[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 45 (Monday, March 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10737-10738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5142]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection Submitted to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for Approval Under the Paperwork Reduction Act; NEPA 
Compliance Checklist

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (We) has submitted the

[[Page 10738]]

collection of information listed below to OMB for approval under the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act. If you wish to obtain copies 
of the proposed information collection requirement, related forms, or 
explanatory material, contact the Service Information Collection 
Clearance Officer at the address listed below.

DATES: You must submit comments by April 7, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments on this information collection renewal 
to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at OMB-OIRA via 
facsimile or e-mail using the following fax number or e-mail address: 
(202) 395-6566 (fax); OIRA--DOCKET@omb. eop.gov (e-mail). Please 
provide a copy of your comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service's 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr., MS 222 
ARLSQ, Arlington, VA 22203; (703) 358-2269 (fax); or [email protected] (e-mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, explanatory information, or related forms, contact 
Anissa Craghead at (703) 358-2445, or electronically to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which implement provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), 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)). We have submitted a request to OMB to renew its 
approval of the collection of information for the NEPA Compliance 
Checklist. We are requesting a 3-year term of approval for this 
information collection activity.
    Federal agencies 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 OMB control number for this 
collection of information is 1018-0110.
    The Service administers several grant programs authorized by the 
Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669-669i), the 
Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777-777k), the 
Anadromous Fish Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 757a-757g), the Endangered 
Species Act (7 U.S.C. 136), the Clean Vessel Act (33 U.S.C. 1322), the 
Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act (16 U.S.C. 777g), North American 
Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4401-4412), the Coastal Wetlands 
Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 3951 et seq.), and 
through other Acts and authorities. The Service uses the information 
collected on the NEPA Compliance Checklist to determine whether a 
grantee complies with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 
U.S.C. 4321-4347, 40 CRF 1500-1508). The State or other grantee uses 
the checklist as a guide to general NEPA requirements, and the 
checklist becomes an administrative record to meet their assurances 
requirements for receiving a grant.
    Certain grant applicants must provide the information requested on 
the NEPA Compliance Checklist in order to qualify to receive benefits 
in the form of grants for purposes outlined in the applicable law. This 
form is designed to cause the minimum impact in the form of hourly 
burden on respondents and still obtain all necessary information. Only 
about 3 percent of the Service's applicants for either a new grant or 
for an amendment to an existing grant will meet the criteria and need 
to complete the NEPA Compliance Checklist. The checklist needs to be 
prepared when: (a) The proposed action is not completely covered by a 
categorical exclusion (e.g., the proposal cannot meet the qualifying 
criteria in the categorical exclusion, and ``is not'' will be checked 
on the Checklist); (b) The proposed action cannot be categorically 
excluded because an exception to the categorical exclusion applies 
(e.g., a ``Yes'' will be checked on the Checklist); (c) Environmental 
conditions at or in the vicinity of the site have materially changed, 
affecting the consideration of alternatives and impacts (applicable to 
amendments and renewals); (d) There is a need to document a normally 
categorically excluded action that may be controversial; or (e) 
Additional internal review and/or documentation of the NEPA 
administrative record are desirable.
    We are proposing several changes to the NEPA Compliance Checklist 
to make the checklist easier to understand and easier for the 
respondent to complete and to update the checklist based on revisions 
to our Departmental Manual.
    Title: NEPA Compliance Checklist.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0110.
    Form Number: 3-2185.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Description of Respondents: The 50 U.S. States, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

Total Annual Burden Hours

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                                                   Completion time per    Annual number of
                    Form name                              form              responses        Annual hour burden
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Checklist........................................          \1/2\ hour                  160                   80
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    We again invite comments 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 our 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 collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.

    Dated: March 2, 2004.
Anissa Craghead,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-5142 Filed 3-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P