80 FR 31061 - Proposed Information Collection; Wildlife and Sport Fish Grants and Cooperative Agreements

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 104 (June 1, 2015)

We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) published a notice on May 11, 2015, announcing our intention to ask the Office of Management to renew approval for the information collection (IC) described below. We are revising that notice to: (1) Provide the estimated date for States to begin entering information into the new electronic system (Wildlife Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species); (2) revise the burden for reporting the information; and (3) extend the comment period. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. This IC is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2015. We 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.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 104 (Monday, June 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31061-31063]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-13089]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FW-HQ-WSFR-2015-N110; FVWF941009000007B-XXX-FF09W11000; 
FVWF51100900000-XXX-FF09W11000]


Proposed Information Collection; Wildlife and Sport Fish Grants 
and Cooperative Agreements

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; revision and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) published a notice on May 
11, 2015, announcing our intention to ask the Office of Management to 
renew approval for the information collection (IC) described below. We 
are revising that notice to: (1) Provide the estimated date for States 
to begin entering information into the new electronic system (Wildlife 
Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species); (2) 
revise the burden for reporting the information; and (3) extend the 
comment period. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take 
this opportunity to comment on this IC. This IC is scheduled to expire 
on September 30, 2015. We 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.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this IC, 
we must receive them by July 31, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this IC to the Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 5275 
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); or [email protected] 
(email). Please include ``1018-0109'' in the subject line of your 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this IC, contact Hope Grey at [email protected] (email) or 703-
358-2482 (telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR), U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, administers the following financial assistance 
programs in whole or in part. We award most financial assistance as 
grants, but cooperative agreements are possible if the Federal 
Government will be substantially involved in carrying out the project. 
You can find a description of most programs in the Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance (CFDA).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Program                   CFDA No.              Authority             Implementing  regulations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clean Vessel Act..................  15.616..........  16 U.S.C. 777g(c)........  50 CFR 85.
Coastal Wetlands Planning,          15.614..........  16 U.S.C. 3951-3956......  50 CFR 84.
 Protection, and Restoration Act.
Cooperative Endangered Species      15.615..........  16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq....  50 CFR 81.
 Conservation Fund.
Everglades Restoration *..........  None............  Pub. L. 104-127; 16        None.
                                                       U.S.C. 460 l-4 thru l-11.
Fish and Wildlife Coordination and  15.664..........  .........................  None.
 Assistance Programs (Generic).
Fisheries Restoration and           None............  16 U.S.C. 777............  None.
 Irrigation Mitigation *.
Highlands Conservation Program....  15.667..........  .........................  None.
Hunter Education and Safety.......  15.626..........  16 U.S.C. 669h-1.........  50 CFR 80.
Landowner Incentive *.............  15.633..........  Pub. L. 110-5............  None.
Multistate Conservation Grants....  15.628..........  16 U.S.C. 669h-2; 16       None.
                                                       U.S.C. 777m.
National Outreach and               15.653..........  16 U.S.C. 777g(d)........  None.
 Communication.
Research Grants (Generic).........  15.650..........  16 U.S.C. 753a; 16 U.S.C.  None.
                                                       460 (l-4-thru l-11); 16
                                                       U.S.C. 1531-1543.
Service Training and Technical      15.649..........  16 U.S.C. 661 and 16       None.
 Assistance (Generic Training).                        U.S.C. 742f.
Sport Fish Restoration............  15.605..........  16 U.S.C. 777-777n         50 CFR 80.
                                                       (except 777e-1).
Sportfishing and Boating Safety     15.622..........  16 U.S.C. 777g and g-1...  50 CFR 86.
 Act (Boating Infrastructure
 Grants).
State Wildlife Grants.............  15.634..........  Pub. L. 110-329..........  None.
Tribal Landowner Incentive *......  15.638..........  Pub. L. 110-5............  None.
Tribal Wildlife Grants............  15.639..........  Pub. L. 110-329..........  None.
Wildlife Conservation and           15.625..........  16 U.S.C. 669b and 669c..  None.
 Restoration *.
Wildlife Restoration..............  15.611..........  16 U.S.C. 669-669k.......  50 CFR 80.
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* Program has open grants, but no new funding.


[[Page 31062]]

    Authorities and implementing regulations establish the purposes of 
the grant programs and the types of projects to be funded. Some list 
eligibility criteria as well as activities ineligible for funding. The 
authorities and implementing regulations for the competitive programs 
establish preferences or ranking factors for the selection of projects 
to be funded. These legal requirements make it essential for an 
awarding agency to have certain information so that it funds only 
eligible projects, and, in the case of competitive programs, to select 
those projects that will result in the greatest return on the Federal 
investment.
    Some grants are mandatory and receive funds according to a formula 
set by law or policy. Other grants are discretionary, and we award them 
based on a competitive process. Mandatory grant recipients must give us 
specific, detailed project information during the application process 
so that we can ensure that projects are eligible for the mandatory 
funding, are substantial in character and design, and comply with all 
applicable Federal laws. All grantees must submit financial and 
performance reports that contain information necessary for us to track 
costs and accomplishments.
    In February 2014, OMB approved our request to use a new electronic 
system (Wildlife Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of 
Species (Wildlife TRACS)) to collect application and performance 
reporting information on our grant programs. OMB assigned OMB Control 
No. 1018-0156, which expires February 28, 2017. Wildlife TRACS allows 
us to take advantage of newer technology and gives applicants direct 
access to enter project information that can be used to submit an 
application through http://www.grants.gov. Grantees can also report 
performance accomplishments in Wildlife TRACS. We are including the use 
of Wildlife TRACS and the collection of additional information in this 
revision to OMB Control No. 1018-0109. If OMB approves this revision, 
we will discontinue OMB Control No. 1018-0156.
    We may require all States to directly enter project information and 
performance reporting into Wildlife TRACS by October 1, 2016. We 
continue to offer training and support to States on entering 
information into the new system. When States fully engage in directly 
entering all application and project performance reporting into 
Wildlife TRACS, we expect there will be a reduction in the burden to 
report the information. States will become more adept with experience, 
and efficiencies of the electronic system will be realized starting in 
the second full year of use. A majority of WSFR-administered projects 
are continuations of similar actions and/or at the same locations. 
Wildlife TRACS is designed to ease the administrative burden of 
applying for and reporting on grants for projects that fall into these 
parameters. The table below reflects the burden reduction that we 
expect over the next 3 years. Not all grantees will directly enter 
information into Wildlife TRACS. We will enter information when we 
determine the grantee or the program is such that it is not efficient 
or in the best interest of the program to have grantees enter 
information.
    To apply for financial assistance funds, you must submit an 
application that describes in substantial detail project locations, 
benefits, funding, and other characteristics. Materials to assist 
applicants in formulating project proposals are available on 
Grants.gov. We use the application to determine:
     Eligibility.
     Scale of resource values or relative worth of the project.
     If associated costs are reasonable and allowable.
     Potential effect of the project on environmental and 
cultural resources.
     How well the proposed project will meet the purposes of 
the program's establishing legislation.
     If the proposed project is substantial in character and 
design.
     For competitive programs, how the proposed project 
addresses ranking criteria.
    Persons or entities receiving grants must submit periodic 
performance reports that contain information necessary for us to track 
costs and accomplishments.
    In addition to the information currently collected under OMB 
Control No. 1018-0109, we will collect the following additional 
information currently approved under OMB Control No. 1018-0156:
    For mandatory grant program applications and amendments:
     Geospatial entry of project location.
     Project status (active, completed, etc.).
     Project leader contact information.
     Partner information.
     Objectives, including output measures and desired future 
values.
     Plan information (for projects connected to plans).
    For all WSFR grant program projects and reports:
     The information above, as applicable to the approved 
grant.
     Public description.
     Action status (active, completed, etc.).
     Summary trend information, as applicable.
     Estimated costs, by action (non-auditable).
     Effectiveness measures (initially for State Wildlife 
Grants).
    For real property acquisition projects, information related to:
     Transactions, such as dates, method of transfer, title 
holder, and seller.
     Identifiers, such as State and Federal Record ID, parcel 
number, and property name.
     Values such as appraised value, purchase price and other 
cost information, and acres or acre feet.
     Encumbrances.
     Partners.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1018-0109.
    Title: Wildlife and Sport Fish Grants and Cooperative Agreements, 
50 CFR 80, 81, 84, 85, and 86.
    Service Form Number: None.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Description of Respondents: States; the Commonwealths of Puerto 
Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands; the District of Columbia; the 
territories of Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa; federally 
recognized tribal governments; institutions of higher education; and 
nongovernmental organizations.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: We require applications annually for new 
grants. We require amendments on occasion when key elements of a 
project change. We require quarterly and final performance reports in 
the National Outreach and Communication Program and annual and final 
performance reports in the other programs. We may require more frequent 
reports under the conditions stated at 2 CFR 200.205 and 2 CFR 200.207.

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                                                                                    Completion
                    Activity                         Number of       Number of       time per      Total annual
                                                    respondents      responses       response      burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial application (project narrative).........             200           2,500              37          92,500

[[Page 31063]]

 
Revision of Award Terms (Amendment).............             150           1,500               3           4,500
Performance Reports.............................             200           3,500               8          28,000
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................             550           7,500  ..............         125,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Comments

    We invite comments concerning this information collection on:
     Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
     The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 
collection of information;
     Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents.
    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 IC. 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.

    Dated: May 27, 2015.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-13089 Filed 5-29-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-55-P