[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18867-18869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10048]


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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 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 / Thursday, April 16, 1998 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

April 10, 1998.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
regarding: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to 
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 should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, D.C. 20503 and to 
Departmental Information Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, 
Washington, D.C. 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information 
collections are best assured of having their full effect if received 
within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be 
obtained by calling (202) 720-6746.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: National Poultry Improvement Plan.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0007.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) is revising the regulations related to the National 
Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) to allow for the participation of 
ostrich breeding flocks. Allowing ostrich breeders and flock owners to 
voluntarily participate in this program would promote objectives aimed 
at preventing and controlling egg-transmitted, hatchery-disseminated 
poultry diseases. The information collection requirements would remain 
the same, however, the number of respondents would increase to reflect 
the potential participation of the ostrich breeders and flock owners.
    Need and Use of the Information: Information is collected from 
various types of poultry breeders and flock owners to determine the 
number of eggs hatched and sold as well as to report outbreaks of 
disease. This information allows APHIS officials to track, control, and 
prevent many types of poultry diseases.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 9,001.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 7,449.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Evaluation of Cooperative Agreement Nutrition Education 
Networks.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) under 
the authority of the Food Stamp Act awarded cooperative agreements to 
22 states to set up networks to develop self-sustaining organizations 
that, in turn, would prepare plans to implement nutrition education for 
food stamp families on a statewide basis. FNS is now conducting a 
process evaluation of the networks to examine the procedures and tasks 
involved in implementing the networks. A one time collection of 
information from representative individuals involved in the networks 
through in-person and telephone interviews will be conducted to support 
this evaluation.
    Need and use of the Information: The collection of information is 
designed to answer several questions: (1) How effective were the 
processes employed by cooperators in reaching the goals of the project? 
(2) What lessons can be learned about effective development of 
nutrition education networks? and, (3) What can FNS do to foster the 
development of statewide nutrition education networks? Upon completion 
of the information collection activity, the results of the survey will 
be used by FNS management to make decisions about ongoing improvements 
to procedures that support the state nutrition education activities 
directed at food stamp families, and to learn and disseminate lessons 
to state and local programs about innovative and effective methods to 
deliver nutrition education to food stamp families.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Federal 
Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 139.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (one time).
    Total Burden Hours: 138.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Imported Fire Ant.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0102.
    Summary of Collection: The Plant Protection and Quarantine Service 
(PPQ) of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has 
the responsibility of enforcing quarantines that are designed to 
prevent Imported Fire Ants from invading areas of the United States 
that are not yet infested. Information is collected through a variety 
of forms and certificates to ensure that nursery stock are free of 
infestation and to regulate movement of specific articles that might 
carry Imported Fire Ants from infested areas to non-infested areas.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS requires a variety of forms 
and certifications be provided by nursery owners to ensure that plant 
stock is visually inspected for Imported Fire Ants and to document what 
treatments were performed if Imported Fire Ants were detected. 
Additionally, nursery owners must provide information on the movement 
of regulated items from quarantined areas. APHIS officials used

[[Page 18868]]

this information to ensure compliance with the Federal and State 
Imported Fire Ant regulations. Without the collection of this 
information, APHIS would not be able to prevent Imported Fire Ants from 
moving beyond the quarantine zone.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Farms; 
Federal Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 2,704.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Other (twice 
monthly).
    Total Burden Hours: 3,278.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: CCC Conservation Contract.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0174.
    Summary of Collection: The Farm Service Agency (FSA), in 
conjunction with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is 
charged with administering the Environmental Quality Incentives Program 
(EQIP), the Farmland Protection Program (FPP), and the Conservation 
Farm Option (CFO) Program. These programs provide farmers and ranchers 
with flexible opportunities to work with the federal government to 
address natural resource concerns by implementing innovative and 
environmentally-sound solutions. Information must be collected from 
potential participants who wish to apply for these programs. Additional 
information is required from individuals once they have been accepted 
into the program to ensure compliance and to issue, as appropriate, 
cost share and land retirement payments.
    Need and Use of the Information: Information will be collected from 
producers and ranchers who wish to voluntarily participate in either 
the EQIP, FPP, or CFO programs. The application information will allow 
agency management to select program participants which will help best 
achieve program objectives related to maximizing environmental 
benefits, minimizing land retirement, and continuing agricultural 
production levels. Ongoing recordkeeping and reporting requirements 
will be necessary to ensure compliance with program provisions.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Individuals or households; Not-
for-profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 91,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Other (When 
applying).
    Total Burden Hours: 384,830.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: 9 CFR 85 Psuedorabies.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0070.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS), on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture, is charged 
with taking actions deemed necessary to prevent the introduction or 
dissemination of any contagious infections or communicable disease of 
animals or poultry from one State or Territory of the United States to 
another. APHIS implements regulations that control and stop the 
escalating spread of pseudorabies, which is a herpes virus disease that 
affects many species of animal, but primarily swine. Regulating the 
interstate movement of swine requires the use of certain information 
gathering activities such as permits, certificates, and owner-shipper 
statements to ascertain the health status of the swine.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information collected is used 
by APHIS to monitor the health status of swine being moved, the number 
of swine being moved in a particular shipment, the shipment's point of 
origin, the shipment's destination, and the reason for the interstate 
movement. This information also provides APHIS officials with critical 
information concerning a shipment's history, which in turn enables the 
agency to engage in swift, successful trace back investigations when 
infected swine are discovered.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Federal Government; State, Local 
or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 30,050.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Quarterly.
    Total Burden Hours: 5,092.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Brucellosis Program Cooperative Agreements--Title 9, CFR 
Parts 50, 51, 53, 54, 71, 76, and 78.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0047.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS), on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture, is charged 
with taking actions deemed necessary to prevent the introduction or 
dissemination of any contagious infections or communicable disease of 
animals or poultry from one State or Territory of the United States to 
another. APHIS implements regulations controlling interstate movement 
of affected animals in conjunction with the State-Federal Brucellosis 
Eradication Program. Brucellosis is a contagious disease affecting 
animals which is characterized by abortion and impaired fertility. 
APHIS is required to collect epidemiologic data from State authorities 
in an effort to locate and eradicate the Brucellosis disease.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information collected is used 
by APHIS to search for infected herds, maintain identification of 
livestock, monitor deficiencies in identification of animals for 
movement, and monitor program deficiencies in suspicious and infected. 
The information is also used to determine brucellosis infected area 
status and aid herd owners by speeding up the detection and elimination 
of serious disease conditions in their herds.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; State, Local or Tribal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 7,278.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 52,019.

Economic Research Service

    Title: Characteristics of Participants in USDA's Single Family 
Direct Loan Housing Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0536-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 
Economic Research Service (ERS) has the responsibility for providing 
social and economic intelligence on changing rural housing needs in the 
United States. Information is required to establish a detailed data 
base on the characteristics of USDA's Section 502 Direct Loan Program 
participants to help assess the impact of this housing-assistance 
program on rural residents and their communities.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information will be collected 
by ERS through a written survey. The information collected in the 
survey will help to fill a serious gap in ERS' understanding of the 
nature of housing needs in rural areas and will provide USDA and other 
policy makers with sound information to help evaluate current programs 
and develop more effective rural housing policies.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 3,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 990.

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

    Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 0580-0013.
    Summary of Collection: The Grain Inspection Packers & Stockyards 
Administration (GIPSA) is mandated to

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provide, upon request, inspection, certification, and identification 
services related to assessing the class, quality, quantity, and 
condition of agricultural products shipped or received in interstate 
and foreign commerce. Applicants requesting GIPSA services must specify 
the kind and level of service desired, the identification of the 
product, the location, the amount, and other pertinent information in 
order that official personnel can efficiently respond to their needs.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information collected is used 
by GIPSA employees to guide them in the performance of their duties. 
Additionally, producers, elevator operators, and/or merchandisers who 
obtain official inspection, testing, and weighing services are required 
to keep records related to the grain or commodity for 3 years. 
Personnel who provide official inspection, testing, and weighing 
services are required to maintain records related to the lot of grain 
or related commodity for a period of 5 years. This information is used 
for the purpose of investigating suspected violations.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Federal 
Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 3,200.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Weekly; Semi-annually, Monthly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 468,024.
Nancy Sternberg,
Departmental Information Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-10048 Filed 4-15-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M