FHWA Information Collection Request for Culvert Grant Program

Content

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) to approve a new information collection. We are required to publish this notice in the
Federal Register
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Please submit comments by April 24, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 0331 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 Maiefski, melissa.maiefski@dot.gov, (402) 326-7960, or Gregory Danis, gregory.danis@dot.gov, (202) 366-4000, Office of Competitive Grants and Workforce Programs, Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

We published a
Federal Register
Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on September 19, 2025, at [90 FR 45306]. There were
no comments received.

OMB Control: 2125-0669.

Title: National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program (Culvert AOP).

Background: FHWA administers the Culvert AOP. It was established by Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in section 21203 of
IIJA and codified at 49 U.S.C. 6703. The Culvert AOP Program prioritizes projects that would improve fish passage for: (A)
anadromous fish stocks listed as an endangered species or a threatened species under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533); (B) anadromous fish stocks identified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) or the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that could reasonably become listed as an endangered species or a threatened species under
that section; (C) anadromous fish stocks identified by the NMFS or the USFWS as prey for endangered species, threatened species,
or protected species, including Southern resident orcas (Orcinus orca); or (D) anadromous fish stocks identified by the NMFS or the USFWS as climate resilient stocks. 49 U.S.C. 6703(e)(1). The
program also prioritizes projects that would open more than 200 meters of upstream habitat for anadromous fish before the
end of the natural habitat. Under IIJA, Congress authorized $1

  billion for Fiscal Years (FY) 2022 through 2026 to provide financial assistance to Culvert AOP Program eligible projects.
  In 2022, FHWA awarded $196 million in grants to 59 tribal, state and local governments to fix or remove 169 culvert barriers
  to improve fish passage.

Respondents: The NOFO announcing up to $784 million of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, funding for Culvert AOP competitive
grants will be available for tribal, state, and local governments on grants.gov. FHWA is expecting roughly 200 applicants to apply for Culvert AOP grant funding.

Frequency: NOFOs and grant solicitations may be published annually by FHWA but are subject to the availability of funds in appropriations
or any legislation signed into law authorizing funds.

Estimated Average Burden per Response: The burden per response varies depending on the phase of the Culvert AOP program. The application phase will take approximately
20 hours per respondent. The grant agreement and project management phase will take approximately 2 hours per phase.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Approximately 5,150 total annual 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 23, 2026. Jazmyne Lewis, Information Collection Officer. [FR Doc. 2026-05782 Filed 3-24-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-22-P

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