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Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA) and the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) urge Friends to respond to the notice in the Federal Register about collecting documentation from their organizations. Friends input is necessary to guide the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in the collection of information in support of our mutual goals and objectives. They may also influence revisions to the Friends policy and Friends Partnership Agreement (FPA).

These revisions would be the result of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit report of the USFWS Friends program. A finding of the OIG implies that FWS does not know if Friends are using donations appropriately. FWS agreed to take corrective actions to improve oversight of the program. These actions will include revising the policy and FPA to:

  • Establish accountability with respect to donations, revenues, and expenditures to ensure they benefit the applicable refuge or hatchery;
  • Require Friends to provide an annual performance report including donations, revenues, and expenditures, and
  • Periodically review the FPA and evidence of nonprofit status.

The revisions to the policies and FPA have the potential of impacting Friends organization’s practices and procedures.

Please review the notice in the Federal Register and craft comments that:

  • Reflect your understanding of the documentation FWS is requesting,
  • List documentation Friends can provide FWS to assure them that funds raised for the benefit of your site are being properly accounted for,
  • Indicate how Friends would document the value to your refuge/hatchery of your programs and activities,
  • Assess the accuracy of FWS’ estimate of the time it will take to collect the documentation,
  • Describe ways to enhance the quality of the information, and
  • Suggest how to minimize the burden of providing the information.

The CORFA and NWRA have drafted comments to submit and Friends are welcome to review and borrow them. We do, however, want any comments submitted by Friends groups and members to be unique and particular to your specific refuge or hatchery—comments submitted through Federal Register requests are ore highly ranked if they are not the same as the other comments.

The deadline to comment is January 8, 2021.

Reference OMB Control Number “1018-Friends” in the subject line of your comments. The easiest and most direct way to submit your comments is to email comments directly to: Info_Coll@fws.gov

You can also mail 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)

*There is a direct link to submit comments in the Federal Register announcement, but this link does NOT work.*

We urge Friends groups and members of their board to submit comments. Every Friends group, FWS site, and partnership in the Friends community is unique. Your comments need to represent your unique circumstance. FWS wants to hear from you!

Regards,
Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates
National Wildlife Refuge Association

P.S. Should you need any assistance contact Caroline Brouwer, NWRA, or Joan Patterson, CORFA. If you want to share your comments with the Friends community, please send them to Joan and they will be posted on the Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates website.

Comments Submitted by Friends:
Willem Stoeller, TRNWR