SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Operations and Reporting System.

OMB Control Number: 0579-0335.

Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an information collection.

Abstract: The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized under Section 426 of the Act of March 2, 1931, as amended (7 U.S.C. 8351-8354; 46 Stat. 1468), to conduct a program of wildlife services with respect to injurious animal species. Large populations of aggressive wildlife species, if left unmanaged, may cause tremendous amounts of damage to crops, livestock herds, and private property within the United States. Without mitigation, the damage could result in severe economic losses for agricultural businesses and private property owners. The Act authorizes the Secretary to take any action he considers necessary for the control of nuisance mammals and birds and those mammal and bird species that are reservoirs for zoonotic diseases.

The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services (WS), is responsible for assisting the public with mitigating wildlife damage. WS provides advice or enters into agreements with State and local jurisdictions, Tribes, public and private agencies, organizations, institutions, and individuals to provide its services. Through its technical assistance approach, WS offers advice through telephone or onsite consultations, training sessions, demonstration projects, and other means. Mitigation activities are then performed by the requester. WS also provides a cooperative direct control approach where goods, services, and expertise are provided on a cost reimbursable basis. WS collects only information needed to determine appropriate courses of action for providing effective services. Information is used by the agency to:

• Identify cooperators appropriately;
• Identify lands on which WS personnel will work;
• Differentiate between cooperators (i.e., property owners, land managers, or resource owners) who request assistance to manage damage caused by wildlife;
• Identify the land areas on which wildlife damage management activities would be conducted;
• Identify the relationship between resources or property, WS' protection of such resources or property, and the damage caused by wildlife;
• Determine the methods or damage management activities to deal with the damage;
• Establish a record that a cooperative agreement has been entered into with a cooperator;
• Document that permission has been obtained from landowners to go on the cooperator's property;
• Record wildlife damage occurrences on cooperator's property and steps to address them;
• Record occurrences which may have affected non-target species or humans during, or related to, WS project actions; and
• Determine satisfaction with service to help WS evaluate, modify, and improve its programs.

Information collection activities include work initiation documents, assistance requests, protected resource queries, project reports, order forms and sales records, equipment issuances, migratory bird damage reports, reports of injury or death to non-target animals, accident reports, pilot proficiency reviews, and invoice transmittals.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities for an additional 3 years. APHIS has renamed this information collection to Operations and Reporting System, the information collection was formerly known as National Management Information System.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public (as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. These comments will help us:

(1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.042 hours per response.

Respondents: State, local, and Tribal governments; businesses, not-for-profits, and other public sector organizations; and individuals who request services from WS or engage in wildlife damage management projects with WS.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 77,712.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.

Estimated annual number of responses: 86,274.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 3,608 hours. (Due to averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per response.)

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

91 FR 68926