[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66160-66162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-30582]


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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. 64, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 1999 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

November 19, 1999.
    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, DC 20503 and to 
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, 
DC 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.

Natural Resources Conservation Service

    Title: Request for State Technical Committee Membership.
    OMB Control Number: 0578-0027.
    Summary of Collection: Section 1261 of the Food Security Act of 
1985, as amended, (the 1985 Act) requires the Secretary to establish a 
technical advisory committee in each State to assist in making 
technical considerations related to the implementation of the 1985 
Act's conservation provisions. The authority to implement these 
committees was delegated to the Natural Resources Conservation Service 
(NRCS). It is the responsibility of each NRCS State Conservationist to 
chair the State Technical Committee (STC). Non-profit organizations, 
agricultural producers, other individuals and government agencies may 
become members if they demonstrate that they have conservation 
expertise. Individuals desiring membership on the STC are required to 
submit a written request to NRCS for consideration.
    Need and Use of the Information: NRCS will collect information on 
the names, addresses, telephone numbers, educational background, a 
detailed description of their conservation expertise, and participation 
details on any local environmental and/or conservation planning group. 
the information collected is used by the NRCS State Conservationist to 
determine STC membership.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Individuals or households; 
Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Federal 
Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 240.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting; On occasion; Other: Once only 
upon request for participation.
    Total Burden Hours: 240.

Foreign Agricultural Service

    Title: Sugar to be Imported and Re-exported in Refined Form or in 
Sugar-containing Products or used in Production of Certain Polyhydric 
Alcohols.
    OMB Control Number: 0551-0015.
    Summary of Collection: Regulation 7 CFR Part 1530 Part 1530 
authorizes the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to issue import 
licenses to enter raw cane sugar (exempt from the tariff-rate quota for 
the raw cane sugar imports and the related requirements) on the 
condition that an equivalent quantity of refined sugar be: (1) exported 
as refined sugar; (2) exported as an ingredient in sugar containing 
products; or (3) used in production of certain polyhydric alcohols. The 
purpose of the sugar import licensing program is to assist U.S. sugar 
manufacturers, refiners, and processors in making U.S. products price 
competitive on the world market; and facilitate the use of domestic 
refining capacity.
    Need and Use of the Information: FAS will collect information to: 
(1) determine whether applicants for the program meet the Regulation's 
eligibility criteria; (2) monitor sugar imports, transfers, exports, 
and use in order to confirm that transactions are conducted and 
completed within the requirements of the Regulations; (3) audit 
participants' compliance with the Regulation; and (4) prevent entry of 
world-priced program sugar from entering the higher-priced domestic 
commercial sugar market. The information collected is needed by the 
Sugar Licensing Authority to manage, plan, evaluate, and account for 
program activities.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
individuals or households;
    Number of Respondents: 250.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting; Quarterly.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,590.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1965-E, ``Prepayment and Displacement Prevention of 
Multiple Family Housing Loans''.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0155.
    Summary of Collection: The Housing and Community Development Act of 
1987 required that when Rural Rental Housing borrowers wished to prepay 
their loans, Rural Development (RD) must first decide if the housing 
continues to be needed to serve low- and moderate-income tenants, and 
if so to offer the borrower a fair incentive to prepay the loan. If the 
borrower rejects the incentive, the housing must be offered for sale to 
a non profit organization or public agencies. Only if no nonprofit 
organization or public agencies can be found to purchase the

[[Page 66161]]

project at the market value can the loan be prepaid.
    Need and Use of the Information: When a request to prepay a rural 
rental housing loan is received, RD will collect information to 
determine the need for the housing to remain in the low-income program. 
RD will also determine the extent of any incentive offer to keep the 
housing within the Rural Development program. If RD does not have 
current and appropriate information, the decision to accept or reject 
the prepayment request and the amount of an incentive offer, would be 
made inappropriately.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Business 
or other for-profit; Individual or households; Farms; State, Local or 
Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 800.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 687.

Rural Utilities Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1717 Subpart D, Mergers and Consolidations of Electric 
Borrowers.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0114.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is a 
credit agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It makes mortgage 
loans and loan guarantees to finance electric, telecommunications, and 
water and waste water facilities in rural areas. Loan programs are 
managed in accordance with the Rural Electrification Act (RE Act) of 
1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq., as amended and as prescribed by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-129, Policies for Federal 
Credit Programs and Non-tax Receivable, which states that agencies 
must, based on a review of a loan application, determine that an 
applicant complies with statutory, regulatory, and administrative 
eligibility requirements for loan assistance.
    Need and Use of the Information: RUS will collect information to 
streamline procedures and allow borrowers the flexibility to meet new 
business challenges and opportunities.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 18.
    Frequency of Responses:
    Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 184.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1944-N, ``Housing Preservation Grant Program''
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0115.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is 
authorized to make grants to eligible applicants to provide repair and 
rehabilitation assistance so that very low- and low-income rural 
residents can obtain adequate housing. Such assistance is made by 
grantees to very low- and low-income persons, and to co-ops. Grant 
funds are used by grantees to make loans, grants, or other comparable 
assistance to eligible homeowners, rental unit owners, and co-ops for 
repair and rehabilitation of dwellings to bring them up to code or 
minimum property standards. These grants ere established by Public Law 
98-181, the Housing Urban Rural Recovery Act of 1983, which amended the 
Housing Act of 1949 (Pub. L. 93-383). RHS will collect a ``Statement of 
Activity'' from the applicant describing their proposed program.
    Need and Use of the Information: RHS will collect information to 
determine eligibility for a grant to justify its selection of the 
applicant for funding; to report program accomplishments and to justify 
and support expenditure of grant funds. RHS uses the information to 
determine if the grantee is complying with its grant agreement and to 
make decisions regarding continuing with, modifying, or terminating 
grant assistance. If the information is not collected and presented to 
RHS, the Agency could not monitor the program or justify disbursement 
of grant funds.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Business 
or other for-profit; Individuals or households; State, Local or Tribal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 2,050.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Quarterly.
    Total Burden Hours: 10,814.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Floriculture Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0093.
    Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue current 
official State and national estimates of crop and livestock production. 
Since 1985, Congress has provided funds to conduct an annual Commercial 
Floriculture Survey which provides basic data on this important and 
growing industry. General authority for these data collection 
activities is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204. This 
statute specifies that ``The Secretary of Agriculture shall procure and 
preserve all information concerning agriculture which can be obtained 
by the collection of statistics * * * and shall distribute them among 
agriculturists''. The floriculture industry accounts for about 5 
percent of agricultural cash receipts at the U.S. level. The survey is 
conducted in 36 states, which ensures 97 percent coverage of the U.S. 
value of production. NASS will collect information using a survey.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information to 
assess alternative agriculture opportunities. Data from the survey will 
provide statistics for Federal and State agencies to monitor the use of 
agricultural chemicals. If the information is not collected data users 
could not keep abreast of changes.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 16,100.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 6,883.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Vegetables.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0037.
    Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue current 
official State and national estimates of crop and livestock production. 
Vegetable estimates are an integral part of this function. The 
vegetable program is complex in that some crops are processing only, 
some are fresh market only, and others are dual crops (both processing 
and fresh market). Vegetable processors are surveyed the first week of 
April for their intended acreage of vegetables for processing and the 
first week of July for acreage contracted. The fresh market vegetable 
program consists of weekly estimates during the growing season for 
tomatoes in Florida. NASS will collect information using a survey.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information to 
estimate acreage planted and harvested, production, and utilization for 
the various crops. The estimates provide vital statistics for growers, 
processors, and marketers to use in making production and marketing 
decisions.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 13,906.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Weekly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,710.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Agricultural Resource Management, Chemical Use and 
Postharvest Chemical Use Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0218.
    Summary of Collection: The Agricultural Economics and Land 
Ownership Survey (AELOS) is a one-time information collection. General

[[Page 66162]]

authority for these data collection activities is granted under U.S. 
Code Title 7, Section 2204. This statute specifies that ``The Secretary 
of Agriculture shall procure and preserve all information concerning 
agriculture which he can obtain * * * by the collection of statistics * 
* * and shall distribute them among agriculturists.'' National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) received new funding in FY 1997 
to start collecting pesticide usage information on chemicals applied 
after harvest of a commodity. These data are needed to provide accurate 
information on the type of chemicals and amounts of chemicals applied 
postharvest. This information collection obtains chemical use and 
postharvest chemical use data in addition to agricultural resource 
management survey data. NASS will collect information using a survey.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information to 
provide estimates on the extent of residue of chemicals on fruits and 
vegetables and to produce environmental and economic estimates of the 
costs of farming. If the information is not collected NASS would not be 
able to update the Index of Prices Paid by Farmers.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 108,183.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 38,274.

Rural Utilities Service

    Title: Accounting Requirements for RUS Electric and 
Telecommunications Borrowers.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0003.
    Summary of Collection: Rural Utilities Service (RUS) manages loan 
programs in accordance with the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, 7 
U.S.C. 901 et seq., as amended. Currently 800 rural electric and 830 
telecommunications systems have outstanding loans from RUS. RUS does 
not own or operate rural electric facilities. Its function is to 
provide, through self-liquidating loans and technical assistance, 
adequate and dependable electric and telecommunications service to 
rural people under rates and conditions that permit productive use of 
these utility services. RUS borrowers, as all businesses, need 
accounting systems for their own internal use as well as external use. 
Such records are maintained as part of normal business practices. 
Without systems, no records would exist, for example, or what they own 
or what they owe. Such records systems provide borrowers with 
information that is required by the manager and board of directors to 
operate on a daily basis, to complete their tax returns, and to support 
requests to state regulatory commissions for rate approvals.
    Need and Use of the Information: RUS collects information to 
evaluate a borrower's financial performance, to determine whether 
current loans are at risk, and to determine the credit worthiness of 
future loans. If basic financial records were not maintained, the 
borrower, its investors, and RUS would be unable to evaluate a 
borrower's financial performance.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Business 
or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 1,630.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping.
    Total Burden Hours: 45,520.
Nancy B. Sternberg,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-30582 Filed 11-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M