[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9533-9535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03092]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0142; FXIA167109CWT01/234/FF09A40000; OMB 
Control Number 1018-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; CITES Masters Course

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 (Service), are proposing a new 
information collection in use without Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) approval.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
April 17, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request 
(ICR) by one of the following methods (please reference 1018-CITES in 
the subject line of your comments):
     internet (preferred): https://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2022-
0142.
     Email: [email protected].
     U.S. mail: Service Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg

[[Page 9534]]

Pike, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

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 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) 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: Wildlife trafficking ranks as the second greatest threat 
to species survival after habitat destruction. The United States (U.S.) 
recognizes wildlife trafficking as a serious transnational crime that 
threatens thousands of plant and animal species and undermines U.S. 
priorities, including national security, human health, and economic 
growth. The Service employs a science-based approach to counter 
wildlife trafficking, including through the implementation of the 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 
and Flora (CITES). CITES is the sole global treaty dedicated to 
preventing the unsustainable trade in plants and animals and is an 
essential component to counter illegal wildlife trade as it provides 
mechanisms and incentives to effectively manage natural resources. The 
U.S. has been a Party to the Convention since 1973. Under the 
Endangered Species Act, the Service has been designated to carry out 
the provision of CITES for the U.S.
    As one of the largest and oldest environmental treaties in the 
world, CITES is a key conservation tool for the protection of 35,000 
plant and animal species. Currently 183 countries have agreed to 
implement the Convention. However, realizing the full conservation 
impact of CITES remains challenging and is highly dependent on each 
country's financial and technical capacity. Even when a Party has the 
political will and desire to implement CITES, it may not have the 
resources, systems, or personnel to effectively follow the Conventions' 
mandate, such as evaluating permit applications or enforcing laws. This 
creates inequity between countries in how the Convention is 
implemented, with serious downstream impacts such as the degradation of 
wild populations and ecosystems, often resulting in negative 
implications for communities living among wildlife.
    To help develop the technical expertise necessary to effectively 
implement CITES, the International University of Andaluc[iacute]a 
(UNIA) has offered a unique master's degree program entitled ``The 
Management and Conservation of Species in Trade: The International 
Framework'' (also known as the ``CITES Master's Course''). The program, 
which was established in 1997, provides high-quality training focusing 
on the scientific foundations, techniques and mechanisms of CITES 
implementation. Approximately 400 students have graduated from the 
program, many becoming leaders in CITES and global policy.
    Recognizing the important potential offered through UNIA's CITES 
Master's Course, the Service provides scholarships to support wildlife 
professionals interested in furthering their CITES expertise by 
partaking in the CITES Master's Course, with a focus on countries most 
vulnerable to illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade. The competitive 
scholarships cover costs for tuition, lodging, and supplies, provide an 
opportunity for the scholars to participate in the CITES Conference of 
the Parties, and offer technical and financial research support.
    The Service collaborates with the Department of Interior's 
International Technical Assistance Program (DOI-ITAP) through an 
interagency agreement to manage the numerous logistics associated with 
the scholarships. Scholarships support cohorts of students from Latin 
America, the Caribbean, and Central and East Africa. The Service and 
DOI-ITAP staff solicit recommendations from relevant CITES authorities, 
NGOs, and U.S. Government agencies working in those countries to select 
top candidates for the scholarships. Recommendations are provided 
through direct communication with project leads, most often via email 
communication. Project leads review application packages submitted by 
candidates for the program.
    We choose candidates based on certain criteria such as the quality 
of their application, their present or future contribution to their 
country's CITES work, and their demonstration of a lasting commitment 
to wildlife conservation and CITES implementation. Selected candidates 
then follow a separate application process for acceptance into the 
International University of Andaluc[iacute]a CITES Master's Course. 
Although scholarship activities aid the candidates to assemble and 
submit application materials the University, the U.S. Government does 
not influence who is accepted into the graduate program.
    We ask the successful scholars accepted into the master's program 
to assist in project monitoring and evaluation by responding to 
periodic assessment surveys throughout the

[[Page 9535]]

course of their one-year graduate experience so project officers can 
gauge the impact and effectiveness of the training. After graduating, 
the scholars are requested to fill out an assessment to further our 
understanding of the course's impact. We also ask students to help 
develop communication and outreach materials to share the impacts of 
the scholarships with partners and the public.
    Course enrollees are asked to complete pre- and post-training 
assessments which collects the following information:
     Trainee information, to include:

--Name,
--Gender,
--Age range,
--Institution represented,
--Job title/position,
--Contact information such as their include complete address, phone 
numbers, and email, and
--Country.

     Trainee's assessment of training--Questions provide 
participants an opportunity to offer feedback on their training to help 
inform how we can improve project activities and goals.
     Potential effect of training on the trainee's job--
Questions provide an opportunity for participants to share how the 
technical training provided through the scholarships may open 
professional opportunities.
     Knowledge of biodiversity and CITES--Questions are 
designed to measure the impact of training by quantifying changes in 
each participant's knowledge of biodiversity and CITES between pre- and 
post-training assessments.
     Capacity to apply knowledge on biodiversity and CITES--
Questions are designed to measure the impact in training by quantifying 
changes in knowledge between pre- and post-training assessments.
    The Service will use the information collected to ensure project 
activities are meeting high project standards and are achieving 
intended outcomes. In addition, information collected for project 
outreach and communication will be used to inform the public on project 
outcomes and to garner interest in future scholarship opportunities.
    The public may request copies of the application form contained in 
this information collection by sending a request to the Service 
Information Collection Clearance Officer in ADDRESSES, above.
    Title of Collection: CITES Masters Course.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-New.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Existing information collection in use without OMB 
approval.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Program participants from foreign 
public sector and foreign government entities.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.

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                              Average number  Average number  Average number                         Estimated
         Requirement             of annual     of responses      of annual    Average completion   annual burden
                                respondents        each          responses     time per response      hours *
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Nomination/Application:
    Private Sector..........               3               1               3  1 hour............               3
    Government..............              30               1              30  1 hour............              30
Pre-Assessment
 Questionnaire:
    Private Sector..........               1               1               1  20 minutes........               0
    Government..............              14               1              14  20 minutes........               5
Post-Assessment
 Questionnaire:
    Private Sector..........               1               1               1  20 minutes........               0
    Government..............              14               1              14  20 minutes........               5
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        Totals..............              63  ..............              63  ..................              43
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* 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.).

Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-03092 Filed 2-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P