Agency Information Collection Activities; Administrative Procedures for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Financial Assistance Programs, 64158-64160 [2020-22398]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 197 (Friday, October 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64158-64160]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22398]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-WSFR-2020-N121; FF09W25000-201-FXGO166409WSFR0; OMB Control 
Number 1018-0100]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Administrative 
Procedures for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Financial Assistance 
Programs

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), are proposing to renew an 
information collection with revisions.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 8, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request by 
mail to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls 
Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or by email to [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 1018-0100 in the subject line of your 
comments.

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 who are hearing or speech 
impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY 
assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA and its 
implementing regulations at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 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.

[[Page 64159]]

    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: We issue financial assistance through grants and 
cooperative agreement awards to individuals; commercial organizations; 
institutions of higher education; non-profit 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.gov at https://beta.sam.gov/search?index=cfda&page=1&organization_id=100156642.
    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
     Provision of Specialized Services
     Advisory Services and Counseling
     Dissemination of Technical Information
     Training
    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 notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), 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.'' Part 200 prescribes the information that Federal 
agencies must collect, and financial assistance applicants and 
recipients must provide to receive benefits under Federal financial 
assistance programs, and supports this information collection.
    The Service provides technical and financial assistance to other 
Federal agencies, States, local governments, Native American 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 can 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,
    [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] Indirect cost statement,
    [cir] Federally-funded equipment list, and/or

[[Page 64160]]

    [cir] Certifications and disclosures.
    B. Amendments: Recipients must provide written explanation and 
submit prior approval requests for budget or project plan revisions, 
reporting due date extensions, 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,
     Performance reports, and
     Real Property Status Reports, when applicable.
    D. Recordkeeping Requirements: In accordance with 2 CFR 200.333, 
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 200.333 applies that requires 
retention of records longer than 3 years).

Proposed Revisions

Consolidation of OMB Control No. 1018-0007 into 1018-0100

    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 in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 
80, subpart D, require that States, territories, and the District of 
Columbia annually certify their hunting and fishing license sales. The 
Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program currently 
collects those certifications under OMB Control No. 1018-0007, ``Annual 
Certification of Hunting and Sport Fishing Licenses Issued, 50 CFR 80, 
Subpart D.'' The WSFR program continues to enhance use of their 
``Wildlife Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of 
Species (TRACS)'' system to collect information electronically from 
financial assistance applicants and recipients. As of Federal fiscal 
year 2021, WSFR will begin using TRACS to collect State license data 
and certifications electronically. As this control number includes the 
Wildlife TRACS system collection, in this revision we are consolidating 
the OMB Control No. 1018-0007 information collection requirements into 
this collection. If OMB approves this request, we will discontinue OMB 
Control Number 1018-0007. Consolidation of OMB approvals for Service 
financial assistance-related collections into a single collection 
reduces burden on the public by ensuring consistency in the application 
and award administration processes across all Service financial 
assistance programs.

Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act Compliance

    We have begun implementation of 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,'' and OMB 
revisions to 2 CFR part 200 published August 13, 2020 (85 FR 49506). To 
meet the enhanced requirements, some programs may collect more 
performance information than previously collected.
    Title of Collection: Administrative Procedures for U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service Financial Assistance Programs.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0100.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals; commercial organizations; 
institutions of higher education; non-profit organizations; foreign 
entities; and State, local, and Tribal governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 7,166.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 10,801.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 3 hours to 203 
hours, depending on the activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 192,355.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    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.).

    Dated: October 6, 2020.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-22398 Filed 10-8-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P