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, 18029-18032 [2022-06589]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[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): https://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-OSA-2021-
0113.
     Email: [email protected].
     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 [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 (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 https://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]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P