30 Day Notice

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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 17 / Wednesday, January 28, 2009 / Notices

Total Estimated Burden Hours: 250.
Status: New Collection.
Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 35, as
amended.
Dated: January 22, 2009.
Lillian L. Deitzer,
Departmental Paperwork Reduction Act
Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer.
[FR Doc. E9–1823 Filed 1–27–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R9-ES-2009-N0012; 92210-1111-0000B3]

Information Collection Sent to the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for Approval; OMB Control
Number 1018-0119; Policy for
Evaluation of Conservation Efforts
When Making Listing Decisions (PECE)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.

ACTION:

Notice; request for comments.

SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife
Service) have sent an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for
review and approval. The ICR, which is
summarized below, describes the nature
of the collection and the estimated
burden. This ICR is scheduled to expire
on January 31, 2009. 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.
However, under OMB regulations, we
may continue to conduct or sponsor this
information collection while it is
pending at OMB.
DATES: You must send comments on or
before February 27, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments and
suggestions on this ICR to the Desk
Officer for the Department of the
Interior at OMB-OIRA at (202) 395-6566
(fax) or OIRA_DOCKET@OMB.eop.gov
(e-mail). Please provide a copy of your
comments to Hope Grey, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and
Wildlife Service, MS 222-ARLSQ, 4401

Number of annual
respondents

Activity

sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES

Original Agreement ..................................................................
Monitoring ................................................................................
Reporting .................................................................................
Totals ................................................................................

Abstract: Section 4 of the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) specifies the process
by which we can list species as
threatened or endangered. When we
consider whether or not to list a species,
the ESA requires us to take into account
the efforts being made by any State or
any political subdivision of a State to
protect such species. We also take into
account the efforts being made by other
entities. States or other entities often
formalize conservation efforts in
conservation agreements, conservation
plans, management plans, or similar
documents. The conservation efforts
recommended or called for in such
documents could prevent some species
from becoming so imperiled that they
meet the definition of a threatened or
endangered species under the ESA.
The Policy for Evaluation of
Conservation Efforts When Making
Listing Decisions (PECE) encourages the
development of conservation
agreements/plans and provides certainty
about the standard that an individual
conservation effort must meet for us to
consider whether it contributes to
forming a basis for making a decision
about the listing of a species. PECE

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4
7
7
18

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail or
e-mail (see ADDRESSES) or by
telephone at (703) 358–2482.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 1018-0119.
Title: Policy for Evaluation of
Conservation Efforts When Making
Listing Decisions (PECE).
Service Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Extension of
currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Primarily State, local,
or tribal governments. However,
individuals, businesses, and not-forprofit organizations could develop
agreements/plans or may agree to
implement certain conservation efforts
identified in a State agreement/plan.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Number of annual
responses

Completion time
per response

4
7
7
18

applies to ‘‘formalized conservation
efforts’’ that have not been implemented
or have been implemented but have not
yet demonstrated if they are effective at
the time of a listing decision.
Under PECE, formalized conservation
efforts are defined as conservation
efforts (specific actions, activities, or
programs designed to eliminate or
reduce threats or otherwise improve the
status of a species) identified in a
conservation agreement, conservation
plan, management plan, or similar
document (68 FR 15100). The
development of such agreements/plans
is voluntary. There is no requirement
that the individual conservation efforts
included in such documents be
designed to meet the standard in PECE.
Comments: On November 24, 2008,
we published in the Federal Register
(73 FR 71041) a notice of our intent to
request that OMB renew this ICR. In that
notice, we solicited comments for 60
days, ending on January 23, 2009. We
received one comment in response to
this notice. The commenter did not
address the information collection
requirements, but did object to the
continuation of this program. We have

PO 00000

North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA
22203 (mail) or hope_grey@fws.gov (email).

2,000 hours .....
600 hours ........
120 hours ........
.....................

Annual burden
hours
8,000
4,200
840
13,040

not made any changes to our
information collection requirements as a
result of this comment.
We again invite comments concerning
this information collection on:
(1) Whether or not the collection of
information is necessary, including
whether or not the information will
have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the
burden for this collection of
information;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) 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. Before including your
address, phone number, e-mail 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 OMB in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying

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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 17 / Wednesday, January 28, 2009 / Notices
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that it will be done.
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer,
Fish and Wildlife Service.
FR Doc. E9–1833 Filed 1–27–09; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R9-IA-2009-N0011; 96200-1672-00507D]

Proposed Information Collection;
Evaluation of Great Ape Conservation
Fund Grant Activities
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife
Service) will ask the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to
approve the information collection (IC)
described below. 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. 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: You must submit comments on
or before March 30, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the
IC to Hope Grey, Information Collection
Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife
Service, MS 222–ARLSQ, 4401 North
Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203
(mail); hope_grey@fws.gov (e-mail).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail, or
e-mail (see ADDRESSES) or by
telephone at (703) 358–2482.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES

I. Abstract
The Fish and Wildlife Service (we,
Service) has contracted with Frederick
Sowers Consulting to conduct an
independent evaluation of Great Ape
Conservation Fund (GACF) grants. The
evaluation will be limited to those
grants we financed during Fiscal Years
2006 through 2008 through a $2.5
million/year resource transfer from the
Agency for International Development
in support of the Central Africa Regional
Program for the Environment.

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In the central African region,
conservation efforts are focused around
approximately 12 large landscapes
where conservation organizations take
the lead in a multi-stakeholder process
of land use and conservation planning.
We plan to survey the direct recipients
of GACF grants and their associated
partners (e.g. international and African
conservation and development
nongovernmental organizations,
stakeholder groups, civic organizations,
and other funding agencies). The survey
will cover both leading partners and
smaller implementing partners within
the landscape.
The 74 grantees, who serve in direct
contact with the public, are spread
across five countries in the central
African region. We plan to use an online
survey as an efficient and minimally
disruptive means of collecting
information on grants management
mechanics and operations and grantee
performance in achieving conservation
aims. The online survey will be open for
an adequate period of time to allow
respondents ample time to complete
and update the survey questionnaire.
We plan to collect:
(1) Basic demographic data about the
institutions, such as the size of the
organization, the length and duration of
its presence in the landscape, the nature
of its activities, and its relationship with
other stakeholders.
(2) Information on the quality and
nature of the relationships between
grant recipients and the Government.
(3) Effectiveness of the program in
contributing to conservation objectives.
II. Data
OMB Control Number: None. This is
a new collection.
Title: Evaluation of Great Ape
Conservation Fund Grant Activities.
Service Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: New.
Affected Public: GACF grantees and
associated partners (e.g.,
nongovernment organizations,
stakeholder groups, civic organizations,
and other funding agencies).
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: One time.
Total Annual Number of Responses:
160.
Completion Time per Response: 1.5
hours.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 240
hours.
III. Request for Comments
We invite comments concerning this
IC on:
(1) whether or not the collection of
information is necessary, including
whether or not the information will
have practical utility;

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4973

(2) the accuracy of our estimate of the
burden for this collection of
information;
(3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) 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,
e-mail 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: January 12, 2009
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer,
Fish and Wildlife Service.
FR Doc. E9–1834 Filed 1–27–09; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. Geological Survey
Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory
Committee
U.S. Geological Survey.
Notice of meeting.

AGENCY:
ACTION:

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Public Law 106–
503, the Scientific Earthquake Studies
Advisory Committee (SESAC) will hold
its 19th meeting. The meeting location
is the Silver Cloud Inn/University
District, 3056 25th Avenue, NE., Seattle,
Washington 98105. The Committee is
comprised of members from academia,
industry, and State government. The
Committee shall advise the Director of
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on
matters relating to the USGS’s
participation in the National Earthquake
Hazards Reduction Program.
The Committee will be hearing
updates on the USGS Earthquake
Hazards Program with a focus on
partnered activities in the Pacific
Northwest, discuss lessons learned from
the Great Southern California Shakeout,
and make assignments for annual report
preparation.
Meetings of the Scientific Earthquake
Studies Advisory Committee are open to
the public.

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