[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 22 (Thursday, February 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4671-4674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01968]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2017-N168; FF09M13200/189/FXMB12330900000; OMB Control 
Number 1018-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Federal Migratory Bird 
Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) and Junior Duck Stamp 
Contests

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

[[Page 4672]]


ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we) are proposing a new 
information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
April 2, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request 
(ICR) by mail to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls 
Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or by email to [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 1018-Duck Stamp in the subject line of 
your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum, Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at (703) 358-2503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and 
continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact 
of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information 
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired 
format.
    We are soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described 
below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper 
functions of the Service; (2) will this information be processed and 
used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) 
how might the Service enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (5) how might the Service minimize the 
burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use 
of information technology.
    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 ICR. 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.

Abstract

History of the Federal Duck Stamp

    On March 16, 1934, Congress passed, and President Franklin D. 
Roosevelt signed, the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (16 U.S.C. 718-
718k). Popularly known as the Duck Stamp Act, it required all waterfowl 
hunters 16 years or older to buy a stamp annually. The revenue 
generated was originally earmarked for the Department of Agriculture, 
but 5 years later was transferred to the Department of the Interior and 
the Service.
    In the years since its enactment, the Federal Duck Stamp Program 
has become one of the most popular and successful conservation programs 
ever initiated. Today, some 1.5 million stamps are sold each year, and 
as of 2017, Federal Duck Stamps have generated more than $1 billion for 
the preservation of more than 6 million acres of waterfowl habitat in 
the United States. Numerous other birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and 
amphibians have similarly prospered because of habitat protection made 
possible by the program. An estimated one-third of the Nation's 
endangered and threatened species find food or shelter in refuges 
preserved by Duck Stamp funds. Moreover, the protected wetlands help 
dissipate storms, purify water supplies, store flood water, and nourish 
fish hatchlings important for sport and commercial fishermen.

History of the Duck Stamp Contest

    Jay N. ``Ding'' Darling, a nationally known political cartoonist 
for the Des Moines Register and a noted hunter and wildlife 
conservationist, designed the first Federal Duck Stamp at President 
Roosevelt's request. In subsequent years, noted wildlife artists 
submitted designs. The first Federal Duck Stamp Contest was opened in 
1949 to any U.S. artist who wished to enter, and 65 artists submitted a 
total of 88 design entries. Since then, the contest has been known as 
the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Art (Duck 
Stamp) Contest and has attracted large numbers of entrants.
    The Duck Stamp Contest (50 CFR part 91) remains the only art 
competition of its kind sponsored by the U.S. Government. The Secretary 
of the Interior appoints a panel of noted art, waterfowl, and 
philatelic authorities to select each year's winning design. Winners 
receive no compensation for the work, except a pane of their stamps, 
but winners may sell prints of their designs, which are sought by 
hunters, conservationists, and art collectors.
    The Service selects five or fewer species of waterfowl each year; 
each entry must employ one of the Service-designated species as the 
dominant feature (defined as being in the foreground and clearly the 
focus of attention). Designs may also include hunting dogs, hunting 
scenes, waterfowl decoys, national wildlife refuges as the background 
of habitat scenes, non-eligible species, or other scenes that depict 
uses of the stamp for sporting, conservation, and collecting purposes. 
Entries may be in any media EXCEPT photography or computer-generated 
art. Designs must be the contestants' original hand-drawn creation and 
may not be copied or duplicated from previously published art, 
including photographs, or from images in any format published on the 
internet.

History of the Junior Duck Stamp Contest

    The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program 
(Junior Duck Stamp Program) began in 1989 as an extension of the 
Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp. The national Junior Duck 
Stamp art contest started in 1993, and the first stamp design was 
selected from entries from eight participating states. The program was 
recognized by Congress with the 1994 enactment of the Junior Duck Stamp 
Conservation and Design Program Act (16 U.S.C. 719). All 50 states, 
Washington, DC, and 2 of the U.S. Territories currently participate in 
the annual contest.
    The Junior Duck Stamp Program introduces wetland and waterfowl 
conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. It 
crosses cultural, ethnic, social, and geographic boundaries to teach 
greater awareness and guide students in exploring our nation's natural 
resources. It is the Service's premier conservation education 
initiative.
    The Junior Duck Stamp Program includes a dynamic art- and science-
based curriculum. This non-traditional pairing of subjects brings new 
interest to both the sciences and the arts. The program teaches 
students across the nation conservation through the arts, using 
scientific and wildlife observation principles to encourage visual 
communication about what they learn. Four curriculum guides, with 
activities and resources, were developed for use

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as a year-round study plan to assist students in exploring science in 
real-life situations.
    Modeled after the Federal Duck Stamp Contest, the annual Junior 
Duck Stamp Art and Conservation Message Contest (Junior Duck Stamp 
Contest) was developed as a visual assessment of a student's learning 
and progression. The Junior Duck Stamp Contest encourages partnerships 
among Federal and State government agencies, nongovernment 
organizations, businesses, and volunteers to help recognize and honor 
thousands of teachers and students throughout the United States for 
their participation in conservation-related activities. Since 2000, the 
contest has received more than 478,000 entries.
    The winning artwork from the national art contest serves as the 
design for the Junior Duck Stamp, which the Service produces annually. 
This $5 stamp has become a much sought after collector's item. One 
hundred percent of the revenue from the sale of Junior Duck stamps goes 
to support recognition and environmental education activities for 
students who participate in the program. More than $1.25 million in 
Junior Duck Stamp proceeds have been used to provide recognition, 
incentives, and scholarships to participating students, teachers, and 
schools. The Program continues to educate youth about land stewardship 
and the importance of connecting to their natural worlds. Several 
students who have participated in the Junior Duck Stamp Program have 
gone on to become full-time wildlife artists and conservation 
professionals; many attribute their interest and success to their early 
exposure to the Junior Duck Stamp Program.

Who Can Enter the Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp Contests

    The Duck Stamp Contest is open to all U.S. citizens, nationals, and 
resident aliens who are at least 18 years of age by June 1. Individuals 
enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 may participate in the Junior 
Duck Stamp Contest. All eligible students are encouraged to participate 
in the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program annual art and 
conservation message contest as part of the program curriculum through 
public, private, and homeschools, as well as through nonformal 
educational experiences such as those found in scouting, art studios, 
and nature centers.

Entry Requirements

    Each entry in the Duck Stamp Contest requires a completed entry 
form and an entry fee. Information required on the entry form includes:
     ``Display, Participation & Reproduction Rights Agreement'' 
certification form;
     Basic contact information (name, address, phone numbers, 
and email address);
     Date of birth (to verify eligibility);
     Species portrayed and medium used; and
     Name of hometown newspaper (for press coverage).
    Each entry in the Junior Duck Stamp Contest requires a completed 
entry form that requests:
     Basic contact information (name, address, phone numbers, 
and email address);
     Age (to verify eligibility);
     Parent's name and contact information;
     Whether the student has a Social Security or VISA 
immigration number (to verify eligibility to receive prizes);
     Whether the student is a foreign exchange student;
     Grade of student (so they may be judged with their peers);
     The title, species, medium used, and conservation message 
associated with the drawing;
     Basic contact information for their teacher and school 
(name, address, phone numbers, and email address); and
     Certification of authenticity.
    Students in Grades 7-12 and all national level students are also 
required to include citations for any resources they used to develop 
their designs. We use this information to verify that the student has 
not plagiarized or copied someone else's work. The Service also 
translates entry forms into other appropriate languages to increase the 
understanding of the rules and what the parents and students are 
signing.
    Title of Collection: Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and 
Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) and Junior Duck Stamp Contests.
    OMB Control Number: 1018--NEW.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Existing collection in use without an OMB Control 
Number.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.

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                                                      Average                         Average
                                   Total number      number of     Total  number    completion     Total annual
            Activity                 of annual      submissions     of  annual       time per      burden hours
                                    respondents        each          responses    response (min)
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                                      Duck Stamp Program Contest Entry Form
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Individuals.....................             200               1             200              15              50
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                                  Junior Duck Stamp Program Contest Entry Form
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Individuals.....................          25,000               1          25,000            * 30          12,500
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    Totals......................          25,200               1          25,200  ..............          12,550
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* Burden for Junior Duck Stamp Program entry form is longer since both the parents and teacher must sign the
  form, and the student must provide references.

    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $25,000.00 annually 
associated with entry fees required for contest entry submissions and 
mailing costs for submissions to the Federal Duck Stamp Contest. There 
are no fees associated with the Junior Duck Stamp Contest submissions.
    An agency 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 authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).


[[Page 4674]]


    Dated: January 29, 2018.
Madonna L. Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-01968 Filed 1-31-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P