[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 107 (Monday, June 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47590-47593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12088]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2024-N029; FXMB123109CITY0-245-FF09M20200; OMB Control 
Number 1018-0183]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget; Urban Bird Treaty Program Requirements

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

[[Page 47591]]

(Service), are proposing to renew a currently approved information 
collection without change.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
July 3, 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-
0183 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we 
provide the general 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.
    On January 26, 2024, we published in the Federal Register (89 FR 
5255) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on March 26, 2024. 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-MB-2024-0006). We received the following comments in response to 
that notice:
    Comment 1: Anonymous electronic comment received 02/02/2024 via 
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-MB-2024-0006-0002): I recommend we keep all 
public lands in public hands, and continually add more lands to the 
public holding. The forest service land exchange in Summit County CO 
was a massive mistake and should never have happened. Summit County 
should have prevented the over development of second, third or more 
homes in the mountain valley. Over development, property investment 
speculation has brought more problems than just a housing shortage for 
workers. The Forest Service should have put the problem right on the 
county who should use eminent domain on hotels and condominiums to 
solve their problem.
    Now you have radicals like Mike Lee of Utah who wants to give 
public lands to developers to continue to over develop Salt Lake 
Valley. The state of Utah has for decades failed to clean the air and 
created a water shortage by over developing. The Federal government 
should not contribute to the problems created by the State government. 
The public lands in urban, rural, and suburban areas should always have 
the priority of open space for wildlife.
    Agency Response to Comment 1: The commenter did not address the 
information collection requirements; therefore, no response is 
required.
    Comment 2: Anonymous electronic comment received 03/17/2024 via 
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-MB-2024-0006-0003): Please do your best to 
protect these birds and to care for them well.
    Agency Response to Comment 2: The commenter did not address the 
information collection requirements; therefore, no response is 
required.
    Comment 3: Electronic comment received 03/25/2024 via 
Regulations.gov (FWS-HQ-MB-2024-0006-0004) from Kyara Garcia Rodriguez: 
The Forest Service plays a crucial role in the management and 
protection of national forests and grasslands, which are essential for 
conserving biodiversity, storing carbon, regulating water quality, and 
promoting outdoor recreation. These ecosystems serve as homes for 
numerous plant and animal species, including those that are at risk of 
extinction. Through their responsible care, the Forest Service helps to 
guarantee the sustainable utilization of natural resources, lessen the 
effects of climate change, and preserve the ecological harmony of these 
significant landscapes.
    The Urban Bird Treaty Program Requirements are crucial for 
supporting bird conservation in urban areas, where factors like habitat 
loss and pollution threaten bird populations. The program fosters 
partnerships between federal agencies, local governments, and community 
organizations to safeguard bird species, preserve urban habitats, and 
involve residents in conservation efforts. Recognizing the significance 
of the Urban Bird Treaty, Program emphasizes the importance of urban 
bird conservation and encourages collaborative efforts to address the 
unique challenges faced by birds in cities. Prioritizing the protection 
of urban bird populations can help preserve biodiversity, enhance urban 
ecosystems, and strengthen the bond between people and nature in urban 
settings.
    Agency Response to Comment 3: No action was taken as this comment 
is a statement of support for the program.
    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 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. 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

[[Page 47592]]

cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Abstract: The Urban Bird Treaty Program (UBT Program) is 
administered through the Service's Migratory Bird Program, under the 
authority of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661-
667e). The UBT Program supports partnerships of public and private 
organizations and individuals working to conserve migratory birds and 
their habitats in urban areas for the benefit of these species and the 
people that live in urban areas. The UBT partners' habitat conservation 
activities help to ensure that more natural areas, including forests, 
grasslands, wetlands, and meadows, are available in urban areas, so 
that historically excluded and underserved communities can have 
improved access to green space and opportunities to engage in habitat 
restoration and community science as well as bird-related recreation 
and educational programs. These habitat restoration activities, 
especially urban forest conservation, also contribute to climate 
resiliency by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
Lights-out programs in UBT cities help reduce energy costs and 
greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the use of electricity when people 
and businesses turn off their lights between dusk and dawn during the 
fall and spring periods of bird migration in order to reduce bird 
collisions with building glass.
    The Service designates UBT cities or municipalities through a 
process in which applicants submit a nomination package, including a 
letter of intention and an implementation plan, for approval by the 
Service's Migratory Bird Program. Within 3 months, the Service reviews 
the package, makes any necessary recommendations for changes, and then 
decides to either approve or reject the package. If rejected, the city 
can reapply the following year. In most cases, when the Service 
designates a new city partner, the Service and the new city partner 
hold a signing ceremony, during which a representative from both the 
Service and the city sign a nonbinding document that states the 
importance of conserving birds and their habitats to the health and 
well-being of people that live in and visit the city. To maintain this 
city partner designation, the city must submit information on the 
activities it has carried out to meet the goals of the UBT Program, 
including those related to bird habitat conservation, bird hazard 
reduction, and bird-related community education and engagement. By 
helping make cities healthier places for birds and people, the UBT 
Program contributes to the Administration's priorities of justice and 
racial equity, climate resiliency, and the President's Executive Order 
14008 to protect 30 percent of the Nation's land and 30 percent of its 
ocean areas by 2030.
    The UBT program benefits city partners in many ways, including:
     Helps city partners achieve their goals for making cities 
healthier places for birds and people.
     Provides opportunities to share and learn from other city 
partners' tools, tactics, successes, and challenges, to advance city 
partners' urban bird conservation efforts.
     Strengthens the cohesion and effectiveness of the 
partnerships by coming together and working under the banner of the UBT 
Program.
     Gives city partners improved access to funding through the 
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Five Star and Urban Waters 
Restoration grant program, as UBT cities receive priority in this 
program.
     Helps partners garner additional funds through other urban 
conservation grant programs that have shared goals and objectives.
     Helps partners achieve green building credits, reduced 
energy costs, green space requirements, environmental equity, and other 
sustainability goals.
     Promotes the livability and sustainability of partner 
cities by spreading the word about the city's UBT Federal designation 
and all the benefits of a green and bird-friendly city.
    We collect the following information from prospective and 
successful applicants in conjunction with the UBT Program:
     Nomination Letter--A prospective applicant must submit a 
letter of intention from the city's partnership that details its 
commitment to urban bird conservation and community engagement in bird-
related education, recreation, conservation, science, and monitoring. 
Support and involvement by the city government are required.
     Implementation Plan--The required implementation plan 
should contain the following (see the UBT Program Guidebook at https://www.fws.gov/media/us-fish-wildlife-service-urban-bird-treaty-program-guidebook-v4-making-cities-healthier for full descriptions of 
requirements):

--Detailed description of the importance of the city to migrating, 
nesting, and overwintering birds and bird habitats; human population 
size of the city; and socioeconomic profile of the human communities 
present and those targeted for education and engagement programs.
--Map of the geographic area that is being nominated for designation.
--List of individuals and organizations active in the partnership, and 
their contact information.
--The mission, goals, and objectives of the partnership applying for 
designation, organized by the three UBT goal categories.
--Description of accomplishments (e.g., activities, products, outcomes) 
that have been completed over the last 2-3 years, the audiences and 
communities reached/engaged through those activities, and the partner 
organizations that have achieved them, organized by UBT goal 
categories.
--Description of goals, objectives, activities, actions, and tools/
products that are being planned for the next 3-5 years under the UBT 
designation; the objectives to be accomplished; the audiences and 
communities targeted for engagement; and the partners who will complete 
the work, organized by UBT goal categories.

     Ad Hoc Reports--The Service will also request information 
updates on an ongoing basis, on UBT city points of contact, activities 
and events, and other information about urban bird conservation in the 
city, as needed by the Service for storytelling, promotion, and 
internal programmatic communications, education, and outreach.
     Biennial Reporting--For each goal category, the Service 
requires city partners to provide biennial metrics, as well as written 
and photographic descriptions of activities. To maintain their city's 
designation by ensuring that they are actively working to achieve the 
goals of the UBT Program, city partners are required to submit this 
information.
    We will use the information collected for storytelling purposes to 
promote the urban bird conservation work of city partners, and to 
enable the Migratory Bird Program to develop UBT Program accomplishment 
reports and other communications tools to share with the public and the 
conservation community at large. The reporting requirement ensures that 
the UBT city designation is meaningful and that city partners are 
accountable for the efforts that they agreed to undertake to earn their 
designation. Additionally, we will use the information to promote the 
UBT Program to other interested city partners and the benefits of urban 
bird conservation generally.
    The public may request copies of documents referenced in this

[[Page 47593]]

information collection by sending a request to the Service Information 
Collection Clearance Officer in ADDRESSES, above.
    Title of Collection: Urban Bird Treaty Program Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0183.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Nonprofits; colleges, universities, 
and schools; museums, zoos, and aquaria; local community groups; 
private businesses; and municipal, State, and Tribal governments 
involved in urban bird conservation in UBT cities.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 55.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 121.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 3 hours to 80 
hours, depending on activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 2,400.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: One-time submission of nomination letter; 
one-time submission of implementation plan; on occasion for information 
updates; and biennial reporting.
    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. 2024-12088 Filed 5-31-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P