[Federal Register: June 24, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 122)]
[Notices]
[Page 35703-35704]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24jn08-83]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R9-MB-2008-N00164] [91100-3740-GRNT 7C]
Proposed Information Collection; OMB Control Number 1018-0100;
North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grant Programs
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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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 September 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 August 25, 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); hope_
grey@fws.gov (e-mail); or (703) 358-2269 (fax).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail, fax, or e-mail (see
ADDRESSES) or by telephone at (703) 358-2482.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) is a
tripartite agreement among Canada, Mexico, and the United States to
enhance, restore, and protect habitat to benefit waterfowl and other
wetlands-associated wildlife. Because the NAWMP did not include a
mechanism to provide for broadly based and sustained financial support
for wetland conservation activities, Congress passed the North American
Wetlands Conservation Act in 1989. The NAWCA promotes, through
partnerships between the private and public sectors, long-term
conservation of North American wetland ecosystems and the waterfowl and
other migratory birds, fish, and wildlife that depend upon such
habitat.
In addition to providing for a continuing and stable funding base,
NAWCA establishes an administrative body, the North American Wetlands
Conservation Council. It is made up of a State representative from each
of the four flyways, three representatives from nonprofit wetlands
conservation organizations, the Secretary of the Board of the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Director of the Fish and Wildlife
Service. The Council recommends funding of select wetlands conservation
project proposals to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.
There is a Standard and a Small Grants Program. Both are
competitive grants programs and require that grant requests be matched
by partner contributions at no less than a 1-to-1 ratio. Funds from
U.S. Federal sources may contribute to a project, but are not eligible
as match.
The Standard Grants Program supports projects in Canada, the United
States, and Mexico that involve long-term protection, restoration, and/
or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats. In Mexico,
partners may also conduct projects involving technical training,
environmental education and outreach, organizational infrastructure
development, and sustainable-use studies.
The Small Grants Program operates only in the United States. It
supports the same type of projects and adheres to the same selection
criteria and administrative guidelines as the U.S. Standard Grants
Program. However, project activities are usually smaller in scope and
involve fewer project dollars. Grant requests may not exceed $75,000,
and funding priority is given to grantees or partners new to the NAWCA
Grants Program.
We publish notices of funding availability on the Grants.gov
website (http://www.grants.gov) as well as in the Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance. To compete for grant funds, partnerships submit
applications that describe in substantial detail project locations,
project resources, future benefits, and other characteristics that meet
the standards established by the Council and the requirements of NAWCA.
Materials that describe the program and assist applicants in
formulating project proposals for Council consideration are available
on our website at http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA. Persons
who do not have access to the Internet may obtain instructional
materials by mail. We have not made any major changes in the scope and
general nature of the instructions since the OMB first approved the
information collection in 1999.
II. Data
OMB Control Number: 1018-0100.
Title: North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grant
Programs.
Service Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Extension of currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Households and individuals; businesses and other
for-profit organizations; educational organizations; not-for-profit
institutions; and Federal, State, local and/or tribal governments.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
[[Page 35704]]
Frequency of Collection: On occasion. The Small Grants Program has
one project proposal period per year and the Standard Grants Program
has two per year. Annual reports are due 90 days after the anniversary
date of the grant agreement. Final reports are due 90 days after the
end of the project period. The project period is 2 years.
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Number of annual Number of annual Completion time per Annual burden
Activity respondents responses response hours
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Small Grants - Application...... 70 70 60 hours........... 4,200
Small Grants - Reports.......... 150 150 30 hours........... 4,500
Standard Grants - Application... 85 85 325 hours.......... 27,625
Standard Grants - Reports....... 200 200 40 hours........... 8,000
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Totals...................... 505 505 ................... 44,325
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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: May 29, 2008
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E8-14223 Filed 6-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S