Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2023 / Notices 65745 

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. 2023–20710 Filed 9–22–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–HQ–IA–2023–N068; 

FXIA167109CWT01/234/FF09A40000; OMB 

Control Number 1018–New] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget; CITES 

Master’s Course 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(Service), are proposing a new 

information collection in use without 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) approval. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before October 

25, 2023. 

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 Info_

Coll@fws.gov. Please reference ‘‘1018– 

CITES’’ in the subject line of your 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Madonna L. Baucum, Service 

Information Collection Clearance 

Officer, by email at Info_Coll@fws.gov, 

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-ofcontact in the United States. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et 

seq.) and its implementing regulations 

at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information 

collections require approval under the 

PRA. We may not conduct or sponsor 

and you are not required to respond to 

a collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

On February 14, 2023, we published 

in the Federal Register (88 FR 9533) a 

notice of our intent to request that OMB 

approve this information collection. In 

that notice, we solicited comments for 

60 days, ending on April 17, 2023. 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–IA–2022–0142) 

to provide the public with an additional 

method to submit comments (in 

addition to the typical Info_Coll@

fws.gov email and U.S. mail submission 

methods). We received two comments 

in response to that notice. However, 

neither comment addressed the 

information collection requirements, so 

no response is required. 

As part of our continuing effort to 

reduce paperwork and respondent 

burdens, we invite the public and other 

Federal agencies 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 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. We will include or 

summarize each comment in our request 

to OMB to approve this ICR. 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. 

Abstract: Wildlife trafficking ranks as 

the second greatest threat to species 

survival after habitat destruction. The 

United States recognizes wildlife 

trafficking as a serious transnational 

crime that threatens thousands of plant 

and animal species and undermines 

U.S. priorities, including national 

security, human health, and economic 

growth. The Service employs a sciencebased approach to counter wildlife 

trafficking, including through the 

implementation of the Convention on 

International Trade in Endangered 

Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 

(CITES). CITES is the sole global treaty 

dedicated to preventing the 

unsustainable trade in plants and 

animals and is an essential component 

to counter illegal wildlife trade as it 

provides mechanisms and incentives to 

effectively manage natural resources. 

The United States has been a Party to 

CITES since 1973. Under the 

Endangered Species Act, the Service has 

been designated to carry out the 

provisions of CITES for the United 

States. 

As one of the largest and oldest 

environmental treaties in the world, 

CITES is a key conservation tool for the 

protection of 35,000 plant and animal 

species. Currently 183 countries have 

agreed to implement CITES. However, 

realizing the full conservation impact of 

CITES remains challenging and is 

highly dependent on each country’s 

financial and technical capacity. Even 

when a Party has the political will and 

desire to implement CITES, it may not 

have the resources, systems, or 

personnel to effectively follow CITES’ 

mandates, such as evaluating permit 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
65746 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2023 / Notices 

applications or enforcing laws. This 

creates inequity between countries in 

how CITES is implemented, with 

serious downstream impacts such as the 

degradation of wild populations and 

ecosystems, often resulting in negative 

implications for communities living 

among wildlife. 

To help develop the technical 

expertise necessary to effectively 

implement CITES, the International 

University of Andalucı ́a (UNIA) offers a 

unique master’s degree program entitled 

‘‘The Management and Conservation of 

Species in Trade: The International 

Framework’’ (also known as the ‘‘CITES 

Master’s Course’’). The program, which 

was established in 1997, provides highquality training focused on the scientific 

foundations, techniques, and 

mechanisms of CITES implementation. 

Approximately 400 students have 

graduated from the program, many 

becoming leaders in CITES and global 

policy. 

Recognizing the important potential 

offered through UNIA’s CITES Master’s 

Course, the Service provides 

scholarships to support wildlife 

professionals interested in furthering 

their CITES expertise by participating in 

the course, with a focus on potential 

participants from countries most 

vulnerable to illegal and unsustainable 

wildlife trade. The competitive 

scholarships cover costs for tuition, 

lodging, and supplies, provide an 

opportunity for the scholars to 

participate in the CITES Conference of 

the Parties, and offer technical and 

financial research support. 

The Service collaborates with the 

Department of Interior’s International 

Technical Assistance Program (DOI– 

ITAP) through an interagency agreement 

to manage the numerous logistics 

associated with the scholarships. 

Scholarships support cohorts of 

students from Latin America, the 

Caribbean, and Central and East Africa. 

The Service and DOI–ITAP staff solicit 

recommendations from relevant CITES 

authorities, nongovernmental 

organizations (NGOs), and U.S. 

Government agencies working in those 

countries to select top candidates for the 

scholarships. Recommendations are 

provided through direct communication 

with project leads, most often via email. 

Project leads review application 

packages submitted by candidates for 

the program. 

We choose candidates based on 

certain criteria, such as the quality of 

their applications, their present or 

future contribution to their countries’ 

CITES work, and their demonstration of 

a lasting commitment to wildlife 

conservation and CITES 

implementation. Selected candidates 

then follow a separate application 

process for acceptance into the 

International University of Andalucı ́a 

CITES Master’s Course. Although 

scholarship activities aid the candidates 

to assemble and submit application 

materials to the University, the U.S. 

Government does not influence who is 

accepted into the graduate program. 

Prospective students must complete 

the ‘‘Universidad Internacional de 

Andalucia (UNIA) Application and/or 

Enrollment Form’’ and submit it to the 

Service for consideration. The UNIA 

application/enrollment form collects the 

following information from prospective 

students: 

• Trainee information, to include: 

—Full name, 

—Passport number, 

—Date and place of birth, 

—Nationality, 

—Sex, 

—Phone number(s), 

—Email address, and 

—Mailing Address 

• Qualifications and professional 

background: 

—Education information, to include 

level of education, degree/certificate 

information, school, and studies 

undertaken, and 

—Employment information, to include 

professional status, name of employer, 

and job title. 

• Enrollment information and type of 

enrollment for the requested course. 

• Payment information. 

• Supplemental documents to be 

attached to application: 

—Photocopy of passport, 

—Payment receipt, and 

—Program-specific documents. 

We ask the scholars accepted into the 

master’s program to assist in project 

monitoring and evaluation by 

responding to periodic assessment 

surveys throughout the course of their 1- 

year graduate experience so that project 

officers can gauge the impact and 

effectiveness of the training. After 

graduating, the scholars are requested to 

fill out an assessment to further our 

understanding of the course’s overall 

impact. We also ask students to help 

develop communication and outreach 

materials to share the impacts of the 

scholarships with partners and the 

public. The pre- and post-training 

assessments collect the following 

information: 

• Trainee information, to include: 

—Name, 

—Gender, 

—Age range, 

—Institution represented, 

—Job title/position, 

—Contact information, such as their 

complete mailing address, phone 

numbers, and email address, and 

—Country. 

• Trainee’s assessment of training— 

Questions provide participants an 

opportunity to offer feedback on their 

training to help inform how we can 

improve project activities and goals. 

• Potential effect of training on the 

trainee’s job—Questions provide an 

opportunity for participants to share 

how the technical training provided 

through the scholarships may open 

professional opportunities. 

• Knowledge of biodiversity and 

CITES—Questions are designed to 

measure the impact of training by 

quantifying changes in each 

participant’s knowledge of biodiversity 

and CITES between pre- and posttraining assessments. 

• Capacity to apply knowledge on 

biodiversity and CITES—Questions are 

designed to measure the impact of 

training by quantifying changes in 

knowledge between pre- and posttraining assessments. 

The Service will use the information 

collected to ensure project activities are 

meeting high project standards and are 

achieving intended outcomes. In 

addition, information collected for 

project outreach and communication 

will be used to inform the public on 

project outcomes and to garner interest 

in future scholarship opportunities. 

The public may request copies of the 

application form contained in this 

information collection by sending a 

request to the Service Information 

Collection Clearance Officer in 

ADDRESSES, above. 

Title of Collection: CITES Master’s 

Course. 

OMB Control Number: 1018–New. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Existing information 

collection in use without OMB 

approval. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Program participants from foreign 

public sector and foreign government 

entities. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain or retain a benefit. 

Frequency of Collection: Annually. 

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour 

Burden Cost: None. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2023 / Notices 65747 

Requirement 

Average 

number of 

annual 

respondents 

Average 

number of 

responses 

each 

Average 

number of 

annual 

responses 

Average 

completion 

time per 

response 

Estimated 

annual 

burden hours * 

Nomination/Application 

Private Sector ...................................................................... 3 1 3 1 hour ............ 3 

Government ......................................................................... 30 1 30 1 hour ............ 30 

Pre-Assessment Questionnaire 

Private Sector ...................................................................... 1 1 1 20 minutes ..... 0 

Government ......................................................................... 14 1 14 20 minutes ..... 5 

Post-Assessment Questionnaire 

Private Sector ...................................................................... 1 1 1 20 minutes ..... 0 

Government ......................................................................... 14 1 14 20 minutes ..... 5 

Totals ............................................................................ 63 ........................ 63 ........................ 43 

* Rounded. 

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. 2023–20709 Filed 9–22–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[234.LLHQ220000.L10200000.PK0000; OMB 

Control Number 1004–0041] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget for Review 

and Approval; Authorizing Grazing Use 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA), the Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM) proposes to renew an information 

collection. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before October 

25, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for this information 

collection request (ICR) should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain. Find this particular 

information collection by selecting 

‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open 

for Public Comments’’ or by using the 

search function. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request additional information about 

this ICR, contact Jessica Phillips by 

email at jmphillips@blm.gov, or by 

telephone at 406–490–5654. 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-ofcontact in the United States. You may 

also view the ICR at http://

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C. 

3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we 

invite the public and other Federal 

agencies to comment on new, proposed, 

revised and continuing collections of 

information. This helps the BLM assess 

impacts of its information collection 

requirements and minimize the public’s 

reporting burden. It also helps the 

public understand BLM information 

collection requirements and ensure 

requested data are provided in the 

desired format. 

A Federal Register notice with a 60- 

day public comment period soliciting 

comments on this collection of 

information was published on June 13, 

2023 (88 FR 38530). No comments were 

received in response to that notice. 

As part of our continuing effort to 

reduce paperwork and respondent 

burdens, we are again inviting the 

public and other Federal agencies to 

comment on the proposed ICR described 

below. The BLM is especially interested 

in public comment addressing the 

following: 

(1) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether 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 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 submitted 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 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Abstract: The Taylor Grazing Act of 

1934 (43 U.S.C. 315) and the Federal 

Land Policy and Management Act of 

1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701) authorize the 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to 

administer the livestock grazing 

program consistent with land use plans, 

multiple use objectives, sustained yield, 

environmental values, economic 

considerations, and other factors. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1