[Federal Register: November 14, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 219)]
[Notices]
[Page 64084-64086]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14no07-71]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for Approval; National Wildlife Refuge System Evaluation:
Surveys of State Agencies, Indian Tribes, and Local Partners
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 and cost. 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 December 14, 2007.
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
[[Page 64085]]
(e-mail). Please provide a copy of your comments to Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, MS
222-ARLSQ, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 (mail); (703)
358-2269 (fax); or hope_grey@fws.gov (e-mail).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Hope Grey by mail, fax, or e-mail (see
ADDRESSES) or by telephone at (703) 358-2482.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: None. This is a new collection.
Title: National Wildlife Refuge System Evaluation: Surveys of State
Agencies, Indian Tribes, and Local Partners.
Service Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: New collection.
Affected Public: Organizations that collaborate with national
wildlife refuges, including, but not limited to, State fish and
wildlife agencies, volunteer groups, local and national conservation
organizations, hunting and fishing groups, and other civic
organizations.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: One time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of annual Number of annual Completion time per Annual burden
Activity respondents responses response hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local Partner Survey............ 400 320 20 minutes......... 107
State/Indian Tribe Survey....... 150 120 20 minutes......... 40
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals...................... 550 440 ................... 147
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abstract:
We have contracted with Management Systems International to perform
an independent evaluation of the National Wildlife Refuge System
(NWRS). Although the NWRS has existed for more than 100 years, it has
never undergone an independent evaluation of its overall effectiveness
in achieving its conservation mission. We are now seeking such an
evaluation to identify program strengths and weaknesses, as well as
gaps in performance information. Such evaluations are an important
element of the OMB Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) assessments,
and this evaluation will satisfy the PART requirements. The evaluation
includes two data collection components involving the public:
(1) An online survey of local partners (e.g., volunteer groups,
local conservation organizations, hunting and fishing groups, and other
civic organizations).
(2) An online survey of Indian tribes and State fish and wildlife
agency officials.
The perspective and observations of NWRS partners are critical to
fully understand the issues and questions that the independent
evaluation will explore. The surveys will collect data in two broad
categories:
(1) The quality of NWRS partnerships with external organizations,
and
(2) Partnering organizations' views as to the effectiveness of the
NWRS in achieving NWRS objectives.
Comments: On February 22, 2007, we published in the Federal
Register a notice (72 FR 8004) of our intent to request that OMB renew
approval for this information collection. In that notice, we solicited
comments for 60-days, ending on April 23, 2007. We received three
comments that are summarized below.
Comment 1: Individual questions if: (1) the evaluation
team assembled has the required expertise to conduct a sound and
independent evaluation; (2) the partners identified will be able to
provide responses indicative of the American public and not be hand
picked to provide glowing reports; and (3) the information collection
is necessary and requests a copy of the survey instrument.
Response: We provided a copy of the draft survey instrument to this
individual as well as a link to Management System International's
website so that biographical information of MSI technical staff could
be accessed.
Comment 2: The individual (same from Comment 1
above) acknowledges receipt of the survey instrument and then states
that MSI does not have the proper experience to conduct this
evaluation. The individual also states that hunting programs receive a
disproportionate amount of attention in the NWRS given the wider U.S.
public.
Response: Since 1995, MSI has been approved by the General Services
Administration (GSA) to provide management related contracting services
to Federal agencies under the Mission Oriented Business Integrated
Services (MOBIS) contract and also has significant experience
conducting evaluations for Federal agencies. MOBIS contractors offer a
full range of management and consulting services that can improve a
Federal agency's performance and their endeavor in meeting mission
goals. MOBIS contractors possess the necessary expertise to facilitate
how the Federal Government responds to a continuous stream of new
mandates and evolutionary influences including the President's
Management Agenda; Government Performance and Results Act; Federal
Acquisition Streamlining Act; OMB Circular A-76; Federal Activities
Inventory Reform Act; and government reinvention initiatives such as
benchmarking and streamlining.
MSI will be investigating refuge usage of the six wildlife-
dependent activities. These activities include hunting, fishing,
environmental education, environmental interpretation, wildlife viewing
and nature photography. These issues will be explored in terms of their
fit with the NWRS's mission and mandates and the quality of the
programs provided.
Comment 3: Individual states that the public groups
identified as partners and stakeholders (including volunteer groups,
local and national conservation organizations, nonprofit organizations,
and State fish and game officials) that are to be included in the
broader evaluation data collection efforts exclude an important group,
Indian tribes. The individual volunteers that the tribe (s)he
represents be included in the evaluation survey.
Response: Indian tribes are important stakeholders and partners to
the NWRS. We will include Indian tribes in the online survey and intend
to collect information in such a way that will enable us to
disaggregate responses by representatives of tribes. This will enable
the evaluation team to analyze the satisfaction levels of tribes in
interacting with the NWRS and, as appropriate, provide a process to
explore ways to improve the working relationship between tribes and the
NWRS.
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;
[[Page 64086]]
(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 information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it
will be done.
Dated: August 22, 2007
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E7-22202 Filed 11-13-07; 8:45 am]
Billing Code 4310-55-S
