FHWA Seeks Approval for New Information Collection on Pollinator Practices

Content

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a
new information collection, which is summarized below under
Supplementary Information
. We are required to publish this notice in the
Federal Register
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Please submit comments by May 11, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 0232 by any of the following methods:

Website: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received go to the Federal

     eRulemaking Portal: Go to *http://www.regulations.gov.* Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Fax: 1-202-493-2251.

Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590,
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melissa Toni, Office of Project Development and Environmental Review, Federal Highway Administration, (518) 431-8892, Leo
W. O'Brien Federal Building, 11A Clinton Avenue, Suite 719, Albany, NY 12207. Office hours are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Round 2: Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Pollinator-Friendly Practices of Roadsides and Highway
Rights-of-Way Discretionary Grant Program.

Background: The purpose of this NOFO is to solicit applications for the Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way
Program (also referred to as the Roadside Pollinator Program). Grants under the program will result in the distribution of
up to $1.8 million in FY 2023 funds that remain for the program. If additional funding is appropriated to this program before
awards are announced, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) may also fund applications received in response to this NOFO
with those additional appropriated funds. The actual amount available to be awarded will be subject to the availability of
funds.

Section 11528 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Public Law (P.L.) 117-58, November 15, 2021), establishes
the Roadside Pollinator Program and is codified at 23 United States Code (U.S.C.) 332. Under Section 332 of Title 23, U.S.C.,
funds made available for the Roadside Pollinator Program are to be awarded to all “Satisfactory” applications from State departments
of transportation (State DOTs), Indian Tribes, or Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs) that seek to carry out activities
that benefit pollinators on roadsides and highway rights-of-way eligible for Federal-aid.

The program seeks to provide grants to State DOTs, Indian Tribes, and FLMAs to carry out activities that will promote the
creation and protection of pollinator habitat through pollinator-friendly practices on highway rights-of-way and roadsides
eligible for Federal-aid.

Eligible entities that receive grants under this program can use funds for the implementation, improvement, or further development
of a qualifying Pollinator-Friendly Practices Plan (23 U.S.C. 332(f)). An applicant must provide a Pollinator-Friendly Practices
Plan that describes pollinator-friendly practices the applicant has implemented or will implement to be eligible for funding
(23 U.S.C. 332(d)(1)).

The total amount of funding available for awards under this NOFO for FY 2023 is up to $1.8 million. The IIJA did not appropriate
funding for the program. For FY 2023, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328), appropriated $3 million in
funds for the first time under this program. This is the only funding appropriated for this program; however, this NOFO may
be used for additional funding if it becomes available through the congressional appropriations process. The amount of grant
funding an eligible entity receives is based on the number of pollinator-friendly practices the eligible entity has implemented
or plans to implement and cannot exceed $150,000 (23 U.S.C. 332(e)(2)(B)). The Federal share of the cost for activities to
be carried out with grant funding is 100 percent (23 U.S.C. 332(g)). FHWA issued a NOFO for FY 2023 funding on April 8, 2024,
but did not receive enough eligible applications to award all available funding. This second round NOFO intends to award remaining
FY 2023 funding.

For purposes of awarding funds under this NOFO, FHWA has identified three merit criteria, including benefits to pollinator
species, a measure of the number of pollinator friendly practices implemented or planned for implementation (in alignment
with statute awarding requirements), and Reinvesting in the American Family policies. Statutory language states each eligible
entity that submits an application deemed “Satisfactory” by the Secretary of Transportation shall receive grant funding (23
U.S.C. 332(e)(1)).

FHWA will distribute funds as described in this NOFO in a manner consistent with the evaluation and selection criteria, funding
fund both the implementation of pollinator-friendly practices and the improvement and further development of Pollinator-Friendly
Practices Plans. A list of best management practices, and priority ranking, provided by the Secretary as required by statutory
language (23 U.S.C. 332(h)) will be published after award announcements.

Respondents: FHWA will award funding to State departments of transportation, Indian Tribes, and Federal Land Management Agencies. FHWA
anticipates approximately 10 respondents will complete one application each.

To apply for this funding opportunity, applicants must attach to their application or provide a link to an existing plan that
describes the pollinator-friendly practices the eligible entity has implemented or plans to implement. Please see 23 U.S.C.
332(d).

State DOT or FMLA applicants must provide evidence or otherwise affirmatively state within the application that during the
development of their pollinator-friendly practices plan, the State DOT or FMLA coordinated with applicable State agencies,
including State agencies with jurisdiction over agriculture and fish and wildlife (23 U.S.C. 332(d)(2)).

Furthermore, State DOT or FMLA applicants must provide evidence or otherwise affirmatively state within the application that
the State DOT or FMLA consulted with affected or interested Indian Tribes on their pollinator-friendly practices plan (23
U.S.C. 332(d)(3)). For the purposes of this program, consultation can consist of varied approaches, such as email, phone calls,
letters, or in-person conversations with affected or interested Indian Tribes regarding the development of the applicant's
pollinator-friendly practices plan.

Estimated Average Burden per Response: It is estimated that it will take approximately 40 hours to complete the application template.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: It is expected that 10 respondents will complete one application for an estimated total of 400 burden hours.

Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary
for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness,
and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic
technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include your comments
in the request for OMB's clearance of this information collection.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued on: March 10, 2026. Jazmyne Lewis, Information Collection Officer. [FR Doc. 2026-04856 Filed 3-11-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-22-P

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