[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 133 (Friday, July 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37186-37187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-18204]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 133 / Friday, July 11, 1997 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 97-049-1]


Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Approved information collection extension; comment request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request an extension of a currently approved information 
collection in support of the National Poultry Improvement Plan.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 9, 1997 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the accuracy of burden estimate, 
ways to minimize the burden (such as through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology), or any 
other aspect of this collection of information to: Docket No. 97-049-1, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, suite 3C03, 4700 River 
Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please send an original and 
three copies, and state that your comments refer to Docket 97-049-1. 
Comments received may be inspected at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 
14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. 
and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing 
to inspect comments are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to 
facilitate entry into the comment reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For information regarding the National Poultry 
Improvement Plan, contact Mr. Andrew Rhorer, National Poultry 
Improvement Plan Coordinator, Operational Support, VS, APHIS, 1500 
Klondike Road, Suite A-102, Conyers, GA 30207, (770) 922-3496. For 
copies of more detailed information on the information collection, 
contact Ms. Celeste Sickles, Agency Support Service Specialist, at 
(301) 734-7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: National Poultry Improvement Plan.
    OMB Number: 0579-0007.
    Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 1997.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: The National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is a 
voluntary Federal-State cooperative program for the improvement of 
poultry breeding flocks and products through disease control 
techniques. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture is responsible for administering the 
NPIP, the primary purpose of which is to protect the health of the U.S. 
poultry population.
    Administering the NPIP requires us to engage in a number of 
information collection activities, which are described below. We are 
asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the 
continued use of these information collection activities, which are 
critical to our ability to prevent the spread of contagious poultry 
diseases within the United States.

Flock Selecting and Testing Report (VS Form 9-2)

    This form is used by authorized agents and State inspectors when 
breeding flocks are selected and tested. The form provides space for 
the number of birds tested and the results of the test. This form also 
identifies a given flock as to owner, hatchery affiliation, stock, 
type, purpose, classification, and most importantly, flock location. 
Since most of the flocks are supply flocks for the same hatchery, it is 
extremely important to know the location of the flock. The information 
on this form is of critical importance when an investigation must be 
conducted to determine the source of a hatchery-disseminated or egg-
transmitted disease.

Report of Sales of Hatching Eggs, Chicks, and Poults (VS Form 9-3)

    NPIP participants use this form to record any interstate sales of 
their hatching eggs, chicks, and poults. This document is used by both 
APHIS and the receiving State to monitor the movements of these items. 
This form also serves as a vital investigative aid when APHIS is 
attempting to track down the source of a poultry disease. These records 
must be maintained by producers for 3 years.

Summary of Breeding Flock Participation (VS Form 9-4)

    This report form, which is completed by State animal health 
authorities, contains a summary of blood testing work and of flock 
participation by classes and breeding status. It is distributed to 
official State agencies from our offices at the end of the testing year 
in June and must be returned to us in July. With this information, we 
can publish our Tables on Hatchery and Flock Participation, which serve 
as an important tool in monitoring the health status of participating 
flocks.

Report of NPIP Hatchery Participation or Change (VS Form 9-5)

    This form is completed by the official State Agency to record an 
NPIP participant's decision to withdraw from the program, or to record 
a producer's decision to join the program. This document is also used 
to record a change in disease program classification. This form allows 
us to effectively monitor participation in the NPIP, and to maintain an 
up-to-date list of program participants, their addresses, and other 
important information concerning their poultry operations.

Investigation of Salmonella and Arizona Isolations (VS Form 9-7)

    If a multi-State disease outbreak occurs, the NPIP will conduct an 
investigation and share the resulting information with all the States 
involved. VS Form 9-7 is one of the tools used to complete this 
investigation; it provides the investigating State agency with a 
uniform method of compiling and analyzing information that can 
subsequently be used to study trends, economic importance, and other 
matters. This form is arranged in sections so that the disease 
investigations can be completed in

[[Page 37187]]

stages by different inspectors, depending upon the location of the 
flock, hatchery, and breeding flock. The inspector obtains some of the 
needed information by interviewing the appropriate poultry producers. 
When several States are involved in a pullorum-typhoid infection, the 
completed form will be sent to each of the States involved so that all 
of them will be aware of the investigation's outcome.

Sentinel Birds Banded for Identification Prior to Flock Vaccination

    When a Federally licensed Salmonella enteritidis bacterin is used 
to vaccinate a flock, 350 birds must remain unvaccinated so that they 
can be used to conduct the necessary serological tests for Salmonella 
pullorum and Salmonella gallinarum. These test birds must be banded so 
that they can be recognized as sentinel birds. A report is submitted 
annually to APHIS, from the various States, with information from their 
participants and data required by the various disease control programs 
of the NPIP.

Request for Salmonella Serotyping (VS Form 10-3)

    This is a National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) form that 
must be completed by State or APHIS personnel who are submitting 
samples for salmonella serotyping. If samples were sent to NVSL without 
this form, lab personnel would have no way of identifying any given 
sample as to the flock from which it came, or even the disease for 
which the sample is to be tested.

Printing and Mailing Computerized Printouts

    These printouts are constructed by hatchery operators who ship 
large numbers of small chick orders all across the United States. These 
computerized lists contain all the information found on a VS 9-3, but 
reduce the paperwork load substantially because they are computer 
generated. These printouts are sent every month to those States that 
request them. The States use these printouts to monitor the number of 
small chicks they are receiving.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
We need this outside input to help us:
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .165 hours per response.
    Respondents: Flock owners, breeders, hatchery operators, and State 
veterinary medical officers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 9,075.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 5.139.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 7,695 hours.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of July 1997.
Craig A. Reed,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-18204 Filed 7-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P