[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 22 (Monday, February 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6212-6213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02127]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FW-HQ-FHC-2014-N019; FXFR133409NFHP0-134-FF09F1000]


Proposed Information Collection; National Fish Habitat Action 
Plan Project Funding Process

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Service) will ask the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information 
collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork 
and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal 
agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. We 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.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC, 
we must receive them by April 4, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the IC to the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 2042-
PDM, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail); or [email protected] (email). Please include ``1018-NFHAP'' in the subject line 
of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this IC, contact Hope Grey at [email protected] (email) or 703-
358-2482 (telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    We receive annual appropriations to implement the National Fish 
Habitat Action Plan. We use these funds to:
     Support our participation in the National Fish Habitat 
Board and activities of the Board.
     Support Action Plan coordination and leadership at the 
Regional level.
     Implement habitat-based cost-shared projects.
    Funds used to implement habitat-based cost-shared projects (project 
funds) are subject to reallocation each year. The Director allocates 
the available project funding among Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHPs) 
consistent with the goals and strategies of the National Fish Habitat 
Board. In FY 2014, we will implement a competitive, performance-based 
process to allocate project funds. We will distribute project funds 
among FHPs in two categories: (1) Stable operational support and (2) 
competitive, performance-based funds to encourage strategic 
conservation delivery. To determine which projects receive funding, we 
will collect the following information:
    Justification for Stable Operational Support ($75,000 per year). To 
be eligible to receive stable operational support, FHPs must submit a 
justification that provides an overview of all projects and activities 
over the previous 3 years and anticipated projects and activities over 
the next 3 years. The justification should concisely describe these 
projects and activities as well as how these projects and activities 
(both individually and collectively) have contributed, or are expected 
to contribute, to achieving FHP goals and leverage partner resources 
and capabilities.
    Accomplishments Report and Work Plan. To compete for performance-
based funds, FHPs must submit:
     Accomplishments Report that provides a detailed 
description of all

[[Page 6213]]

projects and activities of the FHP over the previous 3 years.
     Work Plan consisting of a prioritized list of new or 
ongoing habitat projects over the next year. The work plan will 
include, but not be limited to, project title, funds requested, 
anticipated partner contributions, measurable goals and objectives, and 
proposed conservation actions that will produce desired conservation 
outcomes and achieve project goals and objectives.
    Application. FHPs will solicit proposals for Service funding. 
Applicants must submit an application that describes in substantial 
detail project locations, benefits, funding, and other characteristics.
    Performance and Financial Reports. Persons or entities receiving 
project funding must submit annual performance and financial reports 
that contain information necessary for us to track costs and 
accomplishments. Performance reports will include:
     A comparison of actual accomplishments to the goals and 
objectives established for the reporting period, the results/findings, 
or both;
     If the goals and objectives were not met, the reasons why, 
including analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs 
compared to the benefit received to reach an objective; and
     Performance metrics, such as the number of stream miles or 
acres of riparian habitat restored or protected by the project, the 
number of fish passage barriers removed, and the aquatic species 
benefitted by the project.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-XXXX. This is a new collection.
    Title: National Fish Habitat Action Plan Project Funding.
    Service Form Number: None.
    Type of Request: Request for a new OMB Control Number.
    Description of Respondents: Fish Habitat Partnerships recognized by 
the National Fish Habitat Board; individuals; businesses and 
organizations; and State, local, and tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually or on occasion.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Completion
                                                     Number of       Number of       time per      Total annual
                    Activity                        respondents      responses       response      burden hours
                                                                                      (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Justification for Stable Operational Support....              18              18               5              90
Accomplishments Report and Work Plan............              18              18              20             360
Application.....................................             100             100              20           2,000
Financial and Performance Reports...............             100             100              20           2,000
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    TOTALS......................................             236             236  ..............           4,450
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.

III. Comments

    We invite comments concerning this information collection on:
     Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
     The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 
collection of information;
     Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents.
    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 IC. 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.

    Dated: January 28, 2014.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-02127 Filed 1-31-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P