[Federal Register: December 2, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 231)]
[Notices]               
[Page 67583-67584]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02de99-47]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

 
Information Collection To Be Submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval Under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will submit the collection 
of information listed below to OMB for approval under the provisions of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act. A copy of the information collection 
requirement is included in this notice. If you wish to obtain copies of 
the proposed information collection requirement, related forms, and 
explanatory material, contact the Service Information Collection 
Clearance Officer at the address listed below.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before January 31, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the requirement to the Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, ms 222-
ARLSQ, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20204.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, explanatory information and related forms, contact 
Rebecca A. Mullin at (703) 358-2287, or electronically to 
rmullin@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 (Public Law 104-13), require that 
interested members of the public and affected agencies have an

[[Page 67584]]

opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping 
activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(We) plan to submit 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 populations. The Sandhill 
Crane Harvest Survey is an essential part of the migratory bird 
management program. The survey helps determine sandhill crane harvests 
and harvest rates that is used to regulate sandhill crane populations 
(by promulgating hunting regulations) and to encourage hunting 
opportunity, especially where crop depredations are chronic and/or 
lightly harvested populations occur.
    The annual questionnaire surveys people who obtained a sandhill 
crane hunting permit. At the end of the hunting season, we randomly 
selects 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 us 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 mid-continent sandhill crane population. Based on information 
from this survey, sandhill crane hunting regulations are adjusted as 
needed to optimize harvest at levels that provide a maximum of hunting 
recreation while keeping populations at desired levels.
    Title: Sandhill Crane Harvest Survey.
    Approval Number: 1018-0023.
    Service Form Number: 3-530, 3-530A, and 3-2056N.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals and households.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: The reporting burden is estimated to 
average 5 minutes per respondent. The Total Annual Burden hours is 614 
hours.
    Total Annual Responses: About 7,400 individuals are expected to 
participate in the survey.
    We 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: November 22, 1999.
Daniel M. Ashe,
Assistant Director for Refuges and Wildlife.
[FR Doc. 99-31064 Filed 12-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P