[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 60 (Tuesday, March 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18029-18032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06589]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-OSA-2021-0113; FF09S00000-XXX-FXSC42050900000-4205
and FF09W25000-212-FXGO166409WSFR0; OMB Control Numbers 1018-New and
1018-0100]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Changes to
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Administration of Grants To Implement
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
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, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), will seek Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval of an emergency clearance of a new
information collection and a revision to an existing information
collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
May 31, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request
(ICR) by one of the following methods (please reference Docket No. FWS-
HQ-OSA-2021-0113 in the subject line of your comment):
Internet (preferred): http://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-OSA-2021-
0113.
Email: Info_Coll@fws.gov.
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 Info_Coll@fws.gov, 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 (PRA; 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations in
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 5 CFR 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 invite 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. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. 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: In response to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA; Pub.
L. 117-2, March 11, 2021), the Service will seek OMB approval of an
emergency clearance of a one-time high-level survey of States,
Federally recognized Tribes, and territorial governments and an
associated revision to an existing information collection (OMB Control
No. 1018-0100), as described below:
Emergency Clearance of a One-Time Survey
The Service intends to seek emergency clearance of a new
information collection to conduct a one-time survey of States,
Federally recognized Tribes, and territorial governments under ARPA.
The purpose of this one-time survey is to provide a snapshot of
agencies' current capacity to conduct surveillance for and manage
wildlife diseases. This high-level survey will assess key components of
a
[[Page 18030]]
program and it is not intended to assess all aspects of a program, nor
compare among programs.
The information to be requested from State, Tribal, and territorial
governments includes the following:
Name of agency/organization;
Business email address of respondent; and
Conditions of wildlife disease program, to include whether
the agency has:
[cir] An approved wildlife health management plan;
[cir] A dedicated wildlife health professional within their
jurisdiction;
[cir] Access to diagnostic services;
[cir] The ability to respond to wildlife disease outbreaks;
[cir] Established networks, memorandums of agreements, and/or
working relationships with core partners; and
[cir] A mechanism for communication of diagnostic results within
and outside their jurisdiction.
This one-time survey is a companion information collection to a new
financial assistance program, the Zoonotic Disease Initiative (ZDI), to
be added to our existing information collection OMB Control No. 1018-
0100. This new financial assistance program will begin in 2022, and the
survey will inform program creation and evaluation for the ZDI. Members
of the public may obtain copies of the draft survey by submitting a
request to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, using
one of the methods identified in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
Title of Collection: High-Level Survey to Assess Current Capacity
to Manage Wildlife Diseases by State, Tribal, and Territorial
Governments Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
OMB Control Number: 1018-New.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Emergency clearance of a new collection of
information.
Respondents/Affected Public: State, Tribal, and territorial
governments.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 630 (50 States, 6
territories, and 574 Tribes).
Average Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 630.
Estimated Average Completion Time per Response: 20 minutes.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 210 hours.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
Revision of OMB Control No. 1018-0100
We issue financial assistance through grants and cooperative
agreement awards to individuals; commercial organizations; institutions
of higher education; nonprofit organizations; foreign entities; and
State, local, and Tribal governments. The Service administers a wide
variety of financial assistance programs, authorized by Congress to
address the Service's mission, as listed in the System for Award
Management (SAM) Assistance Listings, previously referred to as the
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. SAM provides public
descriptions of assistance listings of Federal programs, projects,
services, and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the
American public. It contains financial and non-financial assistance
programs administered by departments and establishments of the Federal
government. The Assistance Listings are assigned unique numbers and
provide information on program types, the specific type of assistance
for each program, and the applicable financial assistance authorities
for each program. See the Service's active Assistance Listings on SAM,
at https://sam.gov/, for additional detailed information.
The Service currently manages the following types of assistance
programs:
Formula Grants
Project Grants
Project Grants (Discretionary)
Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)
Direct Payments with Unrestricted Use
Use of Property, Facilities, and Equipment
Some assistance programs are mandatory and award funds to eligible
recipients according to a formula prescribed in law or regulation.
Other programs are discretionary and award funds based on competitive
selection and merit review processes. Mandatory award recipients must
give us specific, detailed project information during the application
process so that we may ensure that projects are eligible for the
mandatory funding, are substantial in character and design, and comply
with all applicable Federal laws. Applicants to discretionary programs
must give us information as dictated by the program requirements and as
requested in the program's public notice of funding opportunity,
including that information that addresses ranking criteria. All
recipients must submit financial and performance reports that contain
information necessary for us to track costs and accomplishments. The
recipients' reports must adhere to schedules and rules in 2 CFR part
200, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards,'' and the award terms and conditions.
Part 200 prescribes the information that Federal agencies must collect,
and also the information the financial assistance applicants and
recipients must provide in order to receive benefits under Federal
financial assistance programs. The regulations in part 200 support this
information collection.
The Service provides technical and financial assistance to other
Federal agencies, States, local governments, Federally recognized
Tribes, nongovernmental organizations, citizen groups, and private
landowners for the conservation and management of fish and wildlife
resources. The process begins with the submission of an application.
The respective program reviews and prioritizes proposed projects based
on their respective project selection criteria. Pending availability of
funding, applicants submit their application documents to the Service
through the Federal Grants.gov website or through the Department's
grants management system (currently the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services' GrantSolutions), when solicited by the Service through
a Funding Opportunity.
As part of this collection of information, the Service collects the
following types of information requiring approval under the PRA:
A. Application Package: We use the information provided in
applications to: (1) Determine eligibility under the authorizing
legislation and applicable program regulations; (2) determine
allowability of major cost items under the Cost Principles at 2 CFR
200; (3) select those projects that will provide the highest return on
the Federal investment; and (4) assist in compliance with laws, as
applicable, such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the National
Historic Preservation Act, and the Uniform Relocation Assistance and
Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970. The full application
package (submitted by the applicant) generally includes the following:
Required Federal financial assistance application forms
(SF-424 suite of forms, as applicable to specified project).
Project Narrative--generally includes items such as:
[cir] Statement of need,
[cir] Project goals and objectives,
[cir] Methods used and timetable,
[cir] Description of key personnel qualifications,
[[Page 18031]]
[cir] Description of stakeholders or other relevant organizations/
individuals involved and level of involvement,
[cir] Project monitoring and evaluation plan, and/or
[cir] Other pertinent project specific information.
Pertinent project budget-related information--generally
includes items such as:
[cir] Budget justification,
[cir] Detail on costs requiring prior approval,
[cir] Indirect cost statement,
[cir] Federally funded equipment list, and/or
[cir] Certifications and disclosures.
B. Amendments: Recipients must provide written explanation and
submit prior approval requests for budget or project plan revisions,
due date extensions for required reports, or other changes to approved
award terms and conditions. The information provided by the recipient
is used by the Service to determine the eligibility and allowability of
activities and to comply with the requirements of 2 CFR 200.
C. Reporting Requirements: Reporting requirements associated with
financial assistance awards generally include the following types of
reports:
Federal Financial Reports (using the required SF-425),
Performance Reports, and
Real Property Status Reports, when applicable (using the
required SF-429 forms series).
D. Recordkeeping Requirements: In accordance with 2 CFR 200.334,
financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all
other non-Federal entity records pertinent to a Federal award must be
retained for a period of 3 years after the date of submission of the
final expenditure report or, for Federal awards that are renewed
quarterly or annually, from the date of the submission of the quarterly
or annual financial report, respectively, as reported to the Federal
awarding agency or pass-through entity (in the case of a subrecipient)
(unless an exemption as described in 2 CFR 200.334 applies that
requires retention of records longer than 3 years).
Wildlife Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species
(TRACS)
The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 et
seq.) and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777
et seq., except 777e-1) provide authority for Federal assistance to the
States for management and restoration of fish and wildlife. These Acts
and the regulations at 50 CFR 80, subpart D, require that States,
territories, and the District of Columbia annually certify their
hunting and fishing license sales. The Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration (WSFR) program began using TRACS to collect State license
data and certifications electronically in Federal fiscal year 2021.
We collect the required data via FWS Form 3-154 (State Fish and
Wildlife Agency Hunting and Sport Fishing License Certification).
Respondents are the States, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the
Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, and the territories
of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa (States). As
required by 50 CFR 80, States complete FWS Form 3-154 on an annual
basis, in the format that the Director specifies for certifying the
number of hunting and fishing license holders and supporting data on
total licenses sold and costs to license holders.
The Service uses the reported data to support the certification and
run the formulas in the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (16
U.S.C. 669 et seq.) and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act
(16 U.S.C. 777 et seq., except 777e-1 and g-1) for apportioning
Wildlife Restoration and Sport Fish Restoration program funds among the
States. The Service also consolidates and publishes this data for the
public on the WSFR internet site at http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/.
Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act Compliance
We administer the enhanced results-oriented accountability
requirements in the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act
(Pub. L. 114-191); OMB Guidance Memorandum M-18-04, ``Monitoring and
Evaluation Guidelines for Federal Departments and Agencies that
Administer United States Foreign Assistance'' (January 11, 2018); and
OMB revisions to 2 CFR part 200, published August 13, 2020 (85 FR
49506).
Proposed Revision to OMB Control No. 1018-0100
We are establishing two new financial assistance programs with
funding authorized by ARPA (Section 6003), as described below:
The Zoonotic Disease Initiative will provide financial assistance
funding to establish and enhance the capacity of State, Tribal, and
territorial fish and wildlife agencies to effectively address health
issues involving, and minimize the negative impacts of health issues
affecting, free-ranging terrestrial, avian, and aquatic wildlife,
through surveillance, management, and research. The goal is to protect
the public against zoonotic disease outbreaks. We submitted the
program's implementation plan to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review per OMB Guidance Memorandum M-21-24, ``Promoting
Public Trust in the Federal Government and Effective Policy
Implementation through Interagency Review and Coordination of the
American Rescue Plan Act'' (April 26, 2021).
The MENTOR-Bat program will provide financial assistance funding to
support applied conservation projects and development of a global
network of committed individuals in foreign countries working to reduce
harmful interactions between bats and humans and address disease
outbreaks before they become pandemics. We will submit the program's
implementation plan to the OMB for review per OMB memorandum M-21-24.
We anticipate an estimated burden increase of 276 annual responses
and 7,593 annual burden hours associated with this proposed revision in
response to the addition of the two new financial assistance programs.
Once OMB's review of the program implementation plans is complete, we
will submit requests to establish new Assistance Listings for these
programs in the Annual Publication of Assistance Listings to the
General Services Administration (GSA). Both programs will apply the
uniform requirements in title 2 of the CFR, including 2 CFR 25, 170,
175, 180, 182, and 200 (including Uniform Audit), and the Department of
the Interior's implementation regulations at 2 CFR 1400-1402.
Title of Collection: Administrative Procedures for U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Financial Assistance Programs.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0100.
Form Number: FWS Form 3-154.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals; commercial organizations;
institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations; foreign
entities; and State, local, and Tribal governments.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 14,962.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 16,300.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 3 hours to 100
hours, depending on the activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 399,263.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
[[Page 18032]]
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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. 2022-06589 Filed 3-28-22; 8:45 am]
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