[Federal Register: January 3, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 1)]
[Notices]
[Page 101-102]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03ja05-73]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Information Collection Renewal To Be Submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval Under the Paperwork Reduction
Act; Monitoring Recovered Species After Delisting as Required Under
Section 4(g) of the Endangered Species Act--American Peregrine Falcon;
1018-0101
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (We) plan to submit to OMB a
request to renew the collection of information described below. The
Endangered Species Act requires that all species that are recovered and
removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (delisted)
be monitored. We will use the information that we collect under OMB
Control No. 1018-0101 to determine if the American peregrine falcon
remains recovered.
DATES: You must submit comments on or before March 4, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection requirement
via mail to Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish
and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 222-ARLSQ,
Arlington, Virginia 22203; hope_grey@fws.gov (e-mail); or (703) 358-
2269 (fax).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the proposed
information collection requirement, related forms, or explanatory
material, contact Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance Officer,
at the above addresses or by telephone at (703) 358-2482.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 have an opportunity to comment on information
collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). We plan
to submit a request to OMB to renew its approval of the collection of
information included in the Monitoring Plan for the American Peregrine
Falcon, a Species Recovered Under the Endangered Species Act
(Monitoring Plan) (USFWS 2003). The Monitoring Plan is available on our
Web site at http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/peregrine/plan2003.pdf.
The existing OMB approval for information collection under the
Monitoring Plan expires on March 31, 2005. We are requesting a 3-year
term of approval for this information collection. 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 1018-0101.
The American peregrine falcon was removed from the List of
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife on August 25, 1999. Section 4(g) of
the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires that all species that are
recovered and removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife (delisted) be monitored in cooperation with the States for a
period of not less than 5 years. The purpose of this requirement is to
detect any failure of a recovered species to sustain itself without the
protections of the ESA. We work with relevant State agencies and other
species experts to develop appropriate plans and procedures for
systematically monitoring recovered wildlife and plants. The
information supplied on the forms will be used to review the status of
the American peregrine falcon in the United States and allow us to
determine if it remains recovered and, therefore, does not require the
protections of the ESA. The obligation to provide the information is
voluntary.
The American peregrine falcon has a large geographic distribution
that includes a substantial amount of non-Federal land. Although the
ESA requires that monitoring of recovered species be conducted for not
less than 5 years, the life history of American peregrine falcons is
such that it is appropriate to
[[Page 102]]
monitor this species for a longer period of time in order to
meaningfully evaluate whether the recovered species continues to
maintain its recovered status. We solicited public comments on the
draft Monitoring Plan twice in 2001, and the final Monitoring Plan was
released in 2003. Rangewide population monitoring of American peregrine
falcons under the Monitoring Plan will take place every 3 years through
2015. Formal collection of monitoring data commenced in 2003.
Monitoring data will be collected again in 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015.
Therefore, by 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will have 5
years of population monitoring data.
The information collection requirement in this submission
implements the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C.
1539). There are no corresponding Service regulations for the ESA's
post-delisting monitoring requirement. This information collection also
implements the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 704) contained in
Service regulations in Chapter I, Subchapter B of Title 50 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Title: Monitoring Recovered Species After Delisting as Required
Under Section 4(g) of the Endangered Species Act--American Peregrine
Falcon.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0101.
Form Numbers: FWS Forms 3-2307, 3-2308, and 3-2309.
Frequency of Collection: Monitoring is conducted every 3 years. For
eggs and feathers, 15-20 of each are collected over a period of no more
than 5 years.
Description of Respondents: The forms are filled out by
professional biologists employed by Federal and State agencies and
other organizations, and by volunteers that have been involved in past
peregrine falcon conservation efforts. The egg and feather contaminants
data sheets are filled out by biologists with permits to collect eggs
and feathers at nest sites, as described in the Monitoring Plan, for
contaminants monitoring.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,530.
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Average burden
FWS form No. Total annual hours per Annual burden
responses respondent hours
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3-2307.......................................................... 1,482 1.0 1,482
3-2308.......................................................... 12 2.0 24
3-2309.......................................................... 12 2.0 24
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Total....................................................... 1,506 .............. 1,530
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FWS Form 3-2307 (Peregrine Falcon Monitoring Form) addresses the
reporting requirements to record observations on the nesting pair, and
the numbers of eggs and young during each nest visit. Each nest will be
visited two (or more) times. FWS Form 3-2308 (Peregrine Falcon Egg
Contaminants Data Sheet) addresses the reporting requirements to record
data on eggs collected opportunistically during a nest visit. FWS Form
3-2309 (Peregrine Falcon Feather Contaminants Data Sheet) addresses the
reporting requirements to record data on feathers collected
opportunistically during a nest visit. Once collected, the eggs and
feathers will be archived in a deep freeze for analysis at a later
time.
We invite comments concerning this renewal on: (1) Whether or not
the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance
of monitoring of recovered species as prescribed in section 4(g) of the
ESA, including whether or not the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of our estimate of burden, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information for 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; and (4) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information on respondents. The information
collections in this program will be part of a system of records covered
by the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552(a)).
Dated: December 22, 2004.
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 04-28745 Filed 12-30-04; 8:45 am]
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