Notice2026-04916
Agency Information Collection Activities; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Preliminary Land Acquisition Process
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 13, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew a currently approved information collection without change.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 49 (Friday, March 13, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12437-12438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-04916]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2025-1496; FVRS34510900000-XXX-FF09R50000; OMB
Control Number 1018-0174]
Agency Information Collection Activities; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Preliminary Land Acquisition Process
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, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew a
currently approved information collection without change.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
May 12, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request
(ICR) by one of the following methods (please reference Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 1018-0174 in the subject line
of your comment):
<bullet> Internet (preferred): <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-
2025-1496.
<bullet> 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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0d44636b62524e6261614d6b7a7e236a627b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3970575f56667a565555795f4e4a175e564f">[email protected]</span></a>, 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. You may also view the ICR at
<a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (PRA; 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 5
CFR part 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.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again inviting 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
[[Page 12438]]
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 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: Information collected by the Service (in support of the
land acquisition program) is required under applicable statutes,
Department of Justice regulations, Department of the Interior and
Service policies, and best business practices. In addition, the land
acquisition program facilitates Secretarial Orders 3356 and 3366 by
tracking land acquisitions that have potential to support public
hunting, fishing, and other forms of outdoor recreation, and access
related thereto. Authorities for the collection of realty-related
information include:
<bullet> U.S. Department of Justice; Regulations of the Attorney
General Governing the Review and Approval of Title for Federal Land
Acquisitions (2016);
<bullet> Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property
Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4601 et seq.);
<bullet> National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd et seq.);
<bullet> Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act (16
U.S.C. 718a et seq.);
<bullet> Migratory Bird Conservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.
715-715r);
<bullet> Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (54 U.S.C.
200301 et seq.);
<bullet> Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.);
<bullet> Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 3901);
and
<bullet> Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, as amended (16 U.S.C.
742a).
The Service tracks information collected from landowners as part of
the preliminary land acquisition process. Information collected by the
Service as part of the preliminary land acquisition process may include
the following:
<bullet> Initial Requests--Initial request to consider property, to
include such items as:
[cir] Identifying information for the legal property owner(s), such
as:
--Name of primary property owner, along with spouse and/or co-owner(s)
whose names appear on the current deed to the property under review;
--Marital status;
--Other names used; and
--Contact information, to include telephone numbers, personal email
addresses, and mailing/home addresses.
[cir] Financial information, to include Social Security Numbers
(necessary for final payment transaction).
[cir] Property description, to include such information as:
--Property name,
--Location,
--Legal description, and
--Introductory information.
<bullet> Permission to Inspect and Appraise (FWS Form 3-2471)--
Collects information about the property owner and location, and grants
permission to enter and inspect the property for real estate
acquisition purposes. Inspection may include, but is not limited to:
[cir] Appraisal valuations;
[cir] Boundary survey;
[cir] Hazardous materials examination (contaminant survey); and
[cir] Physical examination of any structures on the property.
We do not use FWS Form 3-2471 in projects that are under Memoranda
of Understanding (MOU), Memoranda of Agreement (MOA), Cooperative
Agreements, certain donation partnerships, and other special cases.
<bullet> Waiver of Appraisal Requirement (FWS Form 3-2461)--Per 49
CFR 24.102(c)(2), a willing-seller landowner may release the Service
from the obligation of obtaining an appraisal for (1) land donations
and (2) certain land acquisitions where the anticipated value is low
and the valuation problem is uncomplicated.
Unless delivered in person, both the Permission to Inspect and
Appraise form (FWS Form 3-2471) and the Waiver of Appraisal Requirement
form (FWS Form 3-2461) will contain a cover letter referred to as the
access permission letter. The access permission letter does not request
any information, but is used to explain the form or waiver process.
Information is collected and protected in accordance with the
Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and the Freedom of Information Act (5
U.S.C. 552). We will maintain the information in a secure system of
records (Real Property Records, FWS-11; 71 FR 68635 (November 27,
2006); modification published 88 FR 16277 (March 16, 2023)). We gather
Social Security numbers and banking information to assist with
electronic payments and preparation of the required Internal Revenue
Service 1099 Forms.
The public may request a copy of any form contained in this
collection by sending a request to the Service Information Collection
Clearance Officer (see ADDRESSES, above).
Title of Collection: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Preliminary
Land Acquisition Process.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0174.
Form Numbers: 3-2461 and 3-2471.
Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals/households, private
sector, and State/local/Tribal governments participating in realty
transactions with the Service.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 562.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 562.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 15 minutes to 2
hours, depending on activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 362.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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. 2026-04916 Filed 3-12-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 13, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.