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OMB Control No: 1018-0165	ICR Reference No: 201905-1018-004
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201702-1018-008
Agency/Subagency: DOI/FWS	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Revisions to the Regulations for Petitions, 50 CFR 424.14
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 02/03/2021
	Date Received in OIRA: 07/11/2019
Terms of Clearance: OMB approves this collection for 3 years with the understanding that, before the next ICR approval, FWS will update the website with the information on petition requests to include instructions on how to submit the petition (based on what is in the rule text) including the fact that is possible to submit a petition to any FWS field office.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	02/29/2024	36 Months From Approved	02/28/2021
Responses	154	0	550
Time Burden (Hours)	1,820	0	6,500
Cost Burden (Dollars)	280	0	1,000

Abstract: The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), specifies the process by which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (we, Services) make decisions on listing, delisting, changing the status of a listed species or revising critical habitat. Any interested person may submit a written petition to the Services requesting to add a species to the Lists of Endangered or Threatened Wildlife and Plants (Lists), remove a species from the Lists, change the listed status of a species, or revise the boundary of an area designated as critical habitat. The petition process is a central feature of the Act (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and serves a beneficial public purpose. A petition may direct the attention of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to make necessary revisions to critical habitat designations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (we, Services) are jointly finalizing changes to the regulations at 50 CFR 424.14 concerning petitions to improve the content and specificity of petitions and to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the petitions process to support species conservation. Our revisions to § 424.14 will clarify and enhance the procedures by which the Services will evaluate petitions under section 4(b)(3) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(3). We are revising the regulations pertaining to the petition process to provide greater clarity to the public on the petition-submission process, which will assist petitioners in providing complete petitions. These revisions will also maximize the efficiency with which the Services process petitions, making the best use of available resources. These changes will improve the quality of petitions through expanded content requirements and guidelines, and, in so doing, better focus the Services’ energies on petitions that merit further analysis.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 1531 et seq Name of Law: Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	84 FR 9549	03/15/2019
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	84 FR 33084	07/11/2019
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Annual Number of Responses	154	550	-396
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	1,820	6,500	-4,680
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	280	1,000	-720

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: Since implementing the petition regulations at 50 CFR 424.14, FWS has received fewer petitions than we estimated in the original documentation supporting the ICR. Thus, the hour and cost burden estimates are lower than we anticipated. We have adjusted our estimates accordingly in this statement, to include two new ICs to report burden for State and Tribal governments which was inadvertently omitted during the initial rulemaking submission.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $10,546

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Madonna Baucum 202 354-1916 madonna_baucum@nps.gov

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion