Published 60-day FRN (89 FR 384)

384

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 2 / Wednesday, January 3, 2024 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–HQ–WSFR–2023–0231;
FVWF97820900000–XXX–FF09W13000 and
FVWF54200900000–XXX–FF09W13000;
OMB Control Number 1018–0088]

Agency Information Collection
Activities; National Survey of Fishing,
Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated
Recreation (FHWAR)
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service), are proposing to
revise a currently approved information
collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before March 4,
2024.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the
information collection request (ICR) by
one of the following methods (please
reference OMB Control No. 1018–0088
in the subject line of your comment):
• Internet (preferred): https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments
on Docket No. FWS–HQ–WSFR–2023–
0231.
• U.S. mail: Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg
Pike, MS: PRB (JAO/3W); Falls Church,
VA 22041–3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum,
Service Information Collection
Clearance Officer, by email at Info_
[email protected], 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. You may
also view the ICR at https://
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
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

ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1

SUMMARY:

VerDate Sep<11>2014

18:32 Jan 02, 2024

Jkt 262001

a collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
As part of our continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again inviting 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. Before including your
address, phone number, email address,
or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your that your
entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be 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: The information collected
for the National Survey of Fishing,
Hunting and Wildlife-Associated
Recreation (FHWAR, or National
Survey) assists the Fish and Wildlife
Service in administering the Wildlife
and Sport Fish Restoration grant
programs. The FHWAR, conducted
about every 5 years since 1955, is a
comprehensive survey of anglers,
hunters, and wildlife watchers and
includes information on their
participation and how much they spend
on these activities in the United States.
The FHWAR provides up-to-date

PO 00000

Frm 00066

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

information on the uses and demands
for wildlife-related recreation resources
and a basis for developing and
evaluating programs and projects to
meet existing and future needs.
We collect the information in
conjunction with carrying out our
responsibilities under the DingellJohnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16
U.S.C. 777–777m) and the PittmanRobertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16
U.S.C. 669–669i). Under these Acts, we
provide approximately $1 billion in
grants annually to States for projects
that support sport fish and wildlife
management and restoration, including:
• Improvement of fish and wildlife
habitats,
• Fishing and boating access,
• Fish stocking, and
• Hunting and fishing opportunities.
We also provide grants for aquatic
education and hunter education,
maintenance of completed projects, and
research into problems affecting fish
and wildlife resources. These projects
help to ensure that the American people
have adequate opportunities for fish and
wildlife recreation. We conduct the
survey about every 5 years. The 2027
FHWAR survey will be the 15th
conducted since 1955. We coordinate
the survey at the States’ request, which
is made through the Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies. We will contract
with a data collector to collect the
information using internet, telephone,
or mail-in paper-and-pencil instrument
(PAPI).
Respondents are invited to take the
survey with a mailed letter. The data
collector will select a sample of
sportspersons and wildlife watchers
from a household screen and conduct
three detailed interviews during the
survey year. The survey collects
information on the number of days of
participation, and expenditures for trips
and equipment. Information on the
characteristics of participants includes
age, income, sex, education, race, and
State of residence. The Freshwater/
Saltwater Ratio Questionnaire is
designed to get freshwater and saltwater
fishing data for coastal States. The
Service’s Wildlife and Sportfish
Restoration Program is required to
divide fishing management funds
according to the ratio of freshwater and
saltwater anglers in each coastal State.
Federal and State agencies use
information from the survey to make
policy decisions related to fish and
wildlife restoration and management.
Participation patterns and trend
information help identify present and
future needs and demands. Land
management agencies use the data on
expenditures and participation to assess

E:\FR\FM\03JAN1.SGM

03JAN1

385

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 2 / Wednesday, January 3, 2024 / Notices
the value of wildlife-related recreational
uses of natural resources. Wildliferelated recreation expenditure
information is used to estimate the
impact on the economy and to support
the dedication of tax revenues for fish
and wildlife restoration programs.
Proposed Revision
Pre-test: Cognitive Interviews—We
anticipate the need to conduct webbased cognitive interviews prior to the
next FHWAR. The cognitive interviews
will enable the research team to identify
problems with survey items and with
the organization and order of items in
the instrument. We expect the data from
the cognitive interviews to reveal
potential sources of response error in
the National Survey and to inform the
redesign efforts. The objective of the
cognitive interviews is to test and refine
the proposed instruments from the full
survey, with particular focus on the
revised questions on bounding,
expenditure reporting, and 5-year recall
of activities. We will use the results of
this research to refine the survey
instruments in preparation for fielding
the next National Survey (likely to be
held in 2027 or 2028). Respondents will
have the option to pause/resume the
pretest as they work through the
questionnaire.
We anticipate a maximum of 70
respondents will participate in the webbased study. Respondents will be

individuals who have participated in
fishing, hunting, and wildlife-watching
activities in within 1 year of the
cognitive interviews. Respondents will
be adults ages 18 and over and children
ages 16 and 17 who participate with the
consent of a parent or guardian. The
participants will represent a range of
demographic characteristics (e.g., age,
gender, education level, State of
residence).
We plan to recruit a non-probability
sample of respondents for this research.
The Association of Fish & Wildlife
Agencies will work with State fish and
wildlife directors to obtain lists of
license holders. The data collector will
send an invitation via email or text
message to invite license holders to
participate in a survey. Further, the data
collector will place advertisements on
Facebook in selected geographies in
order to recruit individuals interested in
being interviewed and will disseminate
information about the study through
word of mouth. People responding to an
invitation to participate in the research
will complete a brief eligibility
screening to determine whether they
have recently participated in fishing,
hunting, or wildlife watching activities
and to collect household composition
and demographic information.
Potential participants will also be
asked whether other household
members would be interested in
participating in the study. Adult

participants for screener interviews will
be household members who would
likely complete a screener
questionnaire, such as a head of
household or adult sportsperson or
wildlife watcher. We plan to request
that a screener respondent (a respondent
who finished the screen interview), or
another household member aged 16 and
up, who participates in fishing, hunting,
or wildlife watching activities, complete
the wave questionnaires. In addition,
two to three respondents who do not
participate in the relevant activities will
be recruited for interviews in order to
test the functioning of the instruments
with non-participants.
Title of Collection: National Survey of
Fishing, Hunting, and WildlifeAssociated Recreation (FHWAR).
OMB Control Number: 1018–0088.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Revision of a
currently approved information
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Individuals/households.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: We estimate
the pre-test/cognitive interviews to
begin in 2025 or 2026. The results will
be used to inform the next full survey
estimated to be conducted in 2027, or
possibly 2028.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: None.
Estimated
number of
household
responses

Activity

ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1

Screener Survey:
Screener: Web ..............................................................................................................................
Screener: Phone ...........................................................................................................................
Screener: PAPI .............................................................................................................................
Wave 1 Survey:
Wave Questionnaires: Web ..........................................................................................................
Wave Questionnaires: Phone .......................................................................................................
Wave Questionnaires: PAPI .........................................................................................................
Wave 2 Survey:
Wave Questionnaires: Web ..........................................................................................................
Wave Questionnaires: Phone .......................................................................................................
Wave Questionnaires: PAPI .........................................................................................................
Wave 3 Survey:
Wave Questionnaires: Web ..........................................................................................................
Wave Questionnaires: Phone .......................................................................................................
Wave Questionnaires: PAPI .........................................................................................................
Wave 3 Coastal Freshwater/Saltwater Ratio Questionnaire ........................................................
Pre-test/Cognitive Interviews (NEW) ...................................................................................................
Grand Total ...................................................................................................................................

18:32 Jan 02, 2024

Jkt 262001

PO 00000

Frm 00067

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

E:\FR\FM\03JAN1.SGM

Estimated
burden
hours *

27,639
1,000
31,361

9
15
10

4,146
250
5,227

43,068
833
6,972

13
22
14

9,331
305
1,627

32,173
833
3,645

13
22
14

6,971
305
851

46,773
950
11,811
13,500
70

13
22
14
3
70

10,134
348
2,756
675
82

220,628

........................

43,008

* Rounded.

VerDate Sep<11>2014

Median
completion
time
per response
(minutes)

03JAN1

386

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 2 / Wednesday, January 3, 2024 / 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. 2023–28883 Filed 1–2–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–HQ–LE–2023–N095;
FXLE12200900000–245–FF09L01300; OMB
Control Number 1018–0180]

Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget; U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Law Enforcement
Training System
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), are proposing to revise a
currently approved information
collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before February
2, 2024.
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_
[email protected]. Please reference ‘‘10180180’’ in the subject line of your
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Madonna Baucum, Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at
[email protected], or by telephone at
(703) 358–2503. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, deafblind,
hard of hearing, or have a speech

ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1

SUMMARY:

VerDate Sep<11>2014

18:32 Jan 02, 2024

Jkt 262001

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. You may
also view the information collection
request (ICR) at http://www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain.
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.
On August 17, 2023, we published in
the Federal Register (88 FR 56046) a
notice of our intent to request that OMB
approve this information collection. In
that notice, we solicited comments for
60 days, ending on October 16, 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–2023–0105)
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 one comment
which did not address the information
collection requirements; therefore, no
response is required.
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

PO 00000

Frm 00068

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

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: The Service’s Office of Law
Enforcement at the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC)
coordinates and conducts training for
Service special agents, wildlife
inspectors, and administrative staff, as
well as for State, Tribal, and foreign
individuals responsible for wildlife and
habitat protection. Over the past decade,
there have been substantial increases in
the numbers of programs and
individuals trained, hours of training
provided, and numbers of training sites.
The Training and Development Unit
(TDU) at FLETC collects the required
information necessary to administer
training programs as authorized by the
following:
• Bald and Golden Eagle Protection
Act (16 U.S.C. 668–668c);
• Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42–43; 16
U.S.C. 3371–3378);
• National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act (16 U.S.C 668dd–
668ee);
• Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act
(16 U.S.C. 718–718h);
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16
U.S.C. 703–712);
• Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C.
1531–1543);
• Marine Mammal Protection Act (16
U.S.C. 1361–1407);
• Refuge Recreation Act (16 U.S.C.
460k–460k–4);
• Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1202–
1527);
• Uniform Federal Crime Reporting
Act (28 U.S.C. 534);
• USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (Pub. L.
107–56);
• USA PATRIOT Improvement and
Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Pub. L.
109–177);
• Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108–
458);

E:\FR\FM\03JAN1.SGM

03JAN1