E8-9063. Proposed Information Collection; OMB Control Number 1018-0103, Conservation Order for Control of Mid-Continent Light Geese

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. This IC is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2008. We 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.

DATES:

You must submit comments on or before June 24, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

Send your comments on the IC to Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 222-ARLSQ, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail); [e-mail] (e-mail); or [phone] (fax).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this IC, contact Hope Grey by mail, fax, or e-mail (see ADDRESSES) or by telephone at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The number of light geese (lesser snow and Ross' geese) in the mid-continent region has nearly quadrupled during the past several decades due to a decline in adult mortality and an increase in winter survival. Lesser snow and Ross' geese are referred to as light geese because of their light coloration as opposed to dark geese such as white-fronted or Canada Geese. Because of their feeding activity, light geese have become seriously injurious to their habitat as well as to habitat important to other migratory birds. This poses a serious threat to the short- and long-term health and status of some migratory bird populations. We believe that the number of light geese in the mid-continent region has exceeded long-term sustainable levels for their arctic and subarctic breeding habitats and that the populations must be reduced. 50 CFR 21 provides authority for the management of overabundant mid-continent light geese.

Light geese in the mid-continent region are separated into two different populations for management purposes. Lesser snow and Ross' geese that primarily migrate through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri, and winter in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and eastern, central, and southern Texas and other Gulf States are referred to as the mid-continent population of light geese. Lesser snow and Ross' geese that primarily migrate through Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado and winter in New Mexico, northwestern Texas, and Chihuahua, Mexico, are referred to as Western Central Flyway population of light geese.

States that participate in the light geese conservation order must inform and brief all participants on the requirements in 50 CFR 21.60 and conservation order conditions that apply to the implementation of light geese control measures. Participating States must collect information on the number of birds taken during control efforts, the methods by which they were taken, and the date on which they were taken. We use this information to administer the conservation order and, particularly, to monitor the effectiveness of control strategies and to protect migratory birds. Each participating State must submit an annual report summarizing the activities it conducted.

II. Data

OMB Control Number: 1018-0103.

Title: Conservation Order for Control of Mid-Continent Light Geese, 50 CFR 21.60.

Service Form Number(s): None.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: States participating in the conservation order.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.

Frequency of Collection: Annually.

Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 24.

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 24.

Estimated Time Per Response: 74 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,776.

III. Request for Comments

We invite comments concerning this IC on:

(1) whether or not the collection of information is necessary, including whether or not the information will have practical utility;

(2) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 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.

Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include and/or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this IC. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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.

Dated: February 13, 2008.

Hope Grey,

Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.