2022-01078. Agency Information Collection Activities; North American Breeding Bird Survey

AGENCY:

U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are proposing to renew an information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before March 21, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Send your comments on this information collection request (ICR) by mail to U.S. Geological Survey, Information Collections Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by email to [e-mail]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1028-0079 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact David Ziolkowski by email at [e-mail], or by telephone at 301-497-5753. Individuals who are hearing or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY assistance. You may also view the ICR at https://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), all information collections require approval under the PRA. We may not conduct or sponsor, nor are you required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a current valid OMB control number.

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 the agency might 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 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 ICR. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information (PII) in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your PII—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Abstract: Respondents supply the U.S. Geological Survey with bird count data for more than 600 North American bird species. These data and the analyzed relative abundance and population trend estimates derived from them will be made available via the internet and through special publications, which are used by Government agencies, industry, education programs, and the general public. We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), its implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2), and in accordance with “Data and information to be made available to the public or for limited inspection” (30 CFR 250.197). Responses are voluntary. No questions of a “sensitive” nature are asked.

Title of Collection: North American Breeding Bird Survey.

OMB Control Number: 1028-0079.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 1,650.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 2,600.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: 11 hours on average.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 28,600.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Frequency of Collection: Annually.

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $145,600. (Mileage costs average $56 per response; based on an approximate 100-mile round trip made for data collection per response and using the U.S. GSA 2021 privately owned vehicle mileage reimbursement rate of $0.56 per mile.)

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a current valid OMB control number.

The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq ).

David Ziolkowski,

Acting BBS Program Manager, Eastern Ecological Science Center.