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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 234 (Thursday, December 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 96664-96666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28437]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2024-N063; FXMB12330900000-256-FF09M13200; OMB Control 
Number 1018-0172]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget; Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and 
Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) and Junior Duck Stamp Contests

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to 
renew an information collection without change.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 6, 2025.

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 [email protected]. Please reference ``1018-

[[Page 96665]]

0172'' 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 [email protected], 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-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 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.
    On March 18, 2024, we published in the Federal Register (89 FR 
19335) a notice of our intent to request that OMB approve this 
information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 
days, ending on May 17, 2024. 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-MB-2024-
0042). We received two comments in response to that notice; however, 
neither comment addressed the information collection requirements. No 
response to those comments is required.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other 
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. 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. 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

History of the Federal Duck Stamp Program

    On March 16, 1934, Congress passed, and President Franklin D. 
Roosevelt signed, the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act 
(16 U.S.C. 718-718k). Popularly known as the Duck Stamp Act, it 
required all waterfowl hunters 16 years or older to buy a stamp 
annually. The revenue generated was originally earmarked for the 
Department of Agriculture; however, 5 years later the Federal Duck 
Stamp Program was transferred to the Department of the Interior and the 
Service.
    In the years since its enactment, the Federal Duck Stamp Program 
has become one of the most popular and successful conservation programs 
ever initiated. Today, some 1.5 million stamps are sold each year, and 
as of 2023, Federal Duck Stamps had generated more than $1.2 billion 
for the preservation of more than 6 million acres of waterfowl habitat 
in the United States. Numerous other birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, 
and amphibians have similarly prospered because of habitat protection 
made possible by the program. An estimated one-third of the Nation's 
endangered and threatened species find food or shelter in refuges 
preserved by Duck Stamp funds. Moreover, the protected wetlands help 
dissipate storms, purify water supplies, store flood water, and nourish 
fish hatchlings important for sport and commercial fishermen.

History of the Duck Stamp Contest

    Jay N. ``Ding'' Darling, a nationally known political cartoonist 
for the Des Moines Register and a noted hunter and wildlife 
conservationist, designed the first Federal Duck Stamp at President 
Roosevelt's request. In subsequent years, noted wildlife artists 
submitted designs. The first Federal Duck Stamp Contest was opened in 
1949 to any U.S. artist who wished to enter, and 65 artists submitted a 
total of 88 design entries. Since then, the contest has been known as 
the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Art (Duck 
Stamp) Contest and has attracted large numbers of entrants.
    The Duck Stamp Contest (50 CFR part 91) remains the only art 
competition of its kind regulated by the U.S. Government. The Secretary 
of the Interior appoints a panel of noted art, waterfowl, and 
philatelic authorities to select each year's winning design. Winners 
receive no compensation for the work, except for a signed pane of their 
stamps; however, winners retain the copyright to their artwork and may 
sell the original and prints of their designs, which are sought by 
hunters, conservationists, and art collectors.
    For the Duck Stamp Contest, the Service selects five or fewer 
species of waterfowl each year; each entry must employ one of the 
Service-designated species as the dominant feature (defined as being in 
the foreground and clearly the focus of attention). Designs may also 
include national wildlife refuges as the background of habitat scenes, 
noneligible species, or other scenes that depict uses of the stamp for 
waterfowl hunting, conservation, and collecting purposes. Entries may 
be in any media, except for photography or computer-generated art. 
Designs must be the contestants' original hand-drawn creation and may 
not be copied or duplicated from previously published art, including 
photographs, or from images in any format published on the internet.

History of the Junior Duck Stamp Contest

    The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program 
(Junior Duck Stamp Program) began in 1989 as an extension of the 
Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp. The national Junior Duck 
Stamp art contest started in 1993, and the first stamp design was 
selected from entries from eight participating States. The program was 
recognized by Congress with the 1994 enactment of the Junior Duck Stamp 
Conservation and Design Program Act (16 U.S.C. 719). Currently

[[Page 96666]]

participating in the annual contest are all 50 States; Washington, DC; 
and 2 of the U.S. Territories.
    The Junior Duck Stamp Program introduces wetland and waterfowl 
conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. It 
crosses cultural, ethnic, social, and geographic boundaries to teach 
greater awareness and guide students in exploring our nation's natural 
resources. It is the Service's premier conservation education 
initiative.
    The Junior Duck Stamp Program includes a dynamic art-and-science-
based curriculum. This nontraditional pairing of subjects brings new 
interest to both the sciences and the arts. The program teaches 
students across the nation conservation through the arts, using 
scientific and wildlife observation principles to encourage visual 
communication about what they learn. Four curriculum guides, with 
activities and resources, were developed for use as a year-round study 
plan to assist students in exploring science in real-life situations.
    Modeled after the Federal Duck Stamp Contest, the annual Junior 
Duck Stamp Art and Conservation Message Contest (Junior Duck Stamp 
Contest) was developed as a visual assessment of a student's learning 
and progression. The Junior Duck Stamp Contest encourages partnerships 
among Federal and State government agencies, nongovernmental 
organizations, businesses, and volunteers to help recognize and honor 
thousands of teachers and students throughout the United States for 
their participation in conservation-related activities. Since 2000, the 
contest has received more than 570,000 entries.
    The winning artwork from the national art contest serves as the 
design for the Junior Duck Stamp, which the Service produces annually. 
This $5 stamp has become a much sought after collector's item. One 
hundred percent of the revenue from the sale of Junior Duck stamps goes 
to support recognition and environmental education activities for 
students who participate in the program. More than $1.25 million in 
Junior Duck Stamp proceeds have been used to provide recognition, 
incentives, and scholarships to participating students, teachers, and 
schools. The Program continues to educate youth about land stewardship 
and the importance of connecting to the natural world. Several students 
who have participated in the Junior Duck Stamp Program have gone on to 
become full-time wildlife artists and conservation professionals; many 
attribute their interest and success to their early exposure to the 
Junior Duck Stamp Program.

Who Can Enter the Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp Contests

    The Duck Stamp Contest is open to all U.S. citizens, nationals, and 
resident aliens who are at least 18 years of age by June 1. Individuals 
enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 may participate in the Junior 
Duck Stamp Contest. All eligible students are encouraged to participate 
in the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program annual art and 
conservation message contest as part of the program curriculum through 
public, private, and homeschools, as well as through nonformal 
educational experiences such as those found in scouting, art studios, 
and nature centers.

Entry Requirements

    Each entry in the Duck Stamp Contest requires a completed entry 
form and an entry fee. Information required on the entry form includes:
     ``Display, Participation & Reproduction Rights Agreement'' 
certification form;
     Basic contact information (name, address, phone numbers, 
and email address);
     Date of birth (to verify eligibility);
     Species portrayed and medium used; and
     Name of hometown newspaper (for press coverage).
    Each entry in the Junior Duck Stamp Contest requires a completed 
entry form that requests:
     Basic contact information (name, address, phone numbers, 
and email address);
     Age/grade (to verify eligibility and so they may be judged 
with their peers);
     Parent's name and contact information (email address and 
phone numbers);
     Whether the student has a Social Security or VISA 
immigration number or is a foreign exchange student (to verify 
eligibility to receive prizes);
     Title, species, medium/style used, and conservation 
message associated with the drawing;
     Basic contact information for their teacher and school 
(name, address, phone numbers, school/studio/organization/troop name, 
and email address); and
     Certification of authenticity.
    Students in grades 7 through 12 and all national level students are 
also required to include citations for any resources they used to 
develop their designs. We use this information to verify that the 
student has not plagiarized or copied someone else's work. The Service 
also translates entry forms into other appropriate languages to 
increase the understanding of the rules and what the parents and 
students are signing.
    Title of Collection: Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and 
Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) and Junior Duck Stamp Contests.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0172.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 20,200.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 20,200.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 7-20 minutes, 
depending on activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 6,690.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $39,000. We estimate 
$28,000 in annual entry fees of $125 plus an average of $15 for mailing 
costs for each of the estimated 200 annual submissions to the Federal 
Duck Stamp Contest. There are no fees associated with the Junior Duck 
Stamp Contest submissions. We estimate the mailing costs associated 
with entering submissions to the Junior Duck Stamp contest to be 
approximately $11,000 annually. Most of the student entries are mailed 
directly by schools, who utilize the bulk mail option, thereby reducing 
the amount of postage and packages received.
    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. 2024-28437 Filed 12-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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