[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 164 (Thursday, August 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49941-49942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16942]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection Renewal Sent to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for Approval Under the Paperwork Reduction Act; OMB 
Control No. 1018-0100; Information Collection in Support of Grant 
Programs Authorized by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act 
(NAWCA)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service, Service) have sent a request to 
OMB to renew the collection of information described below. We use the 
information collected to conduct our NAWCA grant programs in the manner 
prescribed by that Act, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, and 
the North American Wetlands Conservation Council. We also use the 
information to comply with Federal reporting requirements for grants 
awarded under the program.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before September 26, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on this information 
collection renewal to the Desk Officer for the Department of the 
Interior at OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-6566 (fax) or [email protected] (e-mail). Please provide a copy of your comments to 
Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, MS 222-ARLSQ, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 
(mail); (703) 358-2269 (fax); or [email protected] (e-mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection requirements, explanatory information, or related materials, 
contact Hope Grey at the addresses above or by phone at (703) 358-2482. 
For information related to the grant program, which is the subject of 
the information collection approval, please visit our Web site at 
http://birdhabitat.fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 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 
asked OMB to renew approval of the collection of information for the 
NAWCA grants programs. The current OMB control number for this 
collection of information is 1018-0100, which expires on August 31, 
2005. We are requesting the standard 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. 
Following our submittal, OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove 
our information collection request; however, OMB may make its decision 
as early as 30 days after submittal of our request. Therefore, to 
ensure that your comments receive consideration, send your comments 
and/or suggestions to OMB by the date referenced in the DATES section 
of this notice.
    We received one comment regarding this notice. The commenter did 
not address the necessity, clarity, or accuracy of the information 
collection, but stated that the North American Waterfowl Management 
Plan and the Council, as constituted, are used to kill waterfowl, not 
save them. In addition, the commenter petitions to reconstitute the 
Council with different members and requests program materials. We have 
not made any changes to our information collection as a result of the 
comment.
    The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), first signed 
in 1986, is a tripartite agreement among Canada, Mexico, and the United 
States to enhance, restore, and otherwise protect continental wetlands 
to benefit waterfowl and other wetlands-associated wildlife through 
partnerships between and among the private and public sectors. Because 
the 1986 NAWMP did not carry with it a

[[Page 49942]]

mechanism to provide for broadly based and sustained financial support 
for wetland conservation activities, Congress passed and the President 
signed into law the NAWCA. The purpose of NAWCA, as amended, is to 
promote, through partnerships, long-term conservation of North American 
wetland ecosystems and the waterfowl and other migratory birds, fish, 
and wildlife that depend upon such habitat. Principal conservation 
actions supported by NAWCA are acquisition, enhancement, and 
restoration of wetlands and wetlands-associated habitat.
    In addition to providing for a continuing and stable funding base, 
NAWCA establishes an administrative body, the North American Wetlands 
Conservation Council, made up of a State representative from each of 
the four flyways, three representatives from wetlands conservation 
organizations, the Secretary of the Board of the National Fish and 
Wildlife Foundation, and the Director of the Service. The Council 
recommends funding of select wetlands conservation project proposals to 
the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC). Competing for grant 
funds involves applications from partnerships that describe in 
substantial detail project locations, project resources, future 
benefits, and other characteristics, to meet the standards established 
by the Council and the requirements of NAWCA.
    Materials that describe the program and assist applicants in 
formulating project proposals for Council consideration are available 
on our Web site at http://birdhabitat.fws.gov. Persons who do not have 
access to the Web site may still obtain instructional materials by 
mail. There has been virtually no change in the scope and general 
nature of these instructions since the OMB first approved the 
information collection in 1999. Instructions assist applicants in 
formulating detailed project proposals for Council consideration. The 
instructional materials, including any hard or electronic copy and 
information or other instruments, are the basis for this information 
collection request. Notices of funding availability, which are updated 
regularly, are posted on the Grants.gov Web site (http://www.grants.gov) as well as in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance. We use information collected under this program to respond 
to 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 NAWCA.
    If we do not collect this information, we would have to eliminate 
the program because it would not be possible to determine eligibility 
and the relative worth of the proposed projects or to meet our legal 
responsibilities under the Act and regulations. Reducing the frequency 
of collection would only reduce the frequency of grant opportunities, 
as the information collected is unique to each project proposal. 
Discontinuation of the program is not a viable option.
    Title of Collection: Information Collection in Support of Grant 
Programs Authorized by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act 
(NAWCA).
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0100.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Frequency of Collection: Occasional. The Small Grants program has 
one project proposal period per year and the Standard Grants program 
has two per year. Annual reports are due 90 days after the anniversary 
date of the grant agreement. Final reports are due 90 days after the 
end of the project period. The project period is 2 years.
    Description of Respondents: Households and/or individuals; 
businesses and/or other for-profits organizations; educational 
organizations; not-for-profit institutions; Federal Government; and 
State, local and/or tribal governments.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 37,600. We estimate 80 hours for each 
Small Grant and 400 hours for each Standard Grant.
    Number of Respondents: Approximately 150. We estimate 70 proposals 
for the Small Grants program and 80 for the Standard Grants program. 
Approximately half of the projects submitted are funded.
    We interviewed five previous and current recipients of NAWCA grants 
with regard to three aspects of the grants programs: the availability 
of the information requested, the clarity of the instructions, and the 
annual burden hours for preparing applications and other materials, 
such as annual and final reports for both the Small Grants and the 
Standard Grants programs. All respondents advised that the information 
regarding descriptions of both programs and application instructions 
are readily available and the clarity of the information/instructions 
for both programs is good, even considering the level of detail and 
technical information required in the Standard Grants program 
application.
    We invite your comments on: (1) Whether or not the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the NAWCA grants 
programs, including whether or not in the opinion of the respondent the 
information has practical utility; (2) the accuracy of our estimate of 
the annual hour burden of information requested; (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. The information collection in this program is part of a 
system of records covered by the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552(a)).

    Dated: August 3, 2005.
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 05-16942 Filed 8-24-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P