[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 154 (Friday, August 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39362-39363]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17057]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-ES-2018-N146; FF09E41000 190 FXES111609C0000; OMB Control 
Number 1018-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Policy Regarding 
Voluntary Prelisting Conservation Actions

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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

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 in use without an OMB Control Number.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 8, 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 (mail); or by email to [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 1018-VPCA 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: The Service is charged with implementing the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The goal 
of the Act is to provide a means to conserve the ecosystems upon which 
listed species depend and a program for listed species conservation. 
Through our Candidate Conservation program, we encourage the public to 
take conservation actions for species prior to them being listed under 
the Act. Doing so may result in precluding the need to list a species, 
may result in listing a species as threatened instead of endangered, 
or, if a species becomes listed, may provide the basis for its recovery 
and eventual removal from the protections of the Act.
    This policy gives landowners, government agencies, and others 
incentives to carry out voluntary conservation actions for unlisted 
species. It allows the use of any benefits to the species from 
voluntary conservation actions undertaken prior to listing under the 
Act--by the person who undertook such actions or by third parties--to 
mitigate or offset the detrimental effects of other actions undertaken 
after listing. The policy requires participating States to track the 
voluntary conservation actions and provide this information to us on an 
annual basis. We require this information in order to provide the 
entities that have taken the conservation actions with proper credit 
that can later be used to mitigate for any detrimental actions they 
take after the species is listed.
    We plan to collect the following information:
     Description of the prelisting conservation action being 
taken.
     Location of the action (does not include a specific 
address).

[[Page 39363]]

     Name of the entity taking the action and their contact 
information (email address only).
     Frequency of the action (ongoing for X years, or one-time 
implementation) and an indication if the action is included in a State 
Wildlife Action Plan.
     Any transfer to a third party of the mitigation or 
compensatory measure rights.
    Each State that chooses to participate will collect this 
information from landowners, businesses and organizations, and tribal 
and local governments that wish to receive credit for voluntary 
prelisting conservation actions. States may collect this information 
via an Access database, Excel spreadsheet, or other database of their 
choosing and submit the information to the Fish and Wildlife Service 
(via email) annually. We will use this information to calculate the 
number of credits that the entity taking the conservation action will 
receive. We will keep track of the credits and notify the entity of how 
much credit they have earned. The entity can then use these credits to 
mitigate or offset the detrimental effects of other actions they take 
after the species is listed (assuming it is listed).
    Title of Collection: Policy Regarding Voluntary Prelisting 
Conservation Actions.
    OMB Control Number: 1018--New.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Existing collection in use without an OMB Control 
Number.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals; businesses and 
organizations; and State, local, and Tribal governments.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: Ongoing for recordkeeping and annually for 
reporting.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average
                                   Annual number  Average number                    completion       Estimated
           Requirement                  of         of  responses   Annual number     time per     annual  burden
                                    respondents        each        of  responses     response         hours *
                                                                                      (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collect and Report Information
 on Voluntary Prelisting
 Conservation Actions:
    Government..................               1               1               1              20              20
Report Information on Voluntary
 Prelisting Conservation Actions
 to States:
    Individuals.................               1               1               1             .25             .25
    Private Sector..............               1               1               1             .25             .25
    Government..................               1               1               1             .25             .25
Development of Conservation
 Strategy:
    Government..................               1               1               1             200             200
States Develop a Voluntary
 Conservation-Action Program:
    Government..................               1               1               1             320             320
Site Agreement:
    Individuals.................               1               1               1             100             100
    Private Sector..............               1               1               1             100             100
    Government..................               1               1               1             100             100
Management Plan:
    Individuals.................               1               1               1             120             120
    Private Sector..............               1               1               1             120             120
    Government..................               1               1               1             120             120
Credit Agreement:
    Individuals.................               1               1               1              80              80
    Private Sector..............               1               1               1              80              80
    Government..................               1               1               1              80              80
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total:..................              15  ..............              15  ..............           1,361
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Rounded

    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: August 6, 2019.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-17057 Filed 8-8-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P