Published 30-day FRN

59406

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 226 / Friday, November 23, 2018 / Notices

OPERATING COST ADJUSTMENT
FACTORS FOR 2019—Continued
State

OCAF
(%)

Ohio ......................................
Oklahoma .............................
Oregon ..................................
Pacific Islands .......................
Pennsylvania ........................
Puerto Rico ...........................
Rhode Island ........................
South Carolina ......................
South Dakota ........................
Tennessee ............................
Texas ....................................
Utah ......................................
Vermont ................................
Virgin Islands ........................
Virginia ..................................
Washington ...........................
West Virginia ........................
Wisconsin .............................
Wyoming ...............................
U.S ........................................

2.7
2.7
2.6
3.2
2.9
2.6
2.5
2.7
2.8
2.7
2.9
2.6
0.9
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.6
3.0
2.7
2.9

[FR Doc. 2018–25440 Filed 11–21–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–HQ–ES–2018–N145; MO# 300030113;
OMB Control Number 1018–0119]

Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Policy for Evaluation of
Conservation Efforts When Making
Listing Decisions (PECE)
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are
proposing to renew an information
collection with revisions.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before
December 24, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on
this information collection request (ICR)
to the Office of Management and
Budget’s Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior by email at
OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov; or via
facsimile to (202) 395–5806. Please
provide a copy of your comments to the
Service Information Collection
Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC, 5275
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–
3803 (mail); or by email to Info_Coll@
fws.gov. Please reference OMB Control

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SUMMARY:

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Number 1018–0119 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 Info_
Coll@fws.gov, or by telephone at (703)
358–2503. You may also view the ICR
at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain.
In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 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.
A Federal Register notice with a 60day public comment period soliciting
comments on this collection of
information was published on February
28, 2018 (83 FR 8698). The following
comments were received:
Comment 1: Letter dated April 30,
2018, from Myles P. Culhane, Assistant
General Counsel, Occidental Petroleum
Corporation. Received via email on
April 30, 2018.
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
provided comments on whether PECE is
necessary to the proper functions of the
Service, whether we will use the
information in a timely manner, and
how to enhance the information being
collected. They stated that PECE is very
important to encourage voluntary
conservation efforts prior to listing
decisions such that listing may not be
necessary. They offered three
suggestions to improve information
collection in the context of specific
listing decisions:
(1) Ensure that we are collecting the
right types of information by
considering what will be useful in
predicting future conservation actions
and results, and articulating the factors
we think will inform such predictions,
(2) Ensure that we have the ability to
update our listing decisions up until the
last minute regarding current
information about conservation efforts,
and
(3) Ensure that PECE analyses are
cumulative and include all qualifying
conservation efforts together rather than
in isolation.
FWS Response to Comment 1: The
Service appreciates this comment and
does consider the best available

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scientific and commercial information
received through the public comment
period, information solicitation, or other
means related to conservation efforts
when making listing determinations.
The Service maintains that in every
proposed or final listing decision, we
articulate the species’ needs, the threats
to the species and its response to those
threats, and any actions that may
ameliorate or exacerbate those threats.
Each particular situation is unique, but
in the Service’s final PECE, we
articulated the non-exhaustive list of
criteria that we would use to evaluate
each conservation effort that did not
have a track record of implementation
or effectiveness. The Service is required
to consider best available scientific and
commercial information in making
listing decisions, including information
on conservation efforts that do not have
a track record of implementation or
effectiveness. The Service evaluates the
certainty of implementation and
effectiveness by considering the criteria
in the PECE, and those efforts that meet
the PECE standard of sufficiently certain
to be implemented and effective are
then evaluated in the status assessment
for the species. The Service understands
that stakeholders want a transparent and
flexible process, and the Service is open
to communication and collaboration
with these stakeholders which will
encourage conservation of species.
Comment 2: Letter dated April 27,
2018, from Steve Wright, General
Manager, Public Utility District No. 1 of
Chelan County, WA. Received via email
on May, 7, 2018.
Chelan Public Utility District No. 1
commented that it finds PECE useful
because it encourages aggregation of
information about conservation efforts,
which can provide notice to permit
applicants and other entities possibly
affected by a listing, both of the listing
and the efforts. It can also encourage
entities to participate in conservation
efforts, which can be meaningful for
species. It finds that encouraging
conservation efforts is consistent with
the ESA and benefits species.
FWS Response to Comment 2: The
Service appreciates the District’s
comments about the utility and benefits
of PECE.
We are again soliciting comments on
the proposed ICR that is described
below. We are especially interested in
public comment addressing the
following issues: (1) Is the collection
necessary to the proper functions of the
Service; (2) will this information be
processed and used in a timely manner;
(3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) how might the Service enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the

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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 226 / Friday, November 23, 2018 / Notices
information to be collected; and (5) how
might the Service minimize the burden
of this collection on the respondents,
including through the use of
information technology.
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
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: Section 4 of the Endangered
Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) outlines the process by which we
can list a species as a threatened species
or an endangered species. When we
consider whether to list a species, the
ESA requires us to take into account the
efforts made by any State or any
political subdivision of a State to protect
such species. We also take into account
the efforts 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 described in such
documents could prevent some species
from becoming so imperiled that they
meet the definition of a threatened

species or an endangered species under
the ESA.
The Policy for Evaluation of
Conservation Efforts When Making
Listing Decisions (PECE) (68 FR 15100,
March 28, 2003) encourages the
development of conservation
agreements or plans and provides
certainty about the standard that an
individual conservation effort must
meet in order for us to consider whether
it is likely to make a difference in a
species’ status. PECE 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. To assist us in evaluating a
formalized conservation effort under
PECE, we collect information such as
conservation plans, monitoring results,
and progress reports. The development
of any agreement or plan is voluntary.
There is no requirement that the
individual conservation efforts included
in such documents be designed to meet
the standard in PECE. The PECE policy
is posted on our Candidate Conservation
website at http://www.fws.gov/
endangered/esa-library/pdf/PECEfinal.pdf.
Estimated
number of
annual
respondents

Activity

Average
number of
submissions
each

We are not reporting an increase in
burden with this renewal, although we
revised the collection to include burden
for individuals, businesses, and not-forprofit organizations who may develop
agreements/plans or may agree to
implement certain conservation efforts
identified in a State agreement or plan.
Previously, we reported all burden
estimates as government, although it
was possible to receive submissions
from individuals and private sector
respondents. This submission breaks
their burden out separately, with a
placeholder of one submission for each
category, to account for the rare
occasion that we may receive a
submission from these additional
respondent categories.
Title of Collection: Policy for
Evaluation of Conservation Efforts
When Making Listing Decisions (PECE).
OMB Control Number: 1018–0119.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Revision of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Primarily State, local, or Tribal
governments. However, individuals,
businesses, and not-for-profit
organizations could develop
agreements/plans or may agree to
implement certain conservation efforts
identified in a State agreement or plan.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
Obtain or Retain a Benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: None.
Estimated
number of
annual
responses

Completion
time per
response
(hours)

Estimated
annual burden
hours

PECE—Reporting
Individuals ............................................................................
Private Sector ......................................................................
Government .........................................................................

1
1
5

1
1
1

1
1
5

120
120
120

120
120
600

1
1
1

1
1
5

600
600
600

600
600
3,000

2,000
2,000
2,000
........................

2,000
2,000
4,000
13,040

PECE—Monitoring
Individuals ............................................................................
Private Sector ......................................................................
Government .........................................................................

1
1
5

PECE—Development of Conservation Plan/Agreement (One-Time Burden)

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Individuals ............................................................................
Private Sector ......................................................................
Government .........................................................................
Totals ............................................................................

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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 226 / Friday, November 23, 2018 / Notices

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.).
Dated: November 16, 2018.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–25454 Filed 11–21–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P

—FGDC Update
—Geospatial Data as Services
—Cultural and Historical Geospatial
Resources
—Geospatial Infrastructure
—NSDI Strategic Plan
—Landsat Advisory Group

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX19EE000101100]

Public Meeting of the National
Geospatial Advisory Committee
AGENCY:

U.S. Geological Survey,

Interior.
Notice of public meeting.

ACTION:

In accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act of
1972, the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) is publishing this notice to
announce that a Federal Advisory
Committee meeting of the National
Geospatial Advisory Committee will
take place.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Thursday, December 6, 2018 from 1:00
p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard
Time).
SUMMARY:

The meeting will be held
via web conference and teleconference.
Send your comments to Group Federal
Officer by email to gs-faca-mail@
usgs.gov.

ADDRESSES:

Mr.
John Mahoney, Federal Geographic Data
Committee, U.S. Geological Survey, 909
First Avenue, Suite 800, Seattle, WA
98104; by email at jmahoney@usgs.gov;
or by telephone at (206) 220–4621.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
meeting is being held under the
provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C.,
Appendix, as amended), the
Government in the Sunshine Act of
1976 (5 U.S.C. 552B, as amended), and
41 CFR 102–3.140 and 102–3.150.
Purpose of the Meeting: The National
Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC)
provides advice and recommendations
related to management of Federal and
national geospatial programs, the
development of the National Spatial
Data Infrastructure (NSDI), and the
implementation of Office of

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

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Management and Budget Circular A–16.
The NGAC reviews and comments on
geospatial policy and management
issues and provides a forum to convey
views representative of non-federal
stakeholders in the geospatial
community. The NGAC meeting is one
of the primary ways that the FGDC
collaborates with its broad network of
partners. Additional information about
the NGAC meeting is available at:
www.fgdc.gov/ngac.
Agenda Topics:

Meeting Accessibility/Special
Accommodations: The webinar meeting
is open to the public from 1:00 p.m. to
4:30 p.m. on December 6, 2018.
Members of the public wishing to attend
the meeting should contact Ms. Lucia
Foulkes by email at lfoulkes@usgs.gov to
register no later than Monday, December
3, 2018. Webinar/conference line
instructions will be provided to
registered attendees prior to the
meeting. Individuals requiring special
accommodations to access the public
meeting should contact Ms. Lucia
Foulkes at the email stated above or by
telephone at 703–648–4142 no later
than Friday, November 30, 2018 so that
appropriate arrangements can be made.
Public Disclosure of Comments: Time
will be allowed at the meeting for any
individual or organization wishing to
make formal oral comments. To allow
for full consideration of information by
the NGAC members at the meeting,
written comments must be provided to
Ms. Lucia Foulkes, Federal Geographic
Data Committee, U.S. Geological
Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,
MS–590, Reston, VA 20192; by email at
lfoulkes@usgs.gov; or by telephone at
703–648–4142, no later than Monday,
December 3, 2018. Any written
comments received will be provided to
the NGAC members.
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 may ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we

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cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
James Sayer,
Federal Advisory Committee, GPO,
Information Management and Delivery,
USGS.
[FR Doc. 2018–25561 Filed 11–21–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338–11–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[190A2100DD/AAKC001030/
A0A501010.999900 253G; OMB Control
Number 1076–NEW]

Agency Information Collection
Activities; Human Capital Management
Strengths and Needs Assessment
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) are
proposing a new information collection
to gain an understanding of processes
and practices within BIE schools.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before January
22, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on
this information collection request (ICR)
by mail to The Bureau of Indian
Education, 1011 Indian School Road
NW, Suite 332, Albuquerque, NM
87104; or by email to Veronica Lane,
Veronica.Lane@bie.edu. Please
reference OMB Control Number 1076–
NEW in the subject line of your
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Veronica Lane by email
at Veronica.Lane@bie.edu, or by
telephone at 505–563–5279.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 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.
We are soliciting comments on the
proposed ICR that is described below.
We are especially interested in public
comment addressing the following
SUMMARY:

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