[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 169 (Thursday, September 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53773-53774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18894]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX21BD239AV0100; OMB Control Number 1028-NEW]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Information 
Collection Through Surveys and Interviews To Evaluate and Improve the 
Cooperative Research Units Program Mission, Functions, and Goals

AGENCY: Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing a new information 
collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 3, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Written 
comments and recommendations can also be sent by mail to U.S. 
Geological Survey, Information Collections Officer, 12201 Sunrise 
Valley Drive MS 159, Reston, VA 20192, or by email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1028-NEW 
in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this Information Collection Request (ICR), contact Cynthia S. 
Loftin by email at [email protected], or by telephone at (207) 881-
3500. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard 
of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals 
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in 
the United States. You may also view the ICR a http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA and 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1), we provide the general

[[Page 53774]]

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.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
October 1, 2021 (86 FR 54468). No comments were received.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other 
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. 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 the agency might 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. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personally identifiable information (PII) in your 
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your 
PII--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us 
in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Abstract: The USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units 
Program originated in 1935 to fill a need for qualified wildlife and 
fisheries professionals and provide evidence-based graduate research to 
inform resource management. Currently, the program has 41 individual 
Units in 39 states and formalizes relationships among a state natural-
resources management agency, a host university, the USGS, the USFWS, 
and the Wildlife Management Institute. The program's graduate education 
and research mission has remained largely unchanged through its tenure, 
yet the issues challenging fish and wildlife conservation have 
transformed. This raises questions about the program's support and 
sustainability into the future and how best to address cooperator 
needs.
    Through focused surveys and interviews, this information collection 
will ask participants to evaluate their communication and relationships 
with individuals in the program. The data will be used to examine the 
structure, communication, and socio-technical connectivity using 
network analysis and agent-based modeling. This information collection 
aims to improve our understanding of the impact and effectiveness of 
the Cooperative Research Units Program and how well it meets its 
partners' needs.
    Title of Collection: Information collection through surveys and 
interviews to improve the Cooperative Research Units Program mission, 
functions, and goals.
    OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: New.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Universities, state and tribal 
governments, and businesses which are direct (both formal and informal) 
Cooperators of the USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units 
Program.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 840.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 840.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: 30 minutes.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 420 hours.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: One time.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
    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 PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Cynthia Loftin,
Eastern Region Supervisor, Cooperative Research Units, U.S. Geological 
Survey.
[FR Doc. 2022-18894 Filed 8-31-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P