Notice2026-03946
Agency Information Collection Activities; Northeast Region Hunter Participation Surveys
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 27, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 39 (Friday, February 27, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9877-9878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03946]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R5-MB-2025-1497; FXMB1231099BPP0-267-FF09M21200; OMB
Control Number 1018-0195]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Northeast Region Hunter
Participation Surveys
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: 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
April 28, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request
(ICR) by one of the following methods (please reference Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 1018-0195 in the subject line
of your comment):
<bullet> Internet (preferred): <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-MB-2025-
1497.
<bullet> 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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e9a0878f86b6aa868585a98f9e9ac78e869f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f2bb9c949dadb19d9e9eb2948581dc959d84">[email protected]</span></a>, 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. You may also view the ICR at
<a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 5 CFR
part 1320, 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 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 entire
[[Page 9878]]
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 Service has overall Federal responsibility for
managing the Nation's fish and wildlife resources. One of the Service's
priorities is to provide the public with wildlife-based outdoor
recreation opportunities on National Wildlife Refuges, National Fish
Hatcheries, and other Service lands (collectively, refuges). These
outdoor recreation opportunities include hunting, which is an important
opportunity for people to connect with nature, harvest food, and assist
the Service in managing wildlife populations.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as amended
by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act (the Act; 16
U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) stipulates that refuges undergo a comprehensive
conservation planning process that, among other things, must look at
the compatibility of wildlife-dependent recreation (including hunting)
on refuges. We will use the information from the proposed survey effort
to inform planning on refuges as mandated by the Act.
Hunting on refuges is regulated by both State and Federal laws, as
well as through refuge-specific regulations. These refuge-specific
regulations are made in accordance with hunt plans required to be
developed for each refuge. These hunt plans outline refuge-specific bag
limits, season dates, areas open and closed to hunting, allowed hunting
time, and other requirements. The hunt plans are an important tool that
refuges use to manage harvest, safety, and visitor experience.
Creating hunt plans relies on sound biological and social data.
Understanding hunter experience, preference, and harvest helps refuge
managers and planners tailor hunt plans to suit biological and visitor
objectives and maintain a safe environment for hunters and non-hunting
visitors.
To ensure the surveys were comprehensive, the Service convened an
interdisciplinary team made up of biologists, managers, visitor
services specialists, social scientists, and law enforcement officers.
The team identified data gaps needed to inform future hunt plan
development, identified safety concerns, and considered methods to
better understand hunter preference in order to improve visitor
experience.
Proposed Changes to the Survey Instruments
The Services proposes the following non-substantive changes to the
existing information collections below:
1. Form 3-2557, ``Hunter Satisfaction Survey''--
a. Big game question 2ii--The question currently reads, ``What
method (s) of take did you use?'' To minimize confusion to respondents,
we propose to change that question to ``What method(s) of take did you
use, regardless of whether you harvested an animal?''
b. Small game question 4--The question currently reads, ``What
methods did you use to hunt small game on the refuge?'' To minimize
confusion to respondents, we propose to change that question to ``What
method(s) of take did you use to hunt small game on the refuge,
regardless of whether you harvested an animal?''
2. Form 3-2558, ``Spring Turkey Hunter Participation Survey''--
a. Question 3 currently reads, ``What method of take did you use to
hunt turkey during the previous spring turkey hunting season?'' To
minimize confusion to respondents, we propose to change the question to
``What method of take did you use to hunt turkey during the previous
spring turkey hunting season, regardless of whether you harvested an
animal?''
The public may request copies of any form or document contained in
this information collection by sending a request to the Service
Information Collection Clearance Officer in ADDRESSES, above.
Title of Collection: Northeast Region Hunter Participation Surveys.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0195.
Form Numbers: Forms 3-2557 and 3-2558.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 100.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 100.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: 20 minutes for Form 3-2557
and 10 minutes for Form 3-2558.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 25.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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. 2026-03946 Filed 2-26-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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