[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 184 (Monday, September 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65745-65747]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20709]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-IA-2023-N068; FXIA167109CWT01/234/FF09A40000; OMB Control 
Number 1018-New]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget; CITES Master's 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 
October 25, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted within 30 days of 
publication of this notice at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting 
``Currently under Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the 
search function. Please provide a copy of your comments 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 ``1018-
CITES'' 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 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.
    On February 14, 2023, we published in the Federal Register (88 FR 
9533) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on April 17, 2023. In an effort to increase public 
awareness of, and participation in, our public commenting processes 
associated with information collection requests, the Service also 
published the Federal Register notice on Regulations.gov (Docket No. 
FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0142) to provide the public with an additional method to 
submit comments (in addition to the typical [email protected] email and 
U.S. mail submission methods). We received two comments in response to 
that notice. However, neither comment addressed the information 
collection requirements, so no response is required.
    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 
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 
United States has been a Party to CITES since 1973. Under the 
Endangered Species Act, the Service has been designated to carry out 
the provisions of CITES for the United States.
    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 CITES. 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 CITES' mandates, such as 
evaluating permit

[[Page 65746]]

applications or enforcing laws. This creates inequity between countries 
in how CITES 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) offers 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 focused 
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 
participating in the course, with a focus on potential participants 
from 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, 
nongovernmental organizations (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. Project leads review 
application packages submitted by candidates for the program.
    We choose candidates based on certain criteria, such as the quality 
of their applications, their present or future contribution to their 
countries' 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 to the University, the U.S. Government 
does not influence who is accepted into the graduate program.
    Prospective students must complete the ``Universidad Internacional 
de Andalucia (UNIA) Application and/or Enrollment Form'' and submit it 
to the Service for consideration. The UNIA application/enrollment form 
collects the following information from prospective students:
     Trainee information, to include:

--Full name,
--Passport number,
--Date and place of birth,
--Nationality,
--Sex,
--Phone number(s),
--Email address, and
--Mailing Address

     Qualifications and professional background:

--Education information, to include level of education, degree/
certificate information, school, and studies undertaken, and
--Employment information, to include professional status, name of 
employer, and job title.
     Enrollment information and type of enrollment for the 
requested course.
     Payment information.
     Supplemental documents to be attached to application:

--Photocopy of passport,
--Payment receipt, and
--Program-specific documents.

    We ask the scholars accepted into the master's program to assist in 
project monitoring and evaluation by responding to periodic assessment 
surveys throughout the course of their 1-year graduate experience so 
that 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 overall impact. 
We also ask students to help develop communication and outreach 
materials to share the impacts of the scholarships with partners and 
the public. The pre- and post-training assessments collect the 
following information:
     Trainee information, to include:

--Name,
--Gender,
--Age range,
--Institution represented,
--Job title/position,
--Contact information, such as their complete mailing address, phone 
numbers, and email address, 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 of 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 Master's 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.

[[Page 65747]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              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
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                                          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
                             -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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. 2023-20709 Filed 9-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P