or explanatory material, 

contact the Service Information 

Collection Clearance Officer at the 

address listed below.

DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to 

approve or disapprove information 

collection but may respond after 30 

days. Therefore, to ensure maximum 

consideration, you must submit 

comments on or before November 12, 

2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments on 

this information collection to the Desk 

Officer for the Department of the 

Interior at OMB-OIRA via facsimile or 

electronic mail: (202) 395–6566 (fax); or 

OIRA_DOCKET@omb.eop.gov

(electronic mail). Please provide a copy 

of your comments to the Fish and 

Wildlife Service’s Information 

Collection Clearance Officer via postal 

mail, electronic mail, or facsimile: 4401 

N. Fairfax Dr., MS 222 ARLSQ, 

Arlington, VA 22203; 

Hope_Grey@fws.gov (electronic mail); or 

(703) 358–2269 (fax).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request a copy of the information 

collection request, explanatory 

information, or related forms, contact 

Hope Grey at (703) 358–2482, or 

electronically to Hope_Grey@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) 

regulations at 5 CFR parts 1320, which 

implement provisions of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 

et seq.), require that interested members 

of the public and affected agencies be 

given an opportunity to comment on 

information collection and record 

keeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(we) have submitted a request to OMB 

to renew its approval of the collection 

of information for the Sandhill Crane 

Harvest Survey. We are requesting a 3-

year term of approval for this 

information collection activity. 

Federal agencies 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 OMB control 

number for this collection of 

information is 1018–0023. 

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 

U.S.C. 703–711) and Fish and Wildlife 

Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742d) designate 

the Department of the Interior as the key 

agency responsible for the wise 

management of migratory bird 

populations frequenting the United 

States and for the setting of hunting 

regulations that allow appropriate 

harvests that are within the guidelines 

that will allow for those populations’

well-being. These responsibilities 

dictate the gathering of accurate data on 

various characteristics of migratory bird 

harvest. Knowledge attained by 

determining harvests and harvest rates 

of migratory game birds is used to 

regulate populations (by promulgating 

hunting regulations) and to encourage 

hunting opportunity, especially where 

crop depredations are chronic and/or 

lightly harvested populations occur. 

Based on information from harvest 

surveys, hunting regulations can be 

adjusted as needed to optimize harvests 

at levels that provide a maximum of 

hunting recreation while keeping 

populations at desired levels. 

This information collection renewal 

request seeks approval for us to 

continue conducting the Sandhill Crane 

Harvest Survey. This is an annual 

questionnaire survey of people who 

obtained a sandhill crane hunting 

permit. At the end of the hunting 

season, we randomly select a sample of 

permit holders and send those people a 

questionnaire that asks them to report 

the date, State, county, and number of 

birds harvested for each of their sandhill 

crane hunts. Their responses provide 

estimates of the temporal and 

geographic distribution of the harvest as 

well as the average harvest per hunter, 

which, combined with the total number 

of sandhill crane permits issued, 

enables the Service to estimate the total 

harvest of sandhill cranes. 

The Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey 

enables us to annually estimate the 

magnitude of the harvest and the 

portion it constitutes of the total midcontinent sandhill crane population. 

Based on information from this survey, 

hunting regulations are adjusted as 

needed to optimize harvest at levels that 

provide a maximum of hunting 

recreation while keeping populations at 

desired levels. 

On March 29, 2004, we published in 

the Federal Register (69 FR 16282) a 

notice informing the public that we 

planned to submit the forms described 

below to OMB for approval under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act. We requested 

public comment on the information 

collection for 60 days, ending May 28, 

2004. By that date, we did not receive 

any comments in response to the notice. 

Title: Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey. 

Approval Number: 1018–0023. 

Service Form Number: 3–2056N. 

Frequency of Collection: Annually. 

Description of Respondents:

Individuals and households. 

Number of Respondents: About 7,500 

hunters will respond to the Sandhill 

Crane Harvest Survey annually. 

Total Annual Burden Hours: We 

estimate the reporting burden to average 

5 minutes per respondent. Total annual 

burden is 625 hours. 

We again invite comments concerning 

this renewal on: (1) Whether the 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of our 

migratory bird management functions, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of 

our estimate of the burden of the 

collection of information; (3) ways to 

enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 

of the information to be collected; and, 

(4) ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents. The information 

collections in this program are part of a 

system of record covered by the Privacy 

Act (5 U.S.C 552(a)).