2023-08237. Agency Information Collection Activities; Alaska Guide Service Evaluation

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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 June 20, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Send your comments on the information collection request (ICR) by one of the following methods (please reference 1018–041 in the subject line of your comments):

• Internet (preferred): https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS–R7–NWRS–2023–0005.

• Email:[e-mail].

• 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:

Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, by email at [e-mail], 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-of-contact 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.

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 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.

Abstract: We collect information via Form 3–2349 (Alaska Guide Service Evaluation) to help us evaluate commercial guide services on our national wildlife refuges in the State of Alaska (State). The National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 668dd–ee), authorizes us to permit uses, including commercial visitor services, on national wildlife refuges when we find the activity to be compatible with the purposes for which the refuge was established. With the objective of making available a variety of quality visitor services for wildlife-dependent recreation on National Wildlife Refuge System lands, we issue permits for commercial guide services, including big game hunting, sport fishing, wildlife viewing, river trips, and other guided activities. We use FWS Form 3–2349 as a method to:

• Monitor the quality of services provided by commercial guides.
• Gauge client satisfaction with the services.
• Assess the impacts of the activity on refuge resources.

The client is the best source of information on the quality of commercial guiding services. We collect:

• Client name.
• Guide name(s).
• Type of guided activity.
• Dates and location of guided activity.
• Information on the services received, such as the client's expectations, safety, environmental impacts, and client's overall satisfaction.

We encourage respondents to provide any additional comments that they wish regarding the guide service or refuge experience, and ask whether or not they wish to be contacted for additional information.

The above information, in combination with State-required guide activity reports and contacts with guides and clients in the field, provides a comprehensive method for monitoring permitted commercial guide activities. A regular program of client evaluation helps refuge managers detect potential problems with guide services so that we can take corrective actions promptly. In addition, we use this information during the competitive selection process for big game and sport fishing guide permits to evaluate a renewing applicant's ability to provide a quality guiding service.

The Service is actively reviewing the current evaluation form to identify ways to improve the information collected to:

• Provide more quantifiable and defensible data;
• Provide statistical data for each completed and submitted form; and
• Translate the client responses into useful information, so refuge management can make better informed decisions.

Proposed Revision

With this submission, the Service will propose a new form (tentatively assigned Form 3–2538, “Alaska Guide Service Evaluation”) to OMB for approval. The Service initially proposed this form for viability testing under OMB Control No. 1090–0011, “DOI Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery,” in our December 22, 2020, Federal Register notice (85 FR 83604). However, due to a delay and changes to Control No. 1090–0011 that now prohibit testing of new forms, we are proposing the form be approved for testing under this information collection (OMB Control No. 1018–0141). Upon approval and after successfully testing the form in at least two guide seasons, the Service anticipates discontinuing Form 3–2349 and instead using Form 3–2538 as the single guide service evaluation form (incorporating appropriate changes identified in the usability testing phase).

In order to effectively adapt visitor services programming in the Alaska Region, we need to understand visitor satisfaction. To that end, the Alaska Guide Service Evaluation team, comprised of representatives from across the Region, with the assistance of the Human Dimensions Branch and the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, has revised the current guide evaluation form. The revised form provides the region's refuges with a useful and quantitative tool that reflects social science survey design best practices, and that is standardized for use across refuges in the region. Form 3–2538 would collect the following information from participants in the Alaska guide program:

• Details regarding the guided trip—name of the outfitter(s) and person(s) guiding the trip and top three purposes for visiting the refuge.
• Experiences with the guided trip.
• Level of satisfaction with the guided trip and details regarding purpose of visit to refuge.
• Suggestions for improvements.
• Details about visitor—gender; State and/or country of residence; year of birth; race or ethnicity; details regarding formal schooling; and approximate household income.
• Contact information for follow-up questions (optional).

The public may request copies of any form contained in this information collection by sending a request to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer (see ADDRESSES ).

Title of Collection: Alaska Guide Service Evaluation.

OMB Control Number: 1018–0141.

Form Number: Forms 3–2349 and 3–2538.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Clients of permitted commercial guide service providers.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 264.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 264.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: 15 minutes.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 66.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Frequency of Collection: One time, following use of commercial guide services.

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.