[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 116 (Tuesday, June 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34548-34549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14102]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2012-0092; FXRS 84510900000-134-FF09R20000]
RIN 1018-AY36


Policy on Donations, Fundraising, and Solicitation

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that it 
has established a policy that covers Service procedures for accepting, 
using, and recognizing donations. This donations policy is an extension 
of the Department of the Interior's guidance on donations, found in the 
Departmental Manual (DM) at 374 DM 6. The donations policy establishes 
procedures for reviewing and evaluating potential donors and donations. 
It lists delegations of authority for accepting donations and the roles 
and responsibilities of the Service's Donations Senior Manager and 
employees authorized to accept donations. It provides guidance on 
soliciting donations, where appropriate, and provides general guidance 
on fundraising by non-Federal entities on the Service's behalf. It 
focuses on the ethical considerations of all types of donations, as 
opposed to our Fish and Wildlife Service Manual (FW) guidance, 342 FW 
5, Non-Purchase Acquisition, which covers the acquisition of real 
property rights by methods other than purchase, including donation.

DATES: This policy is effective as of May 1, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of this final policy at http://www.fws.gov/policy/manuals. The final policy and comments are available 
at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2012-0092. 
Alternatively, you may request a copy by U.S. mail from USFWS, Division 
of Realty, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 622, Arlington, Virginia 22203 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). They are also available for 
public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Bruner, 703-358-1713.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    We have established a final donations policy, which is available at 
http://www.fws.gov/policy/manuals. We have incorporated this policy as 
part 212, chapter 8, of the Fish and Wildlife

[[Page 34549]]

Service Manual. The purpose of this policy is to establish policy for 
accepting, using, and recognizing donations. The policy includes 
procedures for reviewing and evaluating potential donors and donations, 
as well as guidance on soliciting donations and fundraising.

Background

    The Department of the Interior issued ``ETHICS AND CONDUCT, 
Employee Responsibilities and Conduct, Donations'' (374 DM 6) in 2007. 
This guidance requires all Interior bureaus to develop their own policy 
on donations.
    Several authorities allow various types of donations, including 
real and personal property, services, and money. These include the Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.), which allows 
acceptance of funds or lands, pending State approval. A later amendment 
to the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742f) allows the 
Service to accept real and personal property donations. Other 
authorities cited in this donations policy include the Partnerships for 
Wildlife Act (16 U.S.C. 3741); Alaska National Interest Lands 
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3101); Migratory Bird Conservation Act, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 715-715r); National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer 
and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 742f); Great Lakes Fisheries Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 932); and 
the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd(b)(2)).
    In addition to those broader authorities, individual units of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System or the National Fish Hatchery System 
may have specific legislative authority to accept donations. This 
donations policy is in keeping with statutory requirements as well as 
with the aforementioned Departmental guidance, 374 DM 6.

Final Policy

    We recognize the value of donations, but also the potential 
problems with accepting them. This policy covers the ethical 
considerations for donations, fundraising, and solicitation. While 
donations can be a means to further our mission, not all donations are 
appropriate. This policy provides consistent procedures for evaluating 
potential donors and donations to determine if acceptance is 
appropriate. The policy also helps the reader determine who has 
authority to accept appropriate donations. That authority depends on 
the type (real property or non-real property) and the monetary value of 
the donation.
    This policy also covers soliciting donations and fundraising. Those 
activities are primarily done by Friends groups, which are groups of 
volunteers who support specific refuges. The donations policy lists the 
limited circumstances when Service employees may solicit donations. It 
describes inappropriate fundraising activities and also mentions grant 
applications and acceptance.
    Recognizing donors is very important. This policy also contains 
information on that, including a template for a thank-you letter.

Summary of Comments and Changes to the Final Policy

    On January 15, 2013, we announced the draft policy and requested 
public comments via a Federal Register notice (78 FR 3023). The comment 
period was open from January 15, 2013, through February 15, 2013. We 
received 14 comment letters on the draft policy. The letters included 
69 individual comments on the draft policy. The comments were from 
Federal government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and 
individuals. Most of the comments addressed specific elements, while 
some comments expressed general support, without addressing specific 
elements. We considered all of the information and recommendations for 
improvement included in the comments and made appropriate changes to 
the draft policy. We also made some additions and clarifications to the 
policy that were not addressed in the public comments, but were 
discovered through internal briefings and reviews during the policy 
revision period.

    Dated: May 27, 2014.
Stephen Guertin,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-14102 Filed 6-16-14; 8:45 am]
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