Submission of Conservation
Efforts to Make Listings Unnecessary under the Endangered Species
Act
Extension without change of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
02/28/2025
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
03/31/2025
3
3
2,900
2,900
100
100
This request is for extension of a
current information collection under the Policy for Evaluation of
Conservation Efforts When Making Listing Decisions (PECE), which
was finalized jointly by the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in 2003 (see 68
FR 15100, March 28, 2003). There are no changes or revisions to
this collection request. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), specifies the process by
which NMFS and FWS (the Services) can list species as threatened or
endangered. When considering whether to list a species, the ESA
requires the Services to take into account “those efforts, if any,
being made by any State . . . or any political subdivision of a
State . . . to protect such species.” Conservation efforts are
often formalized in conservation agreements, conservation plans,
management plans, or other similar documents and are often
developed with the specific intent of making the listing of species
as threatened or endangered unnecessary. Sometimes these agreements
or plans have yet to be implemented or demonstrate their
effectiveness at the time the Services must make a listing
decision. In such instances, the Services use the criteria
identified in the PECE to evaluate the conservation efforts. The
development of such an agreement or plan that has the specific
intention of making listing unnecessary constitutes a new
information collection. One of the criteria identified in PECE is
that such agreements and plans contain a provision for monitoring
and reporting the progress and results of implementation of
conservation efforts. This criterion also constitutes a new
information collection, in addition to the agreement.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.