[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 78 (Monday, April 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29358-29361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08517]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-NWRS-2024-N013; FF09M21200-245-FXMB1231099BPP0; OMB Control 
Number 1018-0193]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
Agreements With Friends Organizations

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 to renew an 
information collection with revisions.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
May 22, 2024.

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-
0193'' in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, 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. You may also view the ICR at 
http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

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 September 25, 2023, we published in the Federal Register (88 FR 
65741) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on November 24, 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-NWRS-2023-0135). We received the following five comments in 
response to that notice:
    Comment 1: Electronic comment submitted via Regulations.gov (FWS-
HQ-NWRS-2023-0135-0002) by Jean Publie on 09/25/2023. The commenter 
requests that the Friends program be shut down and is inherently biased 
toward insider groups.
    Agency Response to Comment 1: The commenter did not address the 
information collection requirements; therefore, no response is 
required.
    Comment 2: Anonymous electronic comment submitted via 
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-NWRS-2023-0135-0006) received 11/19/2023. The 
commenter asked us not to kill any wildlife.
    Agency Response to Comment 2: The commenter did not address the 
information collection requirements; therefore, no response is 
required.
    Comment 3: Electronic comment submitted via Regulations.gov (FWS-
HQ-NWRS-2023-0135-0007) by A. Hill on 11/23/2023. The commenter states:
    ``The proposed USFWS collection of information from Friends groups 
is supposedly being done to ``reduce paperwork'' of citizens under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act. At least our Friends group is already working 
very closely with our local USFWS manager, providing all relevant 
information. We provide all required information to the Internal 
Revenue Service (IRS), and that information is provided to members and 
our local USFWS manager. We provide all financial information to our 
membership, and any and all of that information is available to the 
public upon request. We are a small, all volunteer organization--
absolutely no paid staff. All but a minimum portion of our raised money 
goes directly to refuge support, education programs, and other mission 
relevant expenses. It is already hard enough to recruit executive 
officers, particularly to positions overseeing record keeping. Any 
additional reporting requirements would further discourage 
participation. If your goal is to cripple smaller friends groups, your 
proposal is right on point. Otherwise, unless there is reason for 
concern, let the refuge manager and friends group work out reporting 
requirements.''
    Agency Response to Comment 3: We must collect Friends information 
per the September 2020 audit by the Department of the Interior (DOI) 
Office

[[Page 29359]]

of the Inspector General (OIG), who was concerned that the information 
was not available for the program as a whole. No information will be 
requested that isn't already being collected by the Friends and that 
should already be regularly reported to the refuge manager. We will 
allow the refuge manager and Friends to determine who reports the 
information to the Service. This standard reporting form will allow the 
Service to tell a fuller story of the contributions of all Friends 
across the country.
    Comment 4: Electronic comment submitted via Regulations.gov (FWS-
HQ-NWRS-2023-0135-0008) by Charles Paxton on 11/23/2023. The commenter 
states:
    ``I am a board member at large for the friends of Black Bayou Lake 
NWR group, I'm writing on my own behalf as an individual in this 
instance and not representing the board with these opinions. I think it 
would be quite onerous for small groups to have to report in detail as 
if they were larger groups. I warn against that course. Our members are 
all volunteers and most of them are professionals working in other 
business areas and while they bring a wide variety of skills with them 
to the group, they may have very little time nor inclination for extra 
bureaucracy or other impositions. I wouldn't want any extra imposition 
to be made upon our officers.
    I don't see that we would benefit from it really. Furthermore when 
questioning the relevance of such information collection in the 
document, I have to say that I didn't see anything in the proposal that 
justified the use of it therefore I do question the validity of 
collecting it.
    Yes, I agree there's a need to develop future leaders within our 
organization but I'm not sure we need to be very formal about that, 
rather we attract people who are self-motivated. Remote micromanagement 
we don't need. The covid pandemic eroded our active support base but 
ours is a community conservation project and our leadership has been 
recently refreshed. NB there is already a national mentoring 
organization called ANROSP that is available to us. Thank you for 
seeking our opinions.''
    Agency Response to Comment 4: We will not seek any information that 
is not already being collected and reported to the refuge manager and 
the IRS. The justification for the collection is in part because it is 
being required by the OIG per the September 2020 audit, and in part 
because we will be able to paint a full picture of the contributions of 
Friends on a national scale, which has never been possible without any 
standardized data collection.
    Comment 5: Electronic comment submitted via Regulations.gov (FWS-
HQ-NWRS-2023-0135-0009) by Charles Paxton on 11/23/2023. The commenter 
states:
    ``The new regulations proposed here are not inclusive and do not 
facilitate improvements applicable to all friends groups, specifically 
those which operate and are managed by volunteers alone. Additionally, 
the proposal does not go into specifics regarding its ``non-form'' 
collection of information. And the stringency of the collection of the 
reports of activity from friends groups, applicable to what we assume 
is all friends groups, does not take into account that some groups are 
poorly staffed, underfunded, volunteer only, and limited in its 
capacity to report on the standards of groups who are of greater means 
and ability.''
    Agency Response to Comment 5: We will not collect any information 
outside of the new form. We are establishing a tiered system for what 
is expected to be reported for smaller groups versus larger ones, with 
no information being requested that should not already be collected per 
guidelines from the IRS for any 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
    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: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) enters into 
agreements and partnerships with nonprofit Friends groups to facilitate 
and formalize collaboration between the parties in support of mutual 
goals and objectives as authorized by:
    (1) The Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a-742j);
    (2) The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 
(16 U.S.C. 668dd-ee), as amended;
    (3) The Refuge Recreation Act of 1962 (16 U.S.C. 460k et seq.), as 
amended;
    (4) The Anadromous Fish Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 757a-757g), as 
amended;
    (5) The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934 (16 U.S.C. 661-
667e), as amended;
    (6) The National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community 
Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 742f), as amended; and
    (7) The National Fish Hatchery System Volunteer Act of 2006 (16 
U.S.C. 760aa), as amended.
    In September 2020, the OIG delivered its final audit report of the 
Service's Friends Program. The audit outlined six recommendations, 
including a requirement for Friends groups to report related data to 
the Service on a regular basis. In order to collect this information 
legally, we must complete the Information Collection Clearance process. 
The Service addressed and completed all audit recommendations and 
commitments (other than completion of the Information Collection 
Clearance process). For example, the Service amended and reissued 
agency policies (Service Manual chapters 633 FW 1, 633 FW 2, 633 FW 3, 
and 633 FW 4, available at https://www.fws.gov/program/policy-regulations/library) which guide the program. We also trained Service 
staff and Friends on the new policies.
    The Service uses the information collected to establish efficient 
and effective partnerships and working

[[Page 29360]]

relationships with nonprofit Friends organizations. The agreements 
provide a method for the Service to legally accept donations of funds 
and other contributions by people and organizations through 
partnerships with nonprofit (and non-Federal) Friends organizations. 
The partnership agreements identify roles and responsibilities and 
identify mutual projects over the term of the agreement. Quarterly 
reviews provide an opportunity to update contact and financial 
information. Annual reporting documents contributions to the Service.
    The Service utilizes a standardized agreement that describes the 
substantial involvement of both parties in mutually agreed-upon 
activities and ensures that both parties have a mutual understanding of 
their respective roles, responsibilities, rights, expectations, and 
requirements within the partnership. The agreement, preapproved by the 
DOI Office of the Solicitor, provides the suggested language common to 
most Service Friends partnerships. The content is based on DOI and 
Service policies, but the Friends and Service sites/programs may 
thoughtfully add and delete certain language to meet their varying 
partnership roles and responsibilities wherever Department and Service 
policies do not dictate otherwise. For use of Service property, we also 
use a supplemental partnership agreement, which provides additional 
terms and responsibilities beyond the general terms of the partnership 
agreement and is required only for those Friends groups that use 
Service land, facilities, or equipment.
    The partnership agreement and supplemental agreement are effective 
for 5 years, with four annual modification options during the 5-year 
period. Each time the agreement is up for 5-year renewal, the Refuge or 
Fish Hatchery Project Leader and the Friends President or Board will 
meet to review, modify, and sign the agreement, as described above. For 
an agreement to become effective or be renewed, the Regional Director 
(or designee) must review, approve, and sign a new agreement every 5 
years.
    The Service collects the information listed below about the 
administration of the Friends Program to verify compliance with agency 
policy and to allow the Service to gauge the impact of the program as a 
whole. All information collected will be kept in a secure manner by the 
Service and will not be shared except as an aggregate report. If the 
Service wishes to share specific details to illustrate the strength of 
the Friends program, individual groups will be asked for their 
permission to do so.
    In addition to the partnership agreement and supplemental 
agreement, and subsequent renewals of the agreements, the Service 
collects the following information about the administration of the 
Friends Program:
     Basic program information documentation, to include 
documents such as IRS determination letters recognizing an organization 
as tax exempt, submission of IRS Form 990-series forms, bylaws, and 
articles of incorporation;
     Internal financial control documentation for the 
organization;
     Recordkeeping requirements documenting accountability for 
donations and expenditures;
     Documentation providing assurance that donations, 
revenues, and expenditures benefit the applicable refuge or hatchery;
     Annual performance reporting (donations, revenues, and 
expenditures) and number of memberships (if applicable);
     Additional information that may be included as part of 
quarterly, annual, and in-depth program reviews; and
     Information related to fundraising agreements for 
activities described in 212 FW 8.
    Over the life of this clearance, the Service plans to develop a 
digital platform and process to collect information directly from 
Friends groups. Until that occurs, Friends groups will submit 
information through form and non-form responses.

Proposed Revisions to This Information Collection

    With this submission, we are proposing the following revisions to 
the existing information collection:
    1. (New) National Friends Program: Friends Academy Application 
(Form 3-2565)--The Service will use the Friends Academy Application 
form with the Friends Academy, an advanced training program for board 
members and staff of Friends organizations who are beyond the formative 
stages of development. The overarching purpose of the Academy is to 
cultivate emerging Friends leaders by providing a broader understanding 
of the Service and enhancing skills to increase the effectiveness of 
Friends/Service partnerships.
    This program will be exclusively offered to Friends board members 
and staff who have been serving for at least 1 year. In addition, 
people who have at least 2 years of involvement as Friends members or 
volunteers may be considered. People eligible for the program fall into 
two application pools--Service staff or other Friends may nominate a 
Friend, or a Friend may self-nominate. These application forms will be 
completed and submitted directly to the National Friends Coordinator 
specified in the ``Application Submission Instructions'' section.
     Part I (Region and Application Type) of each application 
simply gathers the servicing regional office and specifies the type of 
nomination (Self-nomination or Staff nominating a Friend) that dictates 
which sections will be filled out.
     Part II (Self-Nomination) and Part III (Nominating a 
Friend) both gather basic information to identify the nominee (name, 
address, phone number, and email address) and specify the nominee's 
baseline credentials for gaining entry to the Academy program (Friends 
organization affiliation, years of affiliation, Service programs 
supported, volunteer history, board position, committees served). In 
addition, these sections also solicit professional information that 
helps the Academy's selection personnel evaluate the nominee's merits 
as a candidate. Each of these parts gather identical information 
regarding the nominee.
     Part IV (Required Service Site or Program Manager 
Endorsement and Signature) requires gathering endorsements and 
signatures from both the nominee's Service Site Program Manager and 
from a member of the nominee's Friends Organization.
     Part V (Required Service Site or Program Manager 
Endorsement and Signature Continued) compiles the signatures of all the 
individuals involved in preparing the application: self-applicant or 
nominating official, project leader or manager, and Friends 
Organization representative.
    2. (New) National Friends Program: Friends Mentoring Visit Form 
(Form 3-2566)--Friends groups will use the Mentoring Visit Form to 
request a mentor visit. The form is completed by the Friends group, but 
the Service staff at the field station which the Friends support must 
be consulted and must sign the form before it is submitted to Service 
headquarters.
    3. (New) National Friends Program: Friends Mentor Application (Form 
3-2567)--The National Friends Mentoring Program will be open to both 
Service staff and members of the public (e.g., retired Service 
Employees, Friends members). Applicants will volunteer to serve in a 
cadre of trained mentor professionals. These professionals will use the 
National Friends Program Mentor Application form to apply to

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enter into mentoring relationships with current Friends groups who 
request this service. The mentor relationship typically lasts for one 
full year and involves an on-site visit to the Friends group and 
Service site which the Friends group supports in an official capacity 
(i.e., has a Friends Partnership Agreement). The Service generally 
issues a call for mentor applications every 3 to 5 years, at most.
    4. (Revised) Internal Financial Control Documentation (Forms 990 or 
990-EZ Filers)--We reduced the number of respondents specific to this 
requirement to reflect only those Friends groups that file Forms 990 or 
990-EZ. Tax information for this collection will be retrieved by 
Service members from information published on the IRS website and not 
requested from Friends groups.
    5. (New) Internal Financial Control Documentation (Forms 990-N or 
Postcard Filers)--About 80 percent of the Service's Friends groups are 
very small, each with annual gross receipts totaling $50,000 or less. 
This means that they do not file a 990 or 990-EZ (the Internal IRS 
forms on which organizations must declare all donations and revenues). 
Rather, these smaller groups, which represent most of our partners, are 
required to file only the 990-N, or e-Postcard. The 990-N or e-Postcard 
simply asks for confirmation that the organization has annual gross 
receipts totaling $50,000 or less. Collection of this information, per 
the OIG audit, from Friends groups filing the 990-N or ePostcard is not 
duplicative of what the IRS requires from 80 percent of our Friends 
groups, nor is it publicly available information on the IRS website. 
Therefore, we need to request this information on our Annual Report 
(for only those small entities filing the 990-N or e-Postcard).
    Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agreements with 
Friends Organizations.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0193.
    Form Numbers: 3-2565 through 3-2567.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Friends Groups of the National 
Wildlife Refuge System.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 1,693.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,693.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 2 hours to 40 
hours, depending on activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 20,285.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    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 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. 2024-08517 Filed 4-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P