Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 192 / Thursday, October 5, 2023 / Notices 69219 

FR 35443 (June 20, 2006); Document 

No.79 FR 10825 (February 26, 2014). 

LaDonne White, 

Chief Privacy Officer, Office of 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2023–22175 Filed 10–4–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–6429–N–01] 

Section 3 Benchmarks for Creating 

Economic Opportunities for Low- and 

Very Low-Income Persons and Eligible 

Businesses 

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Deputy 

Secretary for Field Policy and 

Management, HUD. 

ACTION: Notification of benchmarks. 

SUMMARY: HUD’s regulations require 

that HUD set Section 3 benchmarks by 

publishing a notification, subject to 

public comment, in the Federal Register 

and update the benchmarks no less 

frequently than once every three years 

by the same method of notification. This 

notice updates the 2020 version of the 

benchmark notice and requests public 

comment about the Section 3 

benchmark goals. 

DATES: Effective Date: November 6, 

2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Nathan Roush, Program Analyst, Office 

of Field Policy and Management, 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development, Five Points Plaza, 40 

Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303, 

telephone number 678–732–2045 (this 

is not a toll-free number). General email 

inquiries regarding Section 3 may be 

sent to Section3@hud.gov. HUD 

welcomes and is prepared to receive 

calls from individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing, as well as individuals 

with speech or communication 

disabilities. To learn more about how to 

make an accessible telephone call, 

please visit https://www.fcc.gov/ 

consumers/guides/telecommunicationsrelay-service-trs. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Section 3 of the Housing and Urban 

Development Act of 1968, as amended 

by the Housing and Community 

Development Act of 1992 (Section 3), 

contributes to the establishment of 

stronger, more sustainable communities 

by ensuring that employment and other 

economic opportunities generated by 

Federal financial assistance for housing 

and community development programs 

are, to the greatest extent feasible, 

directed toward low- and very lowincome persons, particularly those who 

are recipients of government assistance 

for housing. HUD is statutorily charged 

with the authority and responsibility to 

implement and enforce Section 3 

through regulation, which HUD has 

done through the publication of the 

Section 3 final rule, titled ‘‘Enhancing 

and Streamlining the Implementation of 

Section 3 Requirements for Creating 

Economic Opportunities for Low- and 

Very Low-Income Persons and Eligible 

Businesses,’’ 85 FR 61524 (‘‘HUD’s 

Section 3 Final Rule’’). This final rule is 

codified in 24 CFR part 75. 

HUD’s Section 3 regulations require 

the establishment of Section 3 

benchmarks for Section 3 workers and 

Targeted Section 3 workers through a 

document published in the Federal 

Register. 24 CFR 75.13(b) and 75.23(b). 

Consistent with these requirements, 

HUD published a benchmark notice in 

the Federal Register on September 29, 

2020, titled ‘‘Section 3 Benchmarks for 

Creating Economic Opportunities for 

Low- and Very Low-Income Persons and 

Eligible Businesses,’’ 85 FR 60907. 

HUD’s Section 3 regulations also require 

HUD to update the benchmarks through 

a document published in the Federal 

Register, subject to public comment, not 

less frequently than once every three 

years. 24 CFR 75.13(b)(1) and 

75.23(b)(1). 

II. Section 3 Benchmarks 

HUD’s Section 3 regulations require 

that in altering and updating the 

established benchmark goals, HUD must 

consider Section 3 labor hour data 

collected during the prior three-year 

period. 24 CFR 75.13(b)(1) and 

75.23(b)(1). After evaluation and 

consideration of the data collected to 

date, HUD has determined that the 

available data is not a sufficiently 

representative sample to support the 

alteration of the current published 

benchmark goals or publication of 

aggregate labor hour data. Therefore, the 

benchmark goals will continue to be the 

ratios established in the original Section 

3 benchmark notice published 

September 29, 2020, and HUD will 

continue to support the labor hour goal 

methodology contained therein. 

HUD considered a number of factors 

in making this decision. Despite being 

published on September 29, 2020, 

HUD’s Section 3 final rule did not go 

into effect until November 30, 2020, and 

compliance only began to be required 

for activities and projects funded on or 

after July 1, 2021. This means that 

activities and projects funded prior to 

July 1, 2021, were not required to report 

labor hours under 24 CFR part 75, 

which does not give HUD a full three 

years of data to review. Additionally, 

the count of labor hours and evaluation 

of achievement of benchmark goals are 

not determined until an activity or 

project is completed. Given the varying 

duration of construction projects, a 

number of larger Section 3 projects— 

those with higher numbers of labor 

hours—funded after July 1, 2021, have 

not yet completed construction and 

therefore have not reported final labor 

hours for Section 3 workers or Targeted 

Section 3 workers. These factors, among 

others, have contributed to initial 

reports containing limited data on a 

small subset of projects, which HUD 

believes does not create a large- or 

representative-enough sample of data to 

merit a change to the existing 

benchmarks or publication of aggregate 

data on labor hours and the proportion 

of recipients meeting benchmarks. 

While HUD has decided not to change 

the benchmark goals for Public Housing 

Financial Assistance and Section 3 

Projects, HUD would like to solicit 

public comment on any matters related 

to this notice, generally, but specifically 

on the experience of grantees, 

contractors, and other stakeholders in 

achieving the existing benchmark goals 

along with any challenges faced or 

recommendations for appropriate 

benchmarks for future updates. HUD 

will not be issuing a second notice 

regarding the current Section 3 

benchmarks unless the comments 

provide HUD with a basis for making 

revisions to the benchmarks. 

HUD will publish another notice to 

update Section 3 benchmarks no later 

than three years after the publication of 

this notice, as required by HUD’s 

Section 3 regulations. 

Michele Perez, 

Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy 

and Management. 

[FR Doc. 2023–22183 Filed 10–4–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–HQ–LE–2023–N075; 

FF09L00200–FX–LE18110900000; OMB 

Control Number 1018–0012] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget; Declaration 

for Importation or Exportation of Fish 

or Wildlife 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
69220 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 192 / Thursday, October 5, 2023 / Notices 

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 with revisions. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before 

November 6, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be 

submitted within 30 days of publication 

of this notice at 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– 

0012’’ in the subject line of your 

comments. 

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. 

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 May 5, 2023, we published in the 

Federal Register (88 FR 29145) a notice 

of our intent to request that OMB 

approve this information collection. In 

that notice, we solicited comments for 

60 days, ending on July 5, 2023. 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–LE–2023–0049) 

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 May 5, 2023, via 

Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–LE–2023– 

0049–0003) from Jean Public. 

Agency Response to Comment 1: The 

commenter did not address the 

information collection requirements. No 

response is required. 

Comment 2: Electronic comment 

received June 8, 2023, via 

Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–LE–2023– 

0049–0004) from Laura Bies, on behalf 

of the Ornithological Council. First, the 

commenter stated that it is difficult to 

enter many specimens into the e-Decs 

system individually rather than being 

able to upload a spreadsheet or a batch 

of information. Individual entry takes 

several hours, and the eDecs system 

appears to time out. Second, the 

commenter stated that automatic 

recognition of species’ protected status 

under the Convention on International 

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 

Fauna and Flora (CITES), the 

Endangered Species Act (ESA or Act), 

the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), 

etc., by the eDecs system when the 

importer/exporter is entering them, 

would be helpful and would save a lot 

of time. Third, the commenter agreed 

that the average estimate for an eDec 

with one species is 10 minutes, but for 

a scientific eDec with many species, it 

may take hours. 

Agency Response to Comment 2: First, 

we are working on a tool in eDecs that 

will allow bulk entry of species 

comparable to what the commenter 

describes. Second, it is up to the 

importer/exporter to know the status 

and the requirements for the species 

they are importing or exporting; further, 

we are concerned that if the system flags 

a species as protected, dishonest 

importers/exporters will simply choose 

a different species and declare the 

species as that one instead. Third, we 

note the commenter’s points about the 

burden estimate and have addressed 

them below, along with the comments 

we received from the outreach regarding 

the burden estimate. 

Comment 3: Electronic comment 

received June 26, 2023, via 

Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–LE–2023– 

0049–0005) from Jose D. Gonzalez, 

President, on behalf of the National 

Customs Brokers & Forwarders 

Association of America, Inc. First, the 

commenter stated that the container 

number is available in Automated 

Commercial Environment (ACE). 

Relatedly, the commenter said that the 

container number is not known for 

exports, because the container is loaded 

after inspection. Second, the commenter 

notes that the permit number and port 

exception number are available in ACE, 

while the CITES tag number is available 

on the CITES certificate. Third, the 

commenter states that the additional 

data elements may not apply to exports 

and asks for an N/A option. Fourth, the 

commenter states that ACE does not 

support the generation of multiple 

eDecs per entry. Fifth, the commenter 

provided burden estimates for 

declaration filing; 15–20 minutes for 

eDecs, 10–15 minutes for a complete 

data set in ACE, and 15–25 minutes for 

a limited data set in ACE. The 

commenter added that the burden goes 

beyond the actual data entry and 

includes preparation and post-entry 

elements. 

Agency Response to Comment 3: First, 

not all declarations are submitted 

through ACE, so we need to ask for the 

container number in eDecs and on the 

3–177. The container number is 

sometimes known for exports, but we 

will not make this a required field. 

Second, again, not all declarations are 

submitted through ACE, and we note 

that the CITES certificate has the tag 

number, but it will better enable our 

inspection efforts to have it on the 

declaration in eDecs, and in ACE as 

well. Third, we disagree that these 

additional elements do not apply to 

exports, as all of them could; a field may 

be required based on the commodity 

and location of export. Fourth, we 

recognize that the systems have this 

limitation; it is a problem we hope to 

address in the future, recognizing that 

there are budget constraints. Fifth, we 

note the comments about additional 

efforts relating to the import process 

from the commenter. Lastly, we note the 

burden estimates and have addressed 

them below, along with the comments 

we received from the outreach regarding 

the burden estimate. 

Comment 4: Anonymous comment 

received July 2, 2023, via 

Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–LE–2023– 

0049–0006). 

Agency Response to Comment 4: The 

commenter did not address the 

information collection requirements. No 

response is required. 

Comment 5: Electronic comment 

received July 4, 2023, via 

Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–LE–2023– 

0049–0007) from John McLaurin, 

President, on behalf of Safari Club 

International. The commenter expressed 

concern about the personal information 

of hunters who import and export 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 192 / Thursday, October 5, 2023 / Notices 69221 

harvested wildlife and therefore use the 

3–177 form. The commenter suggested 

changes to the existing Privacy Act and 

Paperwork Reduction Act statements on 

the form that would reflect a 

commitment to withhold declarants’ 

personal private information under 

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 

Exemptions 6 and 7(A). The commenter 

also requested that we add a place on 

the form where declarants could 

indicate they want their personal 

information withheld from disclosure. 

Agency Response to Comment 5: The 

commenter submitted comments on the 

existing Privacy Act and Paperwork 

Reduction Act Statements. We included 

revised statements with the draft form 

we placed in the docket along with the 

60-day notice. We have since revised 

the Privacy Act and Paperwork 

Reduction Act, and FOIA statements. In 

particular, we revised the FOIA 

statement to address personal 

identifiable information under 

Exemption 6. With this addition to the 

statement, there is no need for 

declarants to identify personal 

information for withholding. We did not 

make changes to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act Statement, as 

submissions are voluntary. 

Comment 6: Electronic comment 

received July 4, 2023, via 

Regulations.gov (FWS–HQ–LE–2023– 

0049–0008) from Tanya Sanerib, 

International Legal Director, Center for 

Biological Diversity, and from Nicholas 

Arrivo, Managing Attorney, on behalf of 

The Humane Society of the United 

States. First, the commenter notes that 

the information we receive on Forms 3– 

177 is essential for law enforcement 

functions, for meeting CITES 

obligations, and for us and the public to 

understand and monitor trade. Second, 

the commenter makes several 

suggestions regarding the FOIA 

statement, including that the statement 

should reflect that all information 

received will be disclosed, except for 

some personally identifiable 

information under FOIA exemptions 6 

and 7(A), and that the commercial 

information exemption (exemption 4), 

should not apply. The commenter also 

states that we should not continue to 

engage in a submitter notice review 

process that is burdensome on us and 

on data submitters, and their changes 

would allow us to avoid this. Third, the 

commenter states that the form should 

say that imports/exports will be denied 

if the 3–177 is not completed. Fourth, 

the commenter states that the full 

scientific and common name of each 

species needs to be on the 3–177; for 

example, marine aquarium tropical fish 

importers do not provide that 

information, so it is not clear what 

species are being imported. Fifth, the 

commenter states that submitters do not 

always fill out the number of specimens 

imported/exported, but rather the 

number of cartons; we should require 

both. Lastly, the commenter states that 

our recent application of FOIA 

exemption 4 has created an incredibly 

onerous system for data submitters and 

for us, and their suggested changes to 

the FOIA statement would resolve this. 

Agency Response to Comment 6: 

Regarding the FOIA statement 

suggestion that all information should 

be disclosed except for personally 

identifiable information, we agree in 

part. We will continue to apply 

Exemption 4 as explained in the draft 

form’s FOIA statement, and we added a 

statement reflecting that personally 

identifiable information will be 

withheld as appropriate under 

Exemption 6. We are retaining our 

previous language and proposed process 

under Exemption 4 of the FOIA 

regarding submitted commercial 

information. The Service believes that it 

is possible that a submitter could make 

an appropriate showing, in some 

circumstances, that Exemption 4 applies 

to information on the 3–117. Because 

Exemption 4 relies upon information 

provided by a submitter, it is necessary 

that the Service include instructions for 

transmitting that information. We 

believe the approach outlined on the 

draft form’s statement is appropriate. 

Because various FOIA requesters ask for 

import/export data in a variety of ways, 

we think that an approach led by the 

FOIA Officer will lead to less burden on 

the day-to-day requester and allow the 

Service to apply Exemption 4 more 

accurately. 

Next, regarding the commenter’s 

statement that the notices on the form 

should say that authorization to import/ 

export wildlife will be denied if the 

form is incomplete, we made some 

changes in this language so that the 

public knows submission of the 

information is voluntary. We also 

clarified that information submission is 

required to receive import/export 

authorization and that failure to provide 

all requested information may result in 

denial of authorization. We will not 

select automatic denial in all cases and 

state that on this form; we routinely 

work with importers/exporters to 

correct mistakes, and we have 

enforcement discretion that we do not 

want to limit without compelling 

justification. 

Regarding requiring the full and 

scientific names, we are working on 

programming that will allow improved/ 

bulk entry of species names, and we 

hope will increase the number of 

species identified in the 3–177 vs. in 

supporting documents. As for the 

number of specimens, that is a required 

item. Lastly, we appreciate the 

commenter’s efforts to suggest 

improvements to overcome the 

challenges presented to the Service by 

the application of FOIA exemptions to 

such an expansive database. The Service 

looks forward to working with the 

public to better inform its Exemption 4 

practice in ways that enhance our 

mission and fully comply with the law. 

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 information 

collection request (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. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
69222 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 192 / Thursday, October 5, 2023 / Notices 

Abstract: The Endangered Species Act 

(Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) makes it 

unlawful to import or export fish, 

wildlife, or plants without filing a 

declaration or report as necessary for 

enforcing the Act or upholding the 

Convention on International Trade in 

Endangered Species (CITES; 16 U.S.C. 

1538(e)). With some exceptions, 

individuals, businesses, and others 

importing into or exporting from the 

United States any fish or wildlife must 

complete and submit to the Service an 

FWS Form 3–177 (Declaration for 

Importation or Exportation of Fish or 

Wildlife). This form, as well as FWS 

Form 3–177a (Continuation Sheet) and 

instructions for completion, are 

available for electronic submission at 

https://edecs.fws.gov. These forms are 

also available in fillable format at http:// 

www.fws.gov/forms/. The information 

that we collect enables us to: 

• Accurately inspect the contents of 

the shipment; 

• Enforce any regulations that pertain 

to the fish, wildlife, or plants contained 

in the shipment; and 

• Maintain records of the importation 

and exportation of these commodities. 

Individuals, businesses, and others 

must file FWS Forms 3–177 and 3–177a 

with us at the time of import or export 

of fish or wildlife. Our regulations allow 

certain species of fish or wildlife to be 

imported or exported between the 

United States and Canada or Mexico at 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

ports, even though our wildlife 

inspectors may not be present. In these 

instances, importers and exporters may 

submit the hard copy of the completed 

forms to U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection (CBP). We later collect these 

submitted forms from CBP and enter the 

information into the Service’s Law 

Enforcement Management Information 

System (LEMIS). Form 3–177 collects 

the following information: 

1. Date of the import/export; 

2. Import/export license number; 

3. Whether the shipment is an import 

or export; 

4. Port of clearance; 

5. Purpose code; 

6. Customs documents number(s); 

7. Name of carrier; 

8. Transportation code; 

9. Bonded location for inspection; 

10. Whether the importer/exporter is 

based in the United States or in a 

foreign country; 

11. Name, address, phone, and email 

of importer/exporter; 

12. Identifier number and ID type of 

importer/exporter; 

13. Name, phone, fax, email address, 

and contact person for customs broker, 

shipping agent, or freight forwarder; 

14. Identifier number and ID type of 

customs broker, shipping agent, or 

freight forwarder; 

15. Scientific and common name of 

the fish or wildlife; 

16. Permit numbers (if permits are 

required); 

17. Description, quantity, and value of 

the fish or wildlife; 

18. Natural country of origin of the 

fish or wildlife; and 

19. Whether the wildlife is live and 

venomous. 

In addition, certain information, such 

as the airway bill or bill of lading 

number, the location of the shipment 

containing the fish or wildlife for 

inspection, and the markings on cartons 

and number of cartons containing fish 

or wildlife, assists our wildlife 

inspectors if a physical examination of 

the shipment is necessary. 

We are also requesting OMB’s 

continued approval for electronic 

collection of data through CBP’s 

Automated Commercial Environment 

(ACE) portal as an alternative electronic 

option for importers to eDecs. ACE is 

the system through which the trade 

community transmits international trade 

data required by CBP and all other 

participating government agencies. The 

Safe Port Act requires the Service to 

participate in the International Trade 

Data System, and the Executive Order 

on Streamlining Exports and Imports 

establishes ACE as the primary means 

for collection of international trade data 

by the government. Although the 

Service does not mandate importers to 

use ACE to file Service data at this time, 

if the filer chooses to file in ACE, we 

will collect the data from ACE as an 

alternative to eDecs. If importers file in 

ACE, they should not file in eDecs. 

Proposed Revisions to This Information 

Collection 

With this submission, we propose the 

following revisions to this information 

collection for OMB approval: 

1. We propose to collect the container 

number for fish or wildlife shipped via 

ocean cargo. When fish or wildlife are 

imported and exported on cargo ships, 

they are packed in shipping containers, 

which have unique numbers. When our 

inspectors receive documents for these 

shipments, the documents often, but do 

not always, include the container 

number. However, Form 3–177 

currently does not have a field for the 

container number. It is difficult for our 

wildlife inspectors to locate a shipment 

at a seaport without the container 

number, as ocean cargo shipments are 

tracked by container number. By adding 

a field for the container number to Form 

3–177 and thus requiring this 

information on the form, we will 

improve our ability to inspect ocean 

cargo shipments and expedite the 

inspection process for individuals, 

businesses, and others who ship via 

ocean cargo. 

2. Second, we propose to add a field 

to collect U.S. permit numbers other 

than CITES. Currently, we require 

importers and exporters to include the 

number for a U.S. CITES permit for 

those CITES listed species that require 

a U.S. CITES permit. They may also or 

instead have other U.S.-issued wildlife 

permits, such as those required under 

the Endangered Species Act, Migratory 

Bird Treaty Act, Marine Mammal 

Protection Act, Wild Bird Conservation 

Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection 

Act, and Lacey Act. These additional 

permit numbers will enable us to link 

the Form 3–177 to the permit. This will 

improve data collection and analysis, as 

we will be able to better ascertain what 

fish or wildlife is being imported and 

exported and tie it to what is being 

permitted. It will also help us ensure 

that permits are not duplicated and are 

used the allowable number of times, 

aiding enforcement. 

3. Next, we propose to add a field to 

collect the designated port exception 

permit number. We have designated 

certain ports for import and export of 

fish and wildlife (see 50 CFR 14.12). 

Generally, individuals, businesses, and 

others who seek to import and export 

fish and wildlife at non-designated ports 

must obtain a designated port exception 

permit by submitting an application and 

paying the appropriate fees (see 50 CFR 

part 13). When they file Form 3–177, 

they must also include the issued 

designated port exception permit in 

their document package. Requiring 

importers and exporters to put the 

permit number on Form 3–177, along 

with the import-export license number 

(which we already require on Form 3– 

177), will assist us in tracking permits 

and making sure that importers and 

exporters are authorized to use the ports 

they are seeking to use. Having the 

number easily accessible on Form 3–177 

will help to streamline the review 

process. If they are not authorized 

because they have not obtained the 

designated port exemption permit for 

the particular port, it will assist us with 

enforcement. 

4. Next, we propose to add a field to 

collect the CITES tag or marking number 

for sport-hunted wildlife species that 

require a CITES tag or marking for 

import, export, and in-transit shipments 

(see 50 CFR 23.74(e)). Those species 

include black rhinoceros, crocodilians 

(all members of the order Crocodilia, 

which includes alligators, caimans, 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 192 / Thursday, October 5, 2023 / Notices 69223 

crocodiles, and gavials), elephants, 

leopards, and markhor. A CITES tag or 

marking is specific to an individual 

wildlife item and may not be used for 

multiple wildlife items. Each CITES tag 

or marking has a unique alphanumeric 

identifier. Requiring placement of the 

CITES tag or marking number on Form 

3–177 will help ensure we can match 

the tag or marking to the Form 3–177 

declaration and verify that the tag or 

marking has only been used once. Thus, 

we will improve our ability to inspect 

shipments of these species, expedite 

inspections, and improve enforcement. 

It will also bolster our ability to meet 

our obligations under the CITES treaty. 

As part of the renewal of and 

proposed changes for this information 

collection, we also will review the 

instructions pages of Form 3–177 to 

determine what updates are appropriate. 

The public may request copies of any 

form or document contained in this 

information collection by sending a 

request to the Service Information 

Collection Clearance Officer in 

ADDRESSES, above. 

Title of Collection: Declaration for 

Importation or Exportation of Fish or 

Wildlife, 50 CFR 14.61–14.64 and 

14.94(k)(4). 

OMB Control Number: 1018–0012. 

Form Number: 3–177 and 3–177a. 

Type of Review: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individuals, businesses, or others that 

import or export fish, wildlife, or plants; 

scientific institutions that import or 

export fish, wildlife, or plant scientific 

specimens; and government agencies 

that import or export fish, wildlife, or 

plant specimens for various purposes. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain or retain a benefit. 

Frequency of Collection: On occasion. 

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour 

Burden Cost: None. 

Requirement 

Annual 

number of 

respondents 

Total annual 

responses 

Completion 

time 

per response 

(minutes) 

Total 

annual burden 

hours * 

FWS Form 3–177 Hard Copy (Upon Import) 

Individuals ........................................................................................................ 2,884 3,107 15 777 

Private Sector .................................................................................................. 1 1 15 0 

Subtotals ................................................................................................... 2,885 3,108 ........................ 777 

FWS Form 3–177 Hard Copy (Upon Export) 

Individuals ........................................................................................................ 76 76 15 19 

Private Sector .................................................................................................. 1 1 15 0 

Subtotals ................................................................................................... 77 77 ........................ 19 

eDecs (Upon Import) 

Individuals ........................................................................................................ 1,273 15,576 12 3,115 

Private Sector .................................................................................................. 1,563 110,653 12 22,131 

Government ..................................................................................................... 89 347 12 69 

Subtotals ................................................................................................... 2,925 126,576 ........................ 25,315 

eDecs (Upon Export) 

Individuals ........................................................................................................ 642 15,782 12 3,156 

Private Sector .................................................................................................. 429 16,258 12 3,252 

Government ..................................................................................................... 61 213 12 43 

Subtotals ................................................................................................... 1,132 32,253 ........................ 6,451 

ACE (Upon Import) 

Individuals ........................................................................................................ 1 1 10 0 

Private Sector .................................................................................................. 81 12,828 10 2,138 

Government ..................................................................................................... 1 1 10 0 

Subtotals ................................................................................................... 83 12,830 ........................ 2,138 

ACE/AES Disclaimer 

Private Sector .................................................................................................. 819 149,820 1 2,497 

Totals .......................................................................................................... 7,921 324,664 ........................ 37,197 

* Rounded. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
69224 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 192 / Thursday, October 5, 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. 2023–22181 Filed 10–4–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

[245A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010

.999900; OMB Control Number 1076–0100] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget for Review 

and Approval; Acquisition of Trust 

Land 

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 

the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) are 

proposing to renew an information 

collection. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before 

November 6, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection request (ICR) 

should be sent within 30 days of 

publication of this notice to the Office 

of Information and Regulatory Affairs 

(OIRA) through https://

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRA/ 

icrPublicCommentRequest?ref_

nbr=202212-1076-009 or by visiting 

https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain and selecting ‘‘Currently 

under Review—Open for Public 

Comments’’ and then scrolling down to 

the ‘‘Department of the Interior.’’ 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request additional information about 

this ICR, contact Steven Mullen, 

Information Collection Clearance 

Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs and 

Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs, 

U.S. Department of the Interior, 1001 

Indian School Road NW, Suite 229, 

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104; 

comments@bia.gov; (202) 924–2650. 

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. You 

may also view the ICR at https://

www.reginfo.gov/public/Forward?

SearchTarget=PRA&textfield=1076- 

0100. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 

3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 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. 

A Federal Register notice with a 60- 

day public comment period soliciting 

comments on this collection of 

information was published on January 

5, 2023 (88 FR 879). No comments were 

received. 

As part of our continuing effort to 

reduce paperwork and respondent 

burdens, we are again soliciting 

comments from the public and other 

Federal agencies on the proposed ICR 

that is described below. 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. 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 5 of the Indian 

Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 (25 

U.S.C. 5108) and the Indian Land 

Consolidation Act of January 12, 1983 

(25 U.S.C. 2202) authorize the Secretary 

of the Interior (Secretary), in his/her 

discretion, to acquire lands through 

purchase, relinquishment, gift, 

exchange, or assignment within or 

without existing reservations for the 

purpose of providing land for Indian 

Tribes. Other specific laws also 

authorize the Secretary to acquire lands 

for individual Indians and Tribes. 

Regulations implementing the 

acquisition authority are at 25 CFR 151. 

In order for the Secretary to acquire land 

on behalf of individual Indians and 

Tribes, the BIA must collect certain 

information to identify the party(ies) 

involved and to describe the land in 

question. The Secretary also solicits 

additional information deemed 

necessary to make a determination to 

accept or reject an application to take 

land into trust for the individual Indian 

or Tribe, as set out in 25 CFR 151. This 

information collection allows the BIA to 

review applications for compliance with 

regulatory and statutory requirements. 

No specific form is used. 

Title of Collection: Acquisition of 

Trust Land. 

OMB Control Number: 1076–0100. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individual Indians and Federally 

Recognized Indian Tribes seeking 

acquisition of land into trust status. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Respondents: 500. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 500. 

Estimated Completion Time per 

Response: Ranges from 100 to 150 

hours. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 55,000. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain a Benefit. 

Frequency of Collection: On occasion. 

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour 

Burden Cost: $0. 

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. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1