[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 41 (Thursday, March 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12707-12709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04455]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2021-N002; FF09M13200/201/FXMB12330900000; OMB Control 
Number 1018-0172]


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

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 (PRA), 
we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to 
renew an information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
May 3, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request by 
mail to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls 
Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or by email to [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 1018-0172 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. Individuals who are hearing or speech 
impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY 
assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA and its 
implementing regulations at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information 
collections require approval under the PRA. 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.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies 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 especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    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 had

[[Page 12708]]

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 regulated 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 signed pane of their 
stamps; winners retain the copyright to their artwork and may sell the 
original and prints of their designs, which are sought by hunters, 
conservationists, and art collectors.
    For the Duck Stamp Contest, 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). In 2020 a permanent 
theme was established and participants are currently also required to 
include a mandatory waterfowl hunting accessory or waterfowl hunting 
scene within their design. These may include objects such as hunting 
dogs, waterfowl decoys, waterfowl hunters and scenes illustrating the 
theme ``celebrating our waterfowl hunting heritage.'' Designs may also 
include national wildlife refuges as the background of habitat scenes, 
non-eligible species, or other scenes that depict uses of the stamp for 
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 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, nongovernmental 
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 530,000 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:

[[Page 12709]]

     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 or is a foreign exchange student (to verify 
eligibility to receive prizes);
     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 through 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: 1018-0172.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $53,000.00 annually 
(entry fees of $125 plus an average of $15 for mailing costs, for an 
estimated 200 annual submissions to the Federal Duck Stamp Contest). 
There are no fees associated with the Junior Duck Stamp Contest 
submissions. We estimate the mailing costs associated with entering 
submissions to the Junior Duck Stamp contest to be approximately 
$25,000 annually. Most of the student entries are mailed directly by 
schools, who utilize the bulk mail option, thereby reducing the amount 
of postage and packages received.

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                                                     Average                         Average
                                  Total number      number of     Total number   completion time   Total annual
            Activity                of annual      submissions      of annual      per response    burden  hours
                                   respondents        each          responses         (min)              *
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Duck Stamp Program Contest
 Entry Form:
    Individuals................             200               1             200                7              23
Junior Duck Stamp Program
 Contest Entry Form:
    Individuals................          25,000               1          25,000            ** 20           8,333
                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Totals:................          25,200               1          25,200  ...............           8,356
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* Rounded.
** 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.

    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 1, 2021.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-04455 Filed 3-3-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P