[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29093-29095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13420]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-IA-2017-N070; FXIA16720900020-167-FF09A2000]


Agency Information Collection Activities: OMB Control Number 
1018-0123; International Conservation Grant Programs

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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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. This IC is 
scheduled to expire on October 31, 2017. We may not conduct or sponsor 
and you are not required to respond to a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

[[Page 29094]]


DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC, 
we must receive them by August 28, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the IC to the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 
Leesburg Pike, MS: BPHC, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or 
[email protected] (email). Please include ``1018-0123'' in the subject 
line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Service Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, at [email protected] (email) or (703) 358-2503 
(telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    Some of the world's most treasured and exotic animals are 
dangerously close to extinction. Destruction of natural habitat, 
illegal poaching, and pet-trade smuggling are devastating populations 
of tigers, rhinos, marine turtles, great apes, elephants, and many 
other highly cherished species. The Division of International 
Conservation and Division of Scientific Authority administer 
competitive grant programs funded under the following authorities:
     African Elephant Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4201-4245).
     Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 4261).
     Great Apes Conservation Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-411).
     Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 
5306).
     Marine Turtle Conservation Act (Pub. L. 108-266).
     Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) (Wildlife 
Without Borders Programs-Africa, Mexico, Latin America and the 
Caribbean, Russia, Critically Endangered Species, Combatting Wildlife 
Trafficking, and Amphibians in Decline).
    Applicants submit proposals for funding in response to Notices of 
Funding Opportunity published by the Service on Grants.gov. We collect 
the following information:
     Project summary and narrative.
     Letter of appropriate government endorsement.
     Brief curricula vitae for key project personnel.
     Complete Standard Forms 424 and 424b (nondomestic 
applicants do not submit the standard forms).
    Proposals may also include, as appropriate, a copy of the 
organization's Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and any 
additional documentation supporting the proposed project.
    The project summary and narrative are the basis for this 
information collection. A panel of technical experts reviews each 
proposal to assess how well the project addresses the priorities 
identified by each program's authorizing legislation and the associated 
project costs. As all of the on-the-ground projects are conducted 
outside the United States, the letter of appropriate government 
endorsement ensures that the proposed activities will be supportive of 
locally identified priorities and needs. Brief curricula vitae for key 
project personnel allow the review panel to assess the qualifications 
of project staff to effectively carry out the project goals and 
objectives. As all Federal entities must honor the indirect cost rates 
an organization has negotiated with its cognizant agency, we require 
all organizations with a NICRA to submit the agreement paperwork with 
their proposals to verify how their rate is applied in their proposed 
budget.
    All assistance awards under these grant programs have a maximum 
reporting requirement of:
     An interim report (performance report and a financial 
status report) as appropriate, and
     A final report (performance and financial status report 
and copies of all deliverables, photographic documentation of the 
project and products resulting from the project) due within 90 days of 
the end of the performance period.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0123.
    Title: International Conservation Grant Programs.
    Service Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: Domestic and nondomestic individuals; 
nonprofit organizations; educational institutions; private sector 
entities; and State, local, and tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

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                                                                                    Completion
                                   Annual number     Number of     Total annual      time per      Total annual
           Requirement            of respondents  responses each    responses *      response     burden hours *
                                                                                      (hours)
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Grant Application:
    Individuals.................               1               1               1              22              22
    Private Sector..............             414            1.48             613              22          13,486
    Government..................               7            1.28               9              33             297
Grant Reporting:
    Individuals.................               2               2               4              20              80
    Private Sector..............             312               2             624              20          12,480
    Government..................               5               2              10              20             200
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
    Totals......................             741  ..............           1,261  ..............          26,565
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* Rounded.

    Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: The only foreseeable nonhour 
burden cost to respondents would be a small cost for making a telephone 
call or sending a facsimile. However, we do not expect that this would 
occur often, and any costs would be negligible.

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

[[Page 29095]]

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.

IV. Authorities

    The authorities for this action are the African Elephant 
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4201-4245), the Asian Elephant Conservation 
Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 4261), the Great Apes Conservation Act of 2000 
(Pub. L. 106-411), the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 
(16 U.S.C. 5306), the Marine Turtle Conservation Act (Pub. L. 108-266), 
and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

    Dated: June 22, 2017.
Madonna L. Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-13420 Filed 6-26-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P