[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9549-9551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04805]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-ES-2018-N154; MO# 300030113; OMB Control Number 1018-0165]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Implementing 
Regulations for Petitions

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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, are

[[Page 9550]]

proposing to renew an information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
May 14, 2019.

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; or by email to [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 1018-0165 in the subject line of your 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 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: The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), specifies the process by which the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (Services, 
we) make decisions on listing, delisting, or changing the status of a 
listed species, or revising critical habitat. Any interested person may 
submit a written petition to the Services requesting to add a species 
to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (Lists), 
remove a species from the Lists, change the listed status of a species, 
or revise the boundary of an area designated as critical habitat. The 
petition process is a central feature of the ESA and serves a 
beneficial public purpose.

Petitions

    Information collected from petitioners used to determine whether to 
list a species includes:
    (1) Petitioner's name; signature; address; telephone number; and 
association, institution, or business affiliation;
    (2) Scientific and any common name of the species that is the 
subject of the petition;
    (3) Clear indication of the administrative action the petitioner 
seeks (e.g., listing of a species or revision of critical habitat);
    (4) Detailed narrative justification for the recommended 
administrative action that contains an analysis of the supporting 
information presented;
    (5) Literature citations that are specific enough for the Services 
to locate the supporting information cited by the petition, including 
page numbers or chapters, as applicable;
    (6) Electronic or hard copies of supporting materials (e.g., 
publications, maps, reports, letters from authorities) cited in the 
petition;
    (7) For petitions to list, delist, or reclassify a species:
     Information to establish whether the subject entity is a 
``species'' as defined in the ESA;
     Information on the current geographic range of the 
species, including range States or countries; and
     Copies of notification letters to States (explained in 
more detail below);
    (8) Information on current population status and trends and 
estimates of current population sizes and distributions, both in 
captivity and the wild, if available;
    (9) Identification of the factors under section 4(a)(1) of the ESA 
that may affect the species and where these factors are acting upon the 
species;
    (10) Whether any or all of the factors alone or in combination 
identified in section 4(a)(1) of the ESA may cause the species to be an 
endangered species or threatened species (i.e., place the species in 
danger of extinction now or in the foreseeable future), and, if so, 
how, including a description of the magnitude and imminence of the 
threats to the species and its habitat;
    (11) Information on existing regulatory protections and 
conservation activities that States or other parties have initiated or 
have put in place that may protect the species or its habitat;
    (12) For petitions to revise critical habitat:
     Description and map(s) of areas that the current 
designation (a) does not include that should be included or (b) 
includes that should no longer be included, and the rationale for 
designating or not designating these specific areas as critical 
habitat. Petitioners should include sufficient supporting information 
to substantiate the requested changes, which may include GIS data or 
boundary layers that relate to the request, if appropriate;
     Description of physical or biological features essential 
for the conservation of the species and whether they may require 
special management considerations or protection;
     For any areas petitioned to be added to critical habitat 
within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time it was 
listed, information indicating that the specific areas contain the 
physical or biological features that are essential to the conservation 
of the species and may require special management considerations or 
protection. The petitioner should also indicate which specific areas 
contain which features;
     For any areas petitioned for removal from currently 
designated critical habitat within the geographical area occupied by 
the species at the time it was listed, information indicating that the 
specific areas do not contain the physical or biological features that 
are essential to the conservation of the species, or that these 
features do not require special management consideration or 
protections; and
     For areas petitioned to be added to or removed from 
critical habitat that were outside the geographical area occupied by 
the species at the time it was listed, information indicating why the 
petitioned areas are or are not essential for the conservation of the 
species; and
    (13) A complete, balanced representation of the relevant facts, 
including information that may contradict claims in the petition.

[[Page 9551]]

Notification of States

    For petitions to list, delist, or change the status of a species, 
or for petitions to revise critical habitat, petitioners must provide 
notice to the State agency responsible for the management and 
conservation of fish, plant, or wildlife resources in each state where 
the species that is the subject of the petition occurs of their 
intention to submit a petition. This notification must be made at least 
30 days prior to submission of the petition. Copies of the notification 
letters must be included with the petition. States may provide to the 
Service whatever information they want to be considered in the listing 
decisions.
    Title of Collection: Implementing Regulations for Petitions, 50 CFR 
424.14.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0165.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals, businesses, or 
organizations.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain a Benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $1,000.00 (for 
materials, printing, postage, data equipment maintenance, etc.).

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                                                                                      Average
                                                  Average number                    completion       Estimated
           Requirement             Annual number   of responses    Annual number     time per      annual burden
                                  of respondents       each        of responses      response          hours
                                                                                      (hours)
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                  Petitioner--Prepare and Submit Petitions (50 CFR 424.14(c), (d), (e), and (g)
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Individuals.....................              10               1              10             120           1,200
Private Sector..................              40               1              40             120           4,800
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                                     Petitioner--Notify States (50 CFR 424)
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Individuals.....................             100               1             100               1             100
Private Sector..................             400               1             400               1             400
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Totals:.........................             550  ..............             550  ..............           6,500
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    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.).

    Dated: March 11, 2019.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-04805 Filed 3-14-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P