[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 53 (Monday, March 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19335-19337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05693]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-MB-2024-0042; FXMB12330900000-245-FF09M13200; OMB Control
Number 1018-0172]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Federal Migratory Bird
Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) and Junior Duck Stamp
Contests
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
renew an information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
May 17, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request
(ICR) by one of the following methods (reference ``1018-0172'' in the
subject line of your comment):
Internet (preferred): https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-MB-2024-
0042.
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: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at [email protected], 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 of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we
provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an
opportunity 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.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are
[[Page 19336]]
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 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
History of the Federal Duck Stamp
On March 16, 1934, Congress passed, and President Franklin D.
Roosevelt signed, the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (16 U.S.C. 718-
718k). Popularly known as the Duck Stamp Act, it required all waterfowl
hunters 16 years or older to buy a stamp annually. The revenue
generated was originally earmarked for the Department of Agriculture,
but 5 years later was transferred to the Department of the Interior and
the Service.
In the years since its enactment, the Federal Duck Stamp Program
has become one of the most popular and successful conservation programs
ever initiated. Today, some 1.5 million stamps are sold each year, and
as of 2023, Federal Duck Stamps have generated more than $1.2 billion
for the preservation of more than 6 million acres of waterfowl habitat
in the United States. Numerous other birds, mammals, fish, reptiles,
and amphibians have similarly prospered because of habitat protection
made possible by the program. An estimated one-third of the Nation's
endangered and threatened species find food or shelter in refuges
preserved by Duck Stamp funds. Moreover, the protected wetlands help
dissipate storms, purify water supplies, store flood water, and nourish
fish hatchlings important for sport and commercial fishermen.
History of the Duck Stamp Contest
Jay N. ``Ding'' Darling, a nationally known political cartoonist
for the Des Moines Register and a noted hunter and wildlife
conservationist, designed the first Federal Duck Stamp at President
Roosevelt's request. In subsequent years, noted wildlife artists
submitted designs. The first Federal Duck Stamp Contest was opened in
1949 to any U.S. artist who wished to enter, and 65 artists submitted a
total of 88 design entries. Since then, the contest has been known as
the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Art (Duck
Stamp) Contest and has attracted large numbers of entrants.
The Duck Stamp Contest (50 CFR part 91) remains the only art
competition of its kind regulated by the U.S. Government. The Secretary
of the Interior appoints a panel of noted art, waterfowl, and
philatelic authorities to select each year's winning design. Winners
receive no compensation for the work, except for a signed pane of their
stamps; however, winners retain the copyright to their artwork and may
sell the original and prints of their designs, which are sought by
hunters, conservationists, and art collectors.
For the Duck Stamp Contest, the Service selects five or fewer
species of waterfowl each year; each entry must employ one of the
Service-designated species as the dominant feature (defined as being in
the foreground and clearly the focus of attention). Designs may also
include national wildlife refuges as the background of habitat scenes,
non-eligible species, or other scenes that depict uses of the stamp for
waterfowl hunting, conservation, and collecting purposes. Entries may
be in any media, except for photography or computer-generated art.
Designs must be the contestants' original hand-drawn creation and may
not be copied or duplicated from previously published art, including
photographs, or from images in any format published on the internet.
History of the Junior Duck Stamp Contest
The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program
(Junior Duck Stamp Program) began in 1989 as an extension of the
Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp. The national Junior Duck
Stamp art contest started in 1993, and the first stamp design was
selected from entries from eight participating States. The program was
recognized by Congress with the 1994 enactment of the Junior Duck Stamp
Conservation and Design Program Act (16 U.S.C. 719). All 50 States,
Washington DC, and 2 of the U.S. Territories currently participate in
the annual contest.
The Junior Duck Stamp Program introduces wetland and waterfowl
conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. It
crosses cultural, ethnic, social, and geographic boundaries to teach
greater awareness and guide students in exploring our nation's natural
resources. It is the Service's premier conservation education
initiative.
The Junior Duck Stamp Program includes a dynamic art-and-science-
based curriculum. This nontraditional pairing of subjects brings new
interest to both the sciences and the arts. The program teaches
students across the nation conservation through the arts, using
scientific and wildlife observation principles to encourage visual
communication about what they learn. Four curriculum guides, with
activities and resources, were developed for use as a year-round study
plan to assist students in exploring science in real-life situations.
Modeled after the Federal Duck Stamp Contest, the annual Junior
Duck Stamp Art and Conservation Message Contest (Junior Duck Stamp
Contest) was developed as a visual assessment of a student's learning
and progression. The Junior Duck Stamp Contest encourages partnerships
among Federal and State government agencies, nongovernmental
organizations, businesses, and volunteers to help recognize and honor
thousands of teachers and students throughout the United States for
their participation in conservation-related activities. Since 2000, the
contest has received more than 570,000 entries.
The winning artwork from the national art contest serves as the
design for the Junior Duck Stamp, which the Service produces annually.
This $5 stamp has become a much sought after collector's item. One
hundred percent of the revenue from the sale of Junior Duck stamps goes
to support recognition and environmental education activities for
students who participate in the program. More than $1.25 million in
Junior Duck Stamp proceeds have been used to provide recognition,
incentives, and scholarships to participating students, teachers, and
schools. The Program continues to educate youth
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about land stewardship and the importance of connecting to the natural
world. Several students who have participated in the Junior Duck Stamp
Program have gone on to become full-time wildlife artists and
conservation professionals; many attribute their interest and success
to their early exposure to the Junior Duck Stamp Program.
Who Can Enter the Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp Contests
The Duck Stamp Contest is open to all U.S. citizens, nationals, and
resident aliens who are at least 18 years of age by June 1. Individuals
enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 may participate in the Junior
Duck Stamp Contest. All eligible students are encouraged to participate
in the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program annual art and
conservation message contest as part of the program curriculum through
public, private, and homeschools, as well as through nonformal
educational experiences such as those found in scouting, art studios,
and nature centers.
Entry Requirements
Each entry in the Duck Stamp Contest requires a completed entry
form and an entry fee. Information required on the entry form includes:
``Display, Participation & Reproduction Rights Agreement''
certification form;
Basic contact information (name, address, phone numbers,
and email address);
Date of birth (to verify eligibility);
Species portrayed and medium used; and
Name of hometown newspaper (for press coverage).
Each entry in the Junior Duck Stamp Contest requires a completed
entry form that requests:
Basic contact information (name, address, phone numbers,
and email address);
Age/grade (to verify eligibility and so they may be judged
with their peers);
Parent's name and contact information (email address and
phone numbers);
Whether the student has a Social Security or VISA
immigration number or is a foreign exchange student (to verify
eligibility to receive prizes);
Title, species, medium/style used, and conservation
message associated with the drawing;
Basic contact information for their teacher and school
(name, address, phone numbers, school/studio/organization/troop name,
and email address); and
Certification of authenticity.
Students in grades 7 through 12 and all national level students are
also required to include citations for any resources they used to
develop their designs. We use this information to verify that the
student has not plagiarized or copied someone else's work. The Service
also translates entry forms into other appropriate languages to
increase the understanding of the rules and what the parents and
students are signing.
Title of Collection: Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and
Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) and Junior Duck Stamp Contests.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0172.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved information
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 25,200.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 25,200.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 7-20 minutes,
depending on activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 8,356.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $53,000 annually (entry
fees of $125 plus an average of $15 for mailing costs, for an estimated
200 annual submissions to the Federal Duck Stamp Contest). There are no
fees associated with the Junior Duck Stamp Contest submissions. We
estimate the mailing costs associated with entering submissions to the
Junior Duck Stamp contest to be approximately $25,000 annually. Most of
the student entries are mailed directly by schools, who utilize the
bulk mail option, thereby reducing the amount of postage and packages
received.
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.
[FR Doc. 2024-05693 Filed 3-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P