[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 83 (Tuesday, April 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21268-21269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10691]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collections Submitted to the Office of Management and 
Budget for Approval Under the Paperwork Reduction Act

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:  Notice of information collection; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The collection of information described below has been 
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval 
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Copies of 
the specific information collection requirements, related forms and 
explanatory material may be obtained by contacting the Service 
Information Collection Clearance Officer at the address provided below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received on or 
before July 1, 2002. OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove 
information collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, to 
ensure maximum consideration, OMB should receive public comments by the 
above referenced date.

ADDRESSES: Comments and suggestions on the requirement should be sent 
to Rebecca Mullin, Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, ms 860-ARLSQ, 1849 C Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, explanatory information and related forms, contact 
Rebecca A. Mullin at 703/358-2287, or electronically to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The OMB regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, 
which implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. 104-13), require that interested members of the public and affected 
agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and 
recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). On Friday, December 21, 
2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) was given emergency 
approval by OMB for collection of information in order to quickly 
implement the grant program to be conducted under the Neotropical 
Migratory Bird Conservation Act (Pub. L. 106-247). The assigned OMB 
information collection control number is 1018-0113, and temporary 
approval expires June 30, 2002. The Service is requesting a three year 
term of approval for this information collection activity. 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.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of 
information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of 
the collection of information on respondents.
    Title: Information Collection In Support of Grant Programs 
Authorized by the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 2000 
(NMBCA).
    Approval Number: 1018-0113.
    Service Form Number(s): N/A.
    Description and Use: The purposes of the Neotropical Migratory Bird 
Conservation Act (Act) are to: (1) Perpetuate healthy populations of 
neotropical migratory birds; (2) assist in the conservation of these 
birds by supporting conservation initiatives in the United States, 
Latin America, and the Caribbean; and (3) provide financial resources 
and foster international cooperation for those initiatives.
    The Act authorizes $5 million for this program, and Congress 
appropriated $3 million for Fiscal Year 2002. At a minimum, 75% of this 
money will be available for projects outside the United States. No 
maximum request has been established. The match ratio is 3:1, 
calculated in U.S. dollars. That is, every grant dollar requested under 
the Act must be matched by 3 partner dollars. U.S.-Federal funds may be 
used to support projects, but may not be used as match. Partner funds 
for U.S. projects must be in cash, whereas funds for projects in Latin 
America and the Caribbean may be cash or in-kind contribution.
    Projects may be located in the United States and in all countries 
of Latin America and the Caribbean, with the exception of Cuba. 
Projects in Canada are not eligible for this funding. An applicant may 
be an individual, corporation, partnership, trust, association, other 
private entity, government agency in the U.S. or a foreign country, or 
an international organization.
    The Act describes activities which may be carried out under the 
Act, including: protection and management of neotropical migratory bird 
populations; maintenance, management, protection, and restoration of 
neotropical migratory bird habitat; research and monitoring; law 
enforcement; and community outreach and education.
    The Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, who has principal 
responsibility for implementation, to convene an advisory group 
consisting of individuals representing public and private organizations 
actively involved in the conservation of neotropical migratory birds to 
assist with and provide advice on proposal funding. The Federal 
Advisory Committee Act provisions do not apply to this advisory group.
    Competing for grant funds involves applications from partnerships 
that describe in substantial detail project locations and other 
characteristics. The grant program, i.e., competition for funds, for 
this Act is currently being implemented by the Division of Bird Habitat 
Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is publishing and 
distributing instructional materials that assist the applicants in 
formulating project proposals for advisory group consideration. The 
instructional booklets and other instruments, e.g., Federal Register 
notices on request for proposals, are the basis for this information 
collection request for OMB clearance. Information collected under this 
program is used to respond to such needs as: Audits, program planning 
and management, program evaluation, Government Performance and Results 
Act reporting, Standard Form 424 (Application for Federal Assistance), 
grant agreements, budget reports and justifications, public and private 
requests for information, data provided to other programs for database 
on similar programs, Congressional inquiries and reports required by 
NMBCA, etc.
    In summary, information collection under these programs is required 
to obtain a benefit, i.e., a cash reimbursable grant that is given 
competitively to some applicants based on eligibility and relative 
scale of resource values involved in the projects. The information 
collection is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act requirements for 
such activity, which includes soliciting comments from the general 
public regarding the nature and burden imposed by the collection.

[[Page 21269]]

    Frequency of Collection: Occasional. The Neotropical Migratory Bird 
Conservation Act grant program currently has one project proposal 
submissions window per year.
    Description of Respondents: Households and/or individuals; business 
and/or other for-profit; not-for-profit institutions; farms; Federal 
Government; and State, local and/or Tribal governments.
    Estimated Completion Time: The reporting burden, or time involved 
in writing project proposals, is estimated to be 40 hours.
    Number of Respondents: It is estimated that approximately 200 
proposals will be submitted each year for the Neotropical Migratory 
Bird Conservation Act grant program.

    Dated: April 26, 2002.
Rebecca A. Mullin,
Information Collections, Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 02-10691 Filed 4-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M