[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 82 (Thursday, April 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25217-25218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09105]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Federal and Non-Federal Financial 
Assistant Instruments

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and 
organizations on the extension with revision of a currently approved 
information collection, Federal and Non-Federal Financial Assistant 
Instruments.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before June 27, 2022 
to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will 
be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to Gavin 
Smith, Policy Analyst, Grants and Agreements, G & A Policy, 201 14th 
Street Mail Stop 1138, SW Washington, DC 20227 and telephone 541-975-
4730.
    Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to by email to: 
[email protected].
    Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available 
to the public through relevant websites and upon request. For this 
reason, please do not include in your comments information of a 
confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or 
proprietary information. If you send an email comment, your email 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the 
internet. Please note that responses to this public comment request 
containing any routine notice about the confidentiality of the 
communication will be treated as public comments that may be made 
available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine 
notice.
    The public may inspect the draft supporting statement and/or 
comments received at 201 14th Street Mail Stop 1138, SW Washington, DC 
20227 during normal business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call 
ahead to (202) 720-6270 to facilitate entry to the building. The public 
may request an electronic copy of the draft supporting statement and/or 
any comments received be sent via return email. Requests should be 
emailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Comments may be submitted to, WO 
Office of Grants and Agreements, G&A Policy, email 
[email protected]. Individuals who use telecommunication 
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of 
the year, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Federal and Non-Federal Financial Assistant Instruments.
    OMB Number: 0596-0217.
    Expiration Date of Approval: February 28, 2023.
    Type of Request: Extension with revisions of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: In order to perform specific Forest Service activities, 
Congress

[[Page 25218]]

created several authorities as well as new authorities increasing the 
total burden hours to assist the Agency in carrying out its mission. 
The Forest Service issues partnership agreements under specific 
authorities exempt from the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
Act (FGCAA). This collection is for existing forms as well as a new 
form to supplement and ultimately phase out the older forms by the next 
collection period that will be used to enter into the following 
agreement types by the Forest Service:
    (1) Participating Agreements (replaces FS-1500-16 and 16A through 
16G);
    (2) Cost-Reimbursable Agreement (replaces FS-1500-12);
    (3) Joint Venture Agreement (replaces FS-1500-14 and 14A);
    (4) Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (replaces 
FS1500-13 through 13B); and,
    (5) Challenge Cost-Share Agreement (replaces FS-1500-10 and 10A 
through 10C).
    (6) Stewardship Agreements (replaces FS-1500-21, FS-1500-21A, 
through FS-1500-21D).
    (7) Good Neighbor Agreements (replaces FS-1500-36, FS-1500-36A, FS-
1500-36B).
    (8) Domestic Grants (Letter).
    (9) Fixed Amount Awards (Letter).
    (10) International Grants (Letter).
    (11) International Cooperative Agreements (Letter).
    (12) Cooperative Agreements (Letter).
    In addition to Federal Financial Assistance (FFA), Congress created 
specific authorizations for acts outside the scope of the FGCAA. 
Appropriations language was developed to convey authority for the 
Forest Service to enter into relationships that are outside the scope 
of the FGCAA. The Forest Service implements these authorizations using 
instruments such as collection agreements, FGCAA exempted agreements, 
memorandums of understanding, and other agreements which mutually 
benefit participating parties. These instruments fall outside the scope 
of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and often require 
financial plans and statements of work. Forest Service employees 
collect information from cooperating parties from the pre-award to the 
closeout stage via telephone calls, emails, postal mail, and person-to-
person meetings to create, develop, and administer these funded and 
non-funded agreements. The multiple means for respondents to 
communicate their responses include forms, non-forms, electronic 
documents, face-to-face, telephone, and internet. The scope of 
information collected varies; however, it typically includes the 
project type, project scope, financial plan, statement of work, and 
cooperator's business information.
    The Forest Service would not be able to create, develop, and 
administer these funded and non-funded agreements without the collected 
information. The Agency would also be unable to develop or monitor 
projects, make or receive payments, or identify financial and 
accounting errors.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 1 to 4 hours annually per person.
    Type of Respondents: Non-profit and for profit institutions; 
institutions of higher education; State, local, and Native American 
tribal governments, individuals; foreign governments; and 
organizations.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents for New Form: 1,016.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 3,048 hours.
    Comment is Invited: Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this 
collection of information is necessary for the stated purposes and the 
proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether 
the information will have practical or scientific utility; (2) the 
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the 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) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission request 
toward Office of Management and Budget approval.

Christopher Coppenbarger,
Director, Grants and Agreement Policy.
[FR Doc. 2022-09105 Filed 4-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P