Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Migratory Birds and Wetlands Conservation Grant Programs, 70749-70751 [2011-29386]

Download as PDF 70749 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 15, 2011 / Notices from becoming so imperiled that they meet the definition of a threatened or endangered species under the ESA. The Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts When Making Listing Decisions (PECE) (68 FR 15100) encourages the development of conservation agreements/plans and provides certainty about the standard that an individual conservation effort must meet for us to consider whether it contributes to forming a basis for making a decision about the listing of a species. PECE applies to ‘‘formalized conservation efforts’’ that have not been implemented or have been implemented but have not yet demonstrated if they are effective at the time of a listing decision. Under PECE, formalized conservation efforts are defined as conservation efforts (specific actions, activities, or programs designed to eliminate or reduce threats or otherwise improve the status of a species) identified in a conservation agreement, conservation plan, management plan, or similar document. The development of such agreements/plans is voluntary. There is no requirement that the individual conservation efforts included in such documents be designed to meet the standard in PECE. II. Data OMB Control Number: 1018–0119. Number of respondents Activity Title: Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts When Making Listing Decisions (PECE). Service Form Number(s): None. Type of Request: Extension of currently approved collection. Description of Respondents: Primarily State, local, or tribal governments. However, individuals, businesses, and not-for-profit organizations could develop agreements/plans or may agree to implement certain conservation efforts identified in a State agreement/ plan. Respondent’s Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit. Frequency of Collection: On occasion. Completion time per response (hours) Number of responses Total annual burden hours Original Agreement .......................................................................................... Monitoring ........................................................................................................ Reporting ......................................................................................................... 4 7 7 4 7 7 2,000 600 120 8,000 4,200 840 Totals ........................................................................................................ 18 18 ........................ 13,040 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES III. Comments We invite comments concerning this information collection on: • Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, including whether or not the information will have practical utility; • The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection of information; • Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and • 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 or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this IC. 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. VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:06 Nov 14, 2011 Jkt 226001 Dated: November 7, 2011. Tina A. Campbell, Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2011–29387 Filed 11–14–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R9–MB–2011–N238; 91100–3740– GRNT–7C] Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Migratory Birds and Wetlands Conservation Grant Programs Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice; request for comments. AGENCY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. We summarize the ICR below and describe the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. This information collection is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2011. 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. However, under OMB regulations, we may continue to SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00047 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB. DATES: You must submit comments on or before December 15, 2011. ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this information collection to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at OMB– OIRA at (202) 395–5806 (fax) or OIRA_DOCKET@OMB.eop.gov (email). Please provide a copy of your comments to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 2042–PDM, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail), or INFOCOL@fws.gov (email). Please include ‘‘1018–0100’’ in the subject line of your comments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information about this ICR, contact Hope Grey at INFOCOL@fws.gov (email) or (703) 358– 2482 (telephone). You may review the ICR online at https://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the Interior collections under review by OMB. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Control Number: 1018–0100. Title: Migratory Birds and Wetlands Conservation Grant Programs. Service Form Number(s): None. Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection. Description of Respondents: Domestic and foreign individuals, businesses and other for-profit organizations; E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM 15NON1 70750 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 15, 2011 / Notices educational organizations; not-for-profit institutions; and Federal, State, local, and/or tribal governments. Respondent’s Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit. Frequency of Collection: On occasion. Number of respondents Activity Number of responses Completion time per response (hours) Total annual burden hours NAWCA Small Grants—Applications .............................................. NAWCA Small Grants—Reports ..................................................... NAWCA U.S. Standard Grants—Applications ................................. NAWCA Canadian and Mexican Standard Grants—Applications ... NAWCA Standard Grants—Reports ................................................ NMBCA Grant Applications ............................................................. NMBCA Reports .............................................................................. 87 109 77 32 188 106 71 87 109 77 32 188 106 71 58 33 215 80 43 62 42 5,046 3,597 16,555 2,560 8,084 6,572 2,982 TOTALS .................................................................................... 670 670 ............................ 45,396 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Abstract: The Division of Bird Habitat Conservation administers grant programs associated with the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), Public Law 101–233, and the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA), Public Law 106–247. Currently, information that we collect for NMBCA grants is approved under OMB Control No. 1018–0113, which expires March 31, 2012. We are proposing to consolidate NAWCA and NMBCA grants under OMB Control No. 1018–0100. If OMB approves this request, we will discontinue OMB Control Number 1018–0113. North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants NAWCA provides matching grants to organizations and individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the benefit of wetlands-associated migratory birds and other wildlife. 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 longterm 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 types of projects and adheres to the same selection criteria and administrative guidelines as the U.S. Standard Grants Program. However, VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:06 Nov 14, 2011 Jkt 226001 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 Web site at https://www.grants.gov as well as in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at https://cfda.gov. 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 North American Wetlands Conservation Council and the requirements of NAWCA. Materials that describe the program and assist applicants in formulating project proposals are available on our Web site at https:// 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. Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act NMBCA establishes a matching grant program to fund projects that promote the long-term conservation of neotropical migratory birds and their habitats in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Principal conservation actions supported are the protection and management of populations; maintenance, management, protection and restoration of habitat; research and monitoring; law enforcement; and community outreach and education. We publish notices of funding availability on the Grants.gov Web site as well as in the Catalog of Federal Domestic PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the requirements of NMBCA. Materials that describe the program and assist applicants in formulating project proposals for consideration are available on our Web site at https:// www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/ NMBCA/index.shtm. 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 2002. Comments: On May 24, 2011, we published in the Federal Register (76 FR 30186) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 days, ending on July 25, 2011. We received one comment. The commenter opposed these grant programs, but did not address the information collection requirements. We did not make any changes as a result of this comment. We again invite comments concerning this information collection on: • Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, including whether or not the information will have practical utility; • The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection of information; • Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and • 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. Before including your E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM 15NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 15, 2011 / Notices 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 OMB in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it will be done. Dated: November 7, 2011. Tina A. Campbell, Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2011–29386 Filed 11–14–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P TAMWG. The meeting will include discussion of the following topics: • Key questions for Restoration Program guidance and assessment, • Channel rehabilitation program review and planning, • Gravel augmentation program, • Watersheds work program, • TRRP budget update, • Hatchery practices review, • Fish marking, • Executive Director’s report, • Trinity Management Council Chair’s report, and • Designated Federal Officer topics. Completion of the agenda is dependent on the amount of time each item takes. The meeting could end early if the agenda has been completed. Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R8–FHC–2011–N237; FXFR1334088TWG0W4] Dated: November 8, 2011. Randy A. Brown, Deputy Field Supervisor, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, Arcata, CA. [FR Doc. 2011–29420 Filed 11–14–11; 8:45 am] DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BILLING CODE 4310–55–P Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group AGENCY: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. Notice of meeting. Geological Survey ACTION: [GX12RB00CMF2400] The Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) affords stakeholders the opportunity to give policy, management, and technical input concerning Trinity River (California) restoration efforts to the Trinity Management Council (TMC). The TMC interprets and recommends policy, coordinates and reviews management actions, and provides organizational budget oversight. This notice announces a TAMWG meeting, which is open to the public. DATES: TAMWG will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, December 9, 2011. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Trinity County Library, 351 Main Street, Weaverville, CA 96093. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meeting Information: Randy A. Brown, TAMWG Designated Federal Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521; telephone: (707) 822–7201. Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) Information: Robin Schrock, Executive Director, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 1300, 1313 South Main Street, Weaverville, CA 96093; telephone: (530) 623–1800; email: rschrock@usbr.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), this notice announces a meeting of the mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:06 Nov 14, 2011 Jkt 226001 Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Information Collection; Economic Contribution of Federal Investments in Restoration of Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed Ecosystems U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior. ACTION: Notice; request for comments for a new information collection. AGENCY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) 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. 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: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC we must receive them on or before January 17, 2012. ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments on this IC to Shari Baloch, Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 70751 Drive mail stop 807 (mail) or smbaloch@usgs.gov (email). Please reference IC 1028–NEW (ECFIRA) in the subject line. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Lynne Koontz, U.S. Geological Survey, 2150–C Centre Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526 (mail); koontzl@usgs.gov (email); or: (970) 226–9384 (phone). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract Under the American Restoration and Recovery Act (ARRA) (Pub. L. 111–5) and via U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) management agencies, restoration projects to mitigate environmental damages and to improve the health and resiliency of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems are currently in progress. Federal investments in ecosystem restoration and monitoring protect Federal trusts, ensure public health and safety, and preserve and enhance essential ecosystem services; furthermore, these investments create jobs. An emphasis on quantifying the relationship between job creation and investments in ecological restoration is evident in the goals of the ARRA, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack’s emphasis on tying management actions to rural jobs (Farm Service Agency Office of Communications, 2010), and Interior Secretary Salazar’s annual report on the Department’s economic contribution to the Nation’s economy (Department of the Interior, 2009). The need to better understand the connection between restoring the health and productivity of ecosystems and the resulting economic benefits to local communities is also illustrated in a recent report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which calls on the federal government to better prioritize the approximately $10 billion it spends each year on ecological restoration and biodiversity preservation. Though a few small, localized studies have been carried out to measure jobs created or supported by investments in certain types of ecosystem restoration, they are not useful at a national scale due to regional variations and variations in study methods and objectives. Without data on the proportion of restoration costs typically spent on labor, equipment, supplies and other expenditures, the economic contribution generated by federal investments in restoration cannot be estimated. The USGS plans to conduct a nationwide telephone survey to elicit expenditure pattern information from contractors that conduct restoration E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM 15NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 220 (Tuesday, November 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70749-70751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29386]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2011-N238; 91100-3740-GRNT-7C]


Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for Approval; Migratory Birds and Wetlands 
Conservation Grant Programs

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. We summarize 
the ICR below and describe the nature of the collection and the 
estimated burden and cost. This information collection is scheduled to 
expire on December 31, 2011. 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. However, under OMB 
regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information 
collection while it is pending at OMB.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before December 15, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this information 
collection to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at 
OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-5806 (fax) or OIRA_DOCKET@OMB.eop.gov (email). 
Please provide a copy of your comments to the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 2042-
PDM, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail), or 
INFOCOL@fws.gov (email). Please include ``1018-0100'' in the subject 
line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey at INFOCOL@fws.gov (email) or (703) 
358-2482 (telephone). You may review the ICR online at https://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the 
Interior collections under review by OMB.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0100.
    Title: Migratory Birds and Wetlands Conservation Grant Programs.
    Service Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: Domestic and foreign individuals, 
businesses and other for-profit organizations;

[[Page 70750]]

educational organizations; not-for-profit institutions; and Federal, 
State, local, and/or tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                               Completion time
                Activity                      Number of         Number of       per response      Total annual
                                             respondents        responses          (hours)        burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAWCA Small Grants--Applications........                87                87                58             5,046
NAWCA Small Grants--Reports.............               109               109                33             3,597
NAWCA U.S. Standard Grants--Applications                77                77               215            16,555
NAWCA Canadian and Mexican Standard                     32                32                80             2,560
 Grants--Applications...................
NAWCA Standard Grants--Reports..........               188               188                43             8,084
NMBCA Grant Applications................               106               106                62             6,572
NMBCA Reports...........................                71                71                42             2,982
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    TOTALS..............................               670               670  ................            45,396
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Abstract: The Division of Bird Habitat Conservation administers 
grant programs associated with the North American Wetlands Conservation 
Act (NAWCA), Public Law 101-233, and the Neotropical Migratory Bird 
Conservation Act (NMBCA), Public Law 106-247. Currently, information 
that we collect for NMBCA grants is approved under OMB Control No. 
1018-0113, which expires March 31, 2012. We are proposing to 
consolidate NAWCA and NMBCA grants under OMB Control No. 1018-0100. If 
OMB approves this request, we will discontinue OMB Control Number 1018-
0113.

North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants

    NAWCA provides matching grants to organizations and individuals who 
have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects 
in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the benefit of wetlands-
associated migratory birds and other wildlife. 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 types 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 Web 
site at https://www.grants.gov as well as in the Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance at https://cfda.gov. 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 North 
American Wetlands Conservation Council and the requirements of NAWCA. 
Materials that describe the program and assist applicants in 
formulating project proposals are available on our Web site at https://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.

Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act

    NMBCA establishes a matching grant program to fund projects that 
promote the long-term conservation of neotropical migratory birds and 
their habitats in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the 
Caribbean. Principal conservation actions supported are the protection 
and management of populations; maintenance, management, protection and 
restoration of habitat; research and monitoring; law enforcement; and 
community outreach and education. We publish notices of funding 
availability on the Grants.gov Web site 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 U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service and the requirements of NMBCA.
    Materials that describe the program and assist applicants in 
formulating project proposals for consideration are available on our 
Web site at https://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NMBCA/index.shtm. 
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 2002.
    Comments: On May 24, 2011, we published in the Federal Register (76 
FR 30186) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on July 25, 2011. We received one comment. The commenter 
opposed these grant programs, but did not address the information 
collection requirements. We did not make any changes as a result of 
this comment.
    We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
     Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
     The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 
collection of information;
     Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     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. Before including your

[[Page 70751]]

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 OMB in your comment 
to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, 
we cannot guarantee that it will be done.

    Dated: November 7, 2011.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-29386 Filed 11-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.