Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 105 / Wednesday, June 1, 2022 / Notices 33197 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–HQ–NWRS–2022–N023; FF09R81000; 

OMB Control Number 1018–New] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget for Review 

and Approval; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service Agreements With Friends 

Organizations 

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 an 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) control number. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before July 1, 

2022. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection 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 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-Friends’’ 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, 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 November 9, 2020, we published 

in the Federal Register (85 FR 71354) a 

notice of our intent to request that OMB 

approve this information collection. In 

that notice, we solicited comments for 

60 days, ending on January 8, 2021. We 

received 59 comments in response to 

the questions posed in the Federal 

Register notice from the following: 

Name Position Organization Date received 

Christensen, Alan ........................... Past President ................................ Friends of Tualatin River NWR .................................. 1/4/21 

Benton, Angela ............................... Board Chair .................................... Friends of Haystack NWR .......................................... 1/8/21 

LaBrake, Aryn ................................ Executive Director .......................... Friends of Valle del Oro NWR ................................... 1/8/21 

VanHeel, Carol ............................... Treasurer and Membership Chair .. Friends of Sherburne NWR ........................................ 1/8/21 

Trainor, Cece ................................. Board Member ............................... Friends of Eastern Neck NWR ................................... 1/8/21 

Craig, Cecilia .................................. Treasurer ........................................ San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society/Friends of San 

Francisco Bay NWR Complex.

1/8/21 

Hart, Cheryl .................................... Board Member ............................... Friends of Tualatin River NWR .................................. 1/8/21 

Crumley, Chloe .............................. Board Member ............................... Friends of Balcones NWR .......................................... 1/8/21 

Stephens, Christena ....................... Director ........................................... Friends of High Plains Refuge Complex .................... 1/7/21 

Puskar, Dan ................................... President and CEO ........................ Public Lands Alliance ................................................. 1/8/21 

Price, Daniel ................................... Not Provided .................................. Friends of Little Pend Oreille NWR ............................ 1/8/21 

Bell, Dave ....................................... Vice President ................................ Friends of Balcones NWR .......................................... 1/8/21 

Raskin, David ................................. President ........................................ Friends of Alaska NWR .............................................. 1/8/21 

Anderson, Debbie .......................... Vice President ................................ Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR ................................ 12/29/20 

Andersen, Ellen .............................. President ........................................ Friends of the National Conservation Training Center.1/5/21 

Draper, Harold ................................ President ........................................ Friends of Loess Bluffs NWR ..................................... 1/7/21 

Lockridge, Jack .............................. President ........................................ Friends of Bosque Del Apache NWR ........................ 1/8/21 

Johnson, James ............................. Not Provided .................................. Friends of Neal Smith NWR ....................................... 12/20/20 

Larson, Jan and Rocky .................. Private Citizens .............................. ..................................................................................... 1/7/21 

Mayo, Jan ....................................... Volunteer ........................................ Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR ................................ 12/24/20 

James, Janet .................................. President ........................................ Friends of Mid-Columbia River NWR ......................... 1/7/21 

Friday, J.B ...................................... President ........................................ Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR ................................ 12/27/20 

Public, Jean .................................... Private Citizen ................................ ..................................................................................... 11/9/20 

Keatinge, Jennifer .......................... Board of Directors .......................... Friends of Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge 1/9/21 

Edwards, Jim .................................. President ........................................ Sandhill Prairies Refuge Association ......................... 1/2/21 

Patterson, Joan Brouwer, Caroline Not Provided ..................................

Not Provided ..................................

Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates ..............

National Wildlife Refuge Association .........................

1/6/21 

Van Aken, Joann ............................ Executive Director .......................... International Wildlife Refuge Alliance ........................ 1/7/21 

Van Aken, Joann (2nd Comment) Executive Director .......................... International Wildlife Refuge Alliance ........................ 1/8/21 

d’Alessio, Jon ................................. Treasurer ........................................ Friends of Midway Atoll NWR .................................... 1/7/21 

Cadoret, Katelyn ............................ Not Provided .................................. Friends of Mashpee NWR .......................................... 1/7/21 

Bowman, Kathy .............................. Private Citizen ................................ ..................................................................................... 1/5/21 

Rhodes, Kathy ................................ Chair—Board of Directors .............. Friends And Volunteers Of Refuges—Florida Keys .. 1/8/21 

Cheroutes, Kip ............................... Board Member ............................... Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges ............ 1/8/21 

Gould, Laurel .................................. Treasurer ........................................ Friends of Great Swamp NWR .................................. 1/8/21 

Culp, Jr., Lloyd ............................... President ........................................ Friends of Bon Secour NWR ..................................... 1/8/21 

Springer, Marie (original and followup).Private Citizen ................................ John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University 

of New York.

12/23/20 1/5/ 

21 

Cole, Mark ...................................... President ........................................ Friends of Leadville Fish Hatchery ............................ 1/8/21 

Nelson, Morton ............................... Treasurer ........................................ Friends of Loess Bluffs NWR (Original and Duplicate 

of 11/11/2020 comment).

11/11/20 


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33198 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 105 / Wednesday, June 1, 2022 / Notices 

Name Position Organization Date received 

Krueger, Myrna .............................. President ........................................ Friends of Sherburne NWR ........................................ 1/8/21 

Gehlhausen, Nancy ........................ Private Citizen ................................ ..................................................................................... 12/25/20 

Feger, Naomi ................................. Board of Directors .......................... Friends of San Pablo Bay NWR ................................ 1/8/21 

Kupchak, Patty ............................... Private Citizen ................................ ..................................................................................... 12/18/20 

Goodwin, Paula .............................. President ........................................ Friends of Assabet River NWR .................................. 1/8/21 

Hall, Peg ......................................... President ........................................ Friends of Lower Suwannee & Cedar Key NWRs ..... 1/6/21 

Millan, Phyllis ................................. Board Member ............................... Friends of Tualatin River NWR .................................. 1/8/21 

Petzel, Robert ................................ President ........................................ Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends .............................. 1/8/21 

Crouch, Sally .................................. Board Secretary ............................. Muscatatuck Wildlife Society ...................................... 1/7/21 

Slagle, Sharon ................................ Secretary ........................................ Friends of the Wildlife Corridor .................................. 11/18/20 

Kenyon, Simon ............................... President ........................................ Friends of Eastern Neck NWR ................................... 1/7/21 

Kaufman, Stephanie ....................... Not Provided .................................. Friends of Patuxent Research Refuge ....................... 1/8/21 

Byers, Steven ................................. Chair ............................................... Friends of Hackmatack NWR ..................................... 1/7/21 

Chesney, Steven ............................ Volunteer ........................................ Friends of Sherburne NWR ........................................ 1/8/21 

Hatleberg, Steven .......................... Board Representative .................... Friends of the National Conservation Training Center.1/3/21 

Hix, Sue .......................................... Volunteer ........................................ Friends of Sherburne NWR ........................................ 1/7/21 

Wilder, Sue ..................................... Treasurer ........................................ Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges ....................... 1/7/21 

Carlsten, Susan .............................. President ........................................ Friends of Neosho National Fish Hatchery ................ 11/19/20 

Considine, Tom .............................. Board Member ............................... Friends of John Heinz NWR ...................................... 1/8/21 

Stoeller, Willem .............................. Treasurer ........................................ Friends of Tualatin River NWR .................................. 12/17/20 

Binnewies, William ......................... Past President ................................ Shoreline Education for Awareness ........................... 1/8/21 

Below is a summary of the comments 

received in response to the questions 

indicated, and the agency response to 

those comments: 

Whether or not the collection of 

information is necessary, including 

whether or not the information will have 

practical utility; whether there are any 

questions you felt were unnecessary. 

Summary of comments: Respondents 

raised concerns that there was 

substantial overreach as far as what was 

being requested. Commenters felt that 

Friends are not subject to internal 

agency policy and direct administration 

and oversight by the Service. 

Specifically, many respondents 

mentioned that the Service’s requests 

for Friends staff resumes was 

unnecessary and in conflict with 

Service policy not to become involved 

in Friends group administration and 

decision-making processes. 

Agency Response: Based on the 

comments, we removed Friends staff 

resumes from the list of information we 

will collect, and substantially revised 

financial reporting requirements. 

‘‘The accuracy of our estimate of the 

burden for this collection of 

information’’ 

Summary of comments: Overall, 

respondents said that the request as 

presented was vague, especially the 

proposed methodology by which the 

information would be collected. 

Furthermore, respondents expressed an 

overwhelming concern that this 

information collection as presented 

would be extremely burdensome and 

would hobble many smaller Friends 

groups, especially those without paid 

staff. Others stated that burden 

estimates were inaccurate, and that 

completion and submission of requested 

materials would take longer than the 

estimates projected. 

Agency Response: The agency 

response was to overhaul the draft 

versions of the forms to significantly 

reduce the burden and simplify the 

reporting requirements, methodology, 

and instruments. In addition, the annual 

report, which will be a simple Microsoft 

form (or other electronic format to be 

substituted in the future, if need be), 

will be completable by either Service 

staff or a Friends group, and that 

decision will be made at the local level. 

This allows for the partnership to make 

the decision at the local level as to who 

should complete the form and requires 

strong communication within the 

partnership. Quarterly reviews will 

consist of Service staff verifying that 

board meetings include presentation of 

profit and loss sheets and updates on 

member and staff changes, if any, which 

should already be happening. 

‘‘Ways to enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

collected’’ 

Summary of comments: Many 

responses focused on the frustration felt 

by the Friends groups due to the lack of 

clarity and specificity of what we were 

asking for, and the timeline with which 

it was being requested. Most 

respondents pointed out that the 

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) already 

requests much if not all the same 

documentation the Service might 

require, and that reporting should not be 

duplicative, excessive, or follow a 

different tax year than what the 

organization would be reporting to the 

IRS. Furthermore, many suggested that 

the Service institute a tiered system of 

requirements based on the size (i.e., 

annual budget) of the nonprofit required 

to do the reporting, as the majority of 

Friends groups are extremely small with 

an annual budget of $50,000 or less. 

Agency Response: We acknowledge 

the difficulty of the responding to the 

information collection clearance before 

reviewing the policy on which it was 

based, because both activities were 

taking place concurrently. The Service 

was able receive comments on the draft 

policy, and addressed many of those 

concerns in the final policy. Based on 

comments from both the Federal 

Register notice and the policy review, 

we re-designed the reporting system to 

address these concerns. 

‘‘Ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents’’ 

Summary of comments: Many 

respondents made it clear that since 

they already submit much of the 

information to the IRS, the Service 

should simply go online and download 

that information ourselves. Others 

suggested that we create a system by 

which Friends groups could report 

electronically to the fullest extent 

possible via a secure portal and/or 

provide a simple checklist. There was 

concern that it would be costly to 

implement a reporting system and a 

general sense that there was no value 

added to the Service collecting this data. 

Agency Response: The Service created 

a simple and free to use Microsoft 

Forms reporting system and will use 

another free, electronic system if 

Microsoft Forms becomes unavailable in 

the future. While we do recognize that 

this information is all public and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 105 / Wednesday, June 1, 2022 / Notices 33199 

already reported to the IRS, we do feel 

that there is a value to collecting this 

data within the Service and being able 

to aggregate the data to show the benefit 

provided by Friends groups to the 

agency on a national scale. 

In addition to publication of the 

Federal Register notice, we held public 

meetings in early 2021 to communicate 

to key stakeholders about the 

Information Collection Clearance 

process (i.e., our desire to hear from 

them, expected timelines, etc.) and 

provided time for questions from 

attendees. 

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: The Service enters into 

agreements and partnerships with 

nonprofit Friends groups to facilitate 

and formalize collaboration between the 

parties in support of mutual goals and 

objectives as authorized by: 

• The Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 

(16 U.S.C. 742a–742j); 

• The National Wildlife Refuge 

System Administration Act of 1966 (16 

U.S.C. 668dd–ee), as amended; 

• The Refuge Recreation Act of 1962 

(16 U.S.C. 460k et seq.), as amended; 

• The Anadromous Fish Conservation 

Act (16 U.S.C. 757a–757g), as amended; 

• The Fish and Wildlife Coordination 

Act of 1934 (16 U.S.C. 661–667e), as 

amended; 

• The National Wildlife Refuge 

System Volunteer and Community 

Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 

(16 U.S.C. 742f), as amended; and 

• The National Fish Hatchery System 

Volunteer Act of 2006 (16 U.S.C. 760aa), 

as amended. 

The Service utilizes a standardized 

agreement which describes the 

substantial involvement of both parties 

in mutually agreed-upon activities and 

ensures that both parties have a mutual 

understanding of their respective roles, 

responsibilities, rights, expectations, 

and requirements within the 

partnership. The agreement, preapproved by the Department of the 

Interior (DOI) Office of the Solicitor, 

provides the suggested language 

common to most Service Friends 

partnerships. The content is based on 

DOI and Service policies, but the 

Friends and Service sites/programs may 

thoughtfully add and delete certain 

language to meet their varying 

partnership roles and responsibilities 

wherever Department and Service 

policies do not dictate otherwise. We 

also use a supplemental partnership 

agreement for use of Service property, 

which provides additional terms and 

responsibilities beyond the general 

terms of the partnership agreement and 

is required only for those Friends 

groups that use Service land, facilities, 

or equipment. 

The partnership agreement and 

supplemental agreement are effective for 

5 years, with four annual modification 

options during the 5-year period of 

performance. Each time the agreement is 

up for its 5-year renewal, the Refuge or 

Fish Hatchery Project Leader and the 

Friends President or Board will meet to 

review, modify, and sign the agreement 

as described above. To become effective, 

the Regional Director (or designee) must 

review, approve, and sign a new 

agreement every 5 years. 

In addition to the partnership 

agreement and supplemental agreement, 

and subsequent renewals of the 

agreements, the Service collects the 

following information in conjunction 

with the administration of the Friends 

Program: 

• Basic program information 

documentation, to include documents 

such as IRS determination letters 

recognizing an organization as tax 

exempt, submission of IRS Form 990- 

series forms, bylaws, articles of 

incorporation, etc.; 

• Internal financial control 

documentation for the organization; 

• Recordkeeping requirements 

documenting accountability for 

donations and expenditures; 

• Assurance documentation that 

donations, revenues, and expenditures 

benefit the applicable refuge or 

hatchery; 

• Annual performance reporting 

(donations, revenues, and expenditures) 

and number of memberships (if 

applicable); and 

• Additional information that may be 

included as part of quarterly, annual, 

and in-depth program reviews. 

• Information related to fundraising 

agreements for activities described in 

212 FW 8. 

Over the life of this clearance, the 

Service plans to develop a digital 

platform and process to collect 

information directly from Friends 

groups. Until that occurs, Friends 

groups will submit information through 

form and non-form responses. 

The Service uses the information 

collected to establish efficient and 

effective partnerships and working 

relationships with nonprofit Friends 

organizations. The agreements provide a 

method for the Service to legally accept 

donations of funds and other 

contributions by people and 

organizations through partnerships with 

nonprofit (and non-Federal) Friends 

organizations. 

Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service Agreements with 

Friends Organizations. 

OMB Control Number: 1018–New. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Existing collection in 

use without an OMB control number. 

Respondents/Affected Public: Private 

sector (nonprofit organizations). 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Respondents: 1,040. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 1,640. 

Estimated Completion Time per 

Response: Estimated completion times 

vary from 30 minutes to 800 hours, 

depending on activity. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 22,100. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain or retain a benefit. 


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33200 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 105 / Wednesday, June 1, 2022 / Notices 

Frequency of Collection: On occasion 

for agreements and associated 

documentation requirements; quarterly 

and annually for performance reviews. 

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour 

Burden Cost: None. 

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. 2022–11727 Filed 5–31–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–HQ–NWRS–2022–0063; 

FXRS12610900000–223–FF09R24000; OMB 

Control Number 1018–0162] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Non-Federal Oil and Gas 

Operations on National Wildlife Refuge 

System Lands 

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 to revise an 

existing collection of information. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before August 1, 

2022. 

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the 

information collection request (ICR) by 

one of the following methods (please 

reference ‘‘1018–0162’’ in the subject 

line of your comments): 

• Internet (preferred): http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments 

on Docket No. FWS–HQ–NWRS–2022– 

0063. 

• Email: Info_Coll@fws.gov. 

• U.S. mail: Service Information 

Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg 

Pike, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), Falls Church, 

VA 22041–3803. 

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) and its 

implementing regulations at 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. 

We are soliciting comments on the 

proposed information collection request 

(ICR) that is described below. We are 

especially interested in public 

comments 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 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. We will include or 

summarize each comment in our request 

to the Office of Management and Budget 

(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: The authority of the Service 

to regulate non-Federal oil and gas 

operations on National Wildlife Refuge 

System (NWRS) lands is broadly 

derived from the Property Clause of the 

United States Constitution (Art. IV, Sec. 

3), in carrying out the statutory 

mandates of the Secretary of the 

Interior, as delegated to the Service, to 

manage Federal lands and resources 

under the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Administration Act (NWRSAA), 

as amended by the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act 

(NWRSIA; 16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.), and 

to specifically manage species within 

the NWRS under the provisions of 

numerous statutes, the most notable of 

which are the Migratory Bird Treaty Act 

(MBTA; 16 U.S.C. 715 et seq.), the 

Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.), and the Fish and Wildlife 

Act of 1956 (FWA; 15 U.S.C. 742f). 

The Service’s regulations at 50 CFR, 

part 29, subpart D provide for the 

continued exercise of non-Federal oil 

and gas rights while avoiding or 

minimizing unnecessary impacts to 

national wildlife refuge resources and 

uses. Other land management agencies 

have regulations that address oil and gas 

development, including the Department 

of the Interior’s National Park Service 

and Bureau of Land Management, and 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 

Forest Service. These agencies all 

require the submission of information 

similar to the information requested by 

the Service. 

The collection of information is 

necessary for the Service to properly 

balance the exercise of non-Federal oil 

and gas rights within national wildlife 

refuge boundaries with the Service’s 

responsibility to protect wildlife and 

habitat, water quality and quantity, 

wildlife-dependent recreational 

opportunities, and the health and safety 

of employees and visitors on NWRS 

lands. 

The information collected under 50 

CFR, part 29, subpart D identifies the 

owner and operator (the owner and 

operator can be the same) and details 

how the operator may access and 

develop oil and gas resources. It also 

identifies the steps the operator intends 

to take to minimize any adverse impacts 

of operations on refuge resources and 

uses. No information is submitted 

unless the operator wishes to conduct 

oil and gas operations. 

We use the information collected to: 

(1) Evaluate proposed operations; (2) 

ensure that all necessary mitigation 

measures are employed to protect 

national wildlife refuge resources and 

values; and (3) ensure compliance with 

all applicable laws and regulations, 

including the National Environmental 

Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

its regulations (40 CFR parts 1500– 

1508), and the NWRSAA, as amended 

by the NWRSIA, and to specifically 

manage species within the NWRS under 

the provisions of numerous statutes, the 

most notable of which are the MBTA, 


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