1018-0154 - Supporting Statement A - 2015 - final - 2-8-16

Supporting Statement A for

Paperwork Reduction Act Submission

OMB Control Number 1018-0154

Wolf-Livestock Demonstration Project Grant Program

Terms of Clearance. None.

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (we, Service) will administer a competitive grant program as authorized by Congress through Subtitle C of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11) for a Wolf-Livestock Demonstration Project Grant Program (WLDPGP) with two purposes: 1) to assist livestock producers in undertaking proactive, nonlethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss due to predation by wolves; and 2) to compensate livestock producers for livestock losses due to such predation. Included in the authorization language was direction that the program be established as a grant program to States and tribes, that the Federal cost-share not exceed 50 percent, and that funds be expended equally between the two purposes; therefore, qualifying grants must include a minimum of 50 percent non-Federal cost share.

Half of the funds associated with this program will provide financial compensation to eligible States and tribes with documented depredation by wolves. The other half of the funds will be used to support the program objective of developing proactive projects to reduce the loss of livestock associated with gray wolf depredation. The term ‘‘livestock’’ means cattle, swine, horses, mules, sheep, goats, livestock guard animals, and other domestic animals, as determined by the Secretary. Activities and losses may occur on Federal, State, private land, or land owned by or held in trust for the benefit of an Indian tribe.

The authorization of appropriations for $1 million for the WLDPGP is anticipated to continue for 5 years. Grant amounts will be contingent upon the quality and number of proposals received.

2. Indicate how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information is to be used. If the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support information that will be disseminated to the public, explain how the collection complies with all applicable Information Quality Guidelines.

We use information collected under this program to respond to the Executive Branch of the Federal Government, Congress, and the general public for requirements such as agency performance information (GPRA), budget reports and justifications, general public requests for information, data requests by other Federal financial assistance programs, and Congressional inquiries and reports. We collect the following information:

Applications

State and tribal governments may compete for grant funds by providing proposals addressing wolf numbers, livestock depredation compensation information, and other factors to receive funds set aside for the depredation compensation portion of the program. States and tribes may also compete for grant dollars with proposals that describe in detail project locations, nonlethal wolf deterrence strategies, and other factors to obtain funds for the prevention portion of the program. Applications must provide the basic information necessary to determine the appropriateness and eligibility of potential projects. We use a competitive process to score and rank all eligible applications.

Reporting/Recordkeeping

Award recipients must ensure accurate recordkeeping, and provide annual and final performance reports to document the progress and accomplishments of the projects. Recipients also must provide financial information at the end of the project that documents the actual award amount spent and the non-Federal match provided to the project.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology; e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden [and specifically how this collection meets GPEA requirements.].

Applications are accepted through the Grants.gov portal http://www.Grants.gov/

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.

The information collected is unique to each location, situation, and proposal, and is necessary for evaluating and selecting projects that make significant contributions to program objectives. No other office or agency collects this information.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe the methods used to minimize burden.

We collect only the minimum information necessary for participation in the grant program. The information collection does not affect small entities; only States and tribes can apply.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

Elimination of the information collection would result in elimination of the grant programs because it would be impossible to determine the eligibility, resource values, or relative merit of proposed projects. Reducing the frequency of collection would reduce the frequency of posting the grant opportunity and providing the associated funds to recipients. The two program objectives although related, require different reporting processes and may vary by State or tribe.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

* requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

* requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

* requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;

* requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than three years;

* in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

* requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

* that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or

* requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secrets, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.

There are no circumstances that require us to collect the information in a manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.

8. Provide the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice (or in response to a PRA statement) and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments.

Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported. [Please list the names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers of persons contacted.]

On August 18, 2015, we published in the Federal Register (80 FR 50024) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew approval for this information collection. In that notice, we solicited comments for 60 days, ending on October 19, 2015. We received two comments:

One commenter expressed opinions about the WLDPGP funding and wolf management in general, but did not address the information collection requirements.

A second comment described the program as an excellent source of dedicated funds for preventative strategies to reduce wildlife livestock conflict, but expressed frustration with the accessibility of annual reports.  It was suggested that the annual reports “be held in one centralized location rather than held in regional FWS or State natural resource agency offices.”  We will accommodate this request and will hold all annual reports in our Headquarters Office where they will be made readily available upon request.  Persons desiring a copy of an annual report may contact Kelly Niland, Branch of Recovery and State Grants, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: ES, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 (mail); [email protected] (email); or 703-358-2492 (telephone). We will include this contact information in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. We did not make any changes to our information collection requirements.

In addition to the Federal Register notice, we contacted the following individuals regarding the information collection process:

Jon Beals, State of Idaho Office of Species Conservation. 208 332 1553

Julie Maitland, Division Director, New Mexico Department of Agriculture. 575 646 2642

Eric Sink, Federal Aid Coordinator, Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 517 335 106

We asked all individuals to review the necessity of the information (grant applications and reports) requested, the practical utility of the information requested, and the annual burden hours for preparing applications and reports for both the compensation and prevention portion of the grant program. Eric Sink and Jon Beals agreed that our estimate of 8 hours for the application process and 14 hours to meet reporting/recordkeeping requirements were appropriate. Julie Maitland noted that the application process requires an average of 12 hours, but agreed the reporting/recordkeeping process requires an average of 14 hours. We did not change the burden estimates. Our burden estimates in item 12 are based on our experience in administering grant programs and the results of our outreach, and we believe they reflect an accurate average for most submissions.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

We do not provide gifts or payments, other than grant money awarded to grantees, to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

There is no assurance of confidentiality. Once submitted, the information becomes public information and is not protected under the Privacy Act.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.

None of the information collected is sensitive.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.

We estimate that 10 States and tribes will submit 42 responses totaling 456 annual burden hours.

The estimated dollar value of the annual burden hours is $17,711 (rounded). We used the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2014 (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm) to determine wage information. Table 19-1023 lists the mean hourly wage for State zoologists and wildlife biologists as $25.89. To calculate benefits, we multiplied this rate by 1.5 in accordance with BLS News Release USDL-15-1756, September 9, 2015 (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf), resulting in an hourly cost factor of $38.84.

Activity	Annual Number of Responses	Completion Time (hours) Per Response	Total Annual Burden Hours	$ Value of Annual Burden Hours ($38.84/hour)
Applications	22	8	176	$6,835.84
Reports and recordkeeping	20	14	280	10,875.20
Totals	42		456	$17,711.04

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual [nonhour] cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information.

There is no nonhour cost burden to respondents.

14. Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal Government.

The total estimated annual cost to the Federal Government for processing and reviewing proposals and reviewing reports as a result of this collection of information is $8,630 (rounded). This estimate includes salary and benefits ($2,029.50), as well as other costs associated with proposal review, selection, and report review ($6,600.00). Table 14.1 shows Federal staff and grade levels performing various tasks associated with this information collection. WLDPGP staff will develop and post application instructions. Information collection costs also include expenses associated with proposal solicitation, review, and selection, including travel and travel arrangement costs for meetings, site visits, and printing (see Table 14.2).

We used the Office of Personnel Management Salary Table 2015-DCB (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2015/DCB_h.pdf) to determine the hourly wage. We used these wage rates as an average Nationwide. We multiplied the hourly rate by 1.5 to account for benefits in accordance with BLS News Release 15-1756 (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf).

Table 14.1 – Fish and Wildlife Salary/Benefits

Action	Position and Grade	Hourly Rate	Hourly Rate including Benefits	Total Annual Hours	Annual Cost*
Administrative Work Associated with Application Process	Program Analyst GS 9/5	$28.60	$42.90	4	$171.60
	Wildlife Biologist/Grant Administrator GS 13/5	$49.32	$73.98	4	$295.92
Proposal Review	Wildlife Biologist/Grant Administrator GS 13/5	$49.32	$73.98	6	$443.88
	Grant Administrator- GS 12/5	$41.48	$62.22	5	$311.10
Proposal Selection	Wildlife Biologist GS 13/5	$49.32	$73.98	5	$369.90
	Wildlife Administrator (Grants Branch Chief) GS 14/5	$58.28	$87.42	3	$262.26
Report Review	Wildlife Administrator (Grants Branch Chief) GS 14/5	$58.28	$87.42	2	$174.84
Total					$2,029.50

*rounded

Table 14.2 – Other Costs

Travel	Site Visits*	Printing/ FedEx	Other	Total
$4,800	$1,250	$300	$250	$6,600

* As needed for project evaluation

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.

There are no program changes or adjustments.

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication.

We will not publish data from this information collection.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

We will display the OMB control number and expiration date on appropriate materials.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.