[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59070-59071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23843]



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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 October 21, 2002. The 60-day notice was published in the Federal 
Register on April 30, 2002 (67 FR 21268). No comments were received 
during the 60-day comment period that ended on July 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and/or suggestions on the requirement to 
the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Department of the Interior Desk Officer, 
725--17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503, with a copy to Anissa 
Craghead, Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, MS 222--ARLSQ, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20240, telephone number 703.358.2445.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, explanatory information and related forms, contact 
Anissa Craghead at 703.358.2445, or electronically to [email protected]. For information related to the grant program, which 
is the subject of the information collection, please log onto http://birdhabitat.fws.gov.

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 being conducted under the Neotropical 
Migratory Bird Conservation Act (Pub. L. 106-247). The assigned OMB 
information collection control number is 1018-0113, and the first 
temporary approval expired June 30, 2002. On June 30, 2002, an 
extension of the approval expiration was granted to end on September 
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, 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 databases 
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

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requirements for such activity, which includes soliciting comments from 
the general public regarding the nature and burden imposed by the 
collection.
    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: July 16, 2002.
Marshall P. Jones,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 02-23843 Filed 9-18-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P