[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 57 (Thursday, March 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15612-15613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7159]


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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. 65, No. 57 / Thursday, March 23, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 15612]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

March 17, 2000.
    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.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Scrapie Flock Certification, Animal Identification, and 
Indemnification Procedures.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0101.
    Summary of Collection: Title 21, U.S.C. authorizes sections 111, 
114, 114a, 114-1, 115, 120, 121, 125, 126, 134a, 134C, 134f, and 134g, 
of 21 U.S.C. These authorities permit the Secretary to prevent, control 
and eliminate domestic diseases such as scrapie, and other domestic 
diseases, as well as to take actions to prevent and to manage exotic 
diseases such as hog cholera, African swine fever, and other foreign 
diseases. Disease prevention is the most effective method for 
maintaining a healthy animal population and enhancing our ability to 
compete in exporting animals and animal products. Scrapie is a 
progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system of sheep 
and goats. The disease develops slowly, with an incubation period 
lasting from months to years. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) will collect information using forms VS 5-18, 5-21, 5-
22, and 5-23.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information 
from flock owners that include the following: flock owner's name, 
address, telephone, location of flock, number of flock, animals 
identification, and destination or origin. The information will help in 
identifying and eliminating infected animals or herds in order to 
prevent the disease from spreading. If the information is not collected 
the Scrapie Flock Certification Program could not be conducted and this 
could cause the disease to spread throughout the United States.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; business or other for-profit; 
Federal Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1,081.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting; On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 15,846.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: ELS Cotton Competitiveness Payment Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 
2001 (Pub. L. 106-113) authorized the ELS Cotton Competitiveness 
Payment Program. The objective of Congress in authorizing ELS cotton 
competitiveness payments was to help ensure the U.S. grown ELS cotton 
would remain competitive in world trade, particularly in the face of 
subsidies being offered by other producing countries. The program is 
designed so that competitiveness payments would trigger in response to 
deterioration in the competitive position of U.S. grown ELS cotton in 
relation to foreign ELS cotton growths. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) 
will collect information using forms CCC-1045A and CCC-1045-2.
    Need and Use of the Information: FSA will collect the name of 
exporter, address or recordkeeping office, and taxpayer I.D. The 
information will be collected to determine the eligibility of the 
manufacture to receive payment, the eligibility of the cotton on which 
a claim for payment is based, the appropriate payment rate and the 
value of the payment. If the information is not payment inaccuracies 
could occur.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 40.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Weekly.
    Total Burden Hours: 780.
    Agency is requesting an emergency approval by 3/27/00.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: Cottonseed Payment Program Application/Certification.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The Consolidated Appropriation Act for FY 
2000 provides authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to provide 
assistance to producers or first handlers of the 1999 crop of 
cottonseed. This authority is being used to implement a new program 
because of the continuing low prices of cottonseed that, in some cases, 
have been passed along to cotton producers in the form of increased 
ginning fees. The application form for which approval is requested, CCC 
Cotton A-6, will identify potential payment recipients and serve as 
their request for payments.
    Need and Use of the Information: FSA will collect the following 
information: (1) Applicant name, address, and a contact person and 
phone; (2) bank

[[Page 15613]]

account information for direct deposit payment (account name, number, 
routing number); (3) the gin 5-digit identifying code; (4) the numbers 
of bales of cotton ginned from the 1999 cotton crop according to the 
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and certified as correct by the 
applicant; and (5) the weight (in pounds) of cotton lint of the 
reported bales for which payment is requested. The proposed information 
collection is the application and certification form to be used by 
cotton gins to request payments under the Cottonseed Payment Program. 
The information will be used to determine the national payment rate and 
to compute individual program payment amounts for each applicant.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 1100.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 733.
    Agency is requesting an emergency approval by 3/17/00.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: Emergency Assistance for Harney County, Oregon--7 CFR 1478.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: On November 29, 1999, the President signed 
H.R. 3194, Pub. L. 106-113 (113 Stat. 1501) (Act), which provides under 
Section 207 of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture discretionary 
authority to use not more than $1,090,000 to provide for losses to 
producers who suffered flood-related crop and forage during 1999. The 
program will provide compensation to approximately 40 producers whose 
land was inaccessible for incapable of crop production, grazing, or 
haying at any time during the 1999 calendar year. The Farm Service 
Agency (FSA) will collect information using form CCC-454.
    Need and Use of the Information: FSA will collect information to 
determine if: (1) Producers incurred crop, forage, and grazing losses 
during the 1999 calendar year; (2) producers were under obligation due 
to a binding lease to make a fair market value rental payment for 
flooded land for crop year 1999; (3) producers had land that was 
inaccessible or incapable of crop production, haying, or grazing due to 
flooding during the 1990 calendar year.
    The information collected will be used by the County Committee to 
determine whether flooding causing loss of production and/or grazing 
during the 1999 calendar year. If the producer does not provide the 
information to accurately substantiate that the flooded land has been 
inaccessible or incapable of crop production, haying, or grazing due to 
flooding during the 1990 calendar year, the producers will not be able 
to receive assistance under the program.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Federal Government; State, Local 
or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 40.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (one-time).
    Total Burden Hours: 80.
    Agency is requesting an emergency approval by 3/31/00.

William McAndrew,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-7159 Filed 3-22-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M