[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 19, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32920-32922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15407]


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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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 19, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 32920]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

June 14, 2001.

    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: Application for Payment.
    OMB Control Number: 0578-0018.
    Summary of Collection: The Conservation Program regulations at 7 
CFR 622, 624, 631, 632, 636, 701, 702, 752, and 1467 set forth the 
basic policies, program provisions, and eligibility requirements for 
owners and operators to apply for application of payments after 
entering into and carrying out long-term conservation program contracts 
with technical assistance under the various programs. The Natural 
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is responsible for the 
administration of various conservation programs through NRCS delivery 
systems. NRCS will collect information using the Application for 
Payment form.
    Need and Use of the Information: NRCS will collect information to 
provide program participants with a method for making application 
payment, provide information regarding completion of conservation 
program contract activities, provide certification of work performed 
with the required standards, determine division of payment, ascertain 
the status of debt register collections, and provide the responsible 
NRCS official with authority to make Federal cost-share payments to the 
land users or third party upon successful completion of a conservation 
program contract. The information collected will be used by NRCS to 
ensure the proper use of program funds. Without the information, funds 
appropriated by Congress could not be dispensed without the supporting 
information on the Application for Payment form.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Individuals or households; Not-
for-profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 35,540.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually; Other (as required for 
assistance).
    Total Burden Hours: 20,731.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Interstate Movement of Certain Tortoises.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0156.
    Summary of Collection: These authorities (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.) permit the Secretary of the 
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prevent, control, and 
eliminate domestic diseases such as tuberculosis, as well as to take 
actions to prevent and to manage exotic diseases such as heartwater 
disease. The Veterinary Services Division of the Animal & Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) enforces regulations that pertain to the 
importation of animals and animal products into the United States and 
the prevention of foreign animal disease incursions into the United 
States. APHIS published an interim rule to allow the interstate 
movement of leopard tortoises, African spurred tortoises, and Bell's 
hingeback tortoises if a health certificate accompanies these 
tortoises. APHIS will collect information using APHIS form 7001.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to 
ensure that the interstate movement of these tortoises poses no risk of 
spreading exotic ticks within the United States. If the information is 
not collected APHIS would be forced to continue their complete ban on 
the interstate movement of leopard, African spurred, and Bell's 
hingeback tortoises.
    Description of Respondents: Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 150.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 75.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Citrus Canker: Commercial Citrus Tree Replacement Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0163.
    Summary of Collection: The United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) is responsible for preventing plant pests and noxious weeds from 
entering the United States, preventing the spread of pests and weeds 
not widely distributed in the United States, and eradicating those 
imported pests and weeds when eradication is feasible. Chapter 8 of the 
Plant Quarantine Act (7 U.S.C. 161) provides authority for the 
Secretary of Agriculture to quarantine any State, Territory, or 
District of the United States to prevent the spread of insect pests and 
plant diseases (such as

[[Page 32921]]

Citrus Canker) new or not widely distributed throughout the United 
States. The Plant Protection & Quarantine Division of USDA's Animal & 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has regulations in place to 
prevent the interstate spread of citrus canker. APHIS will collect 
information using form PPQ 652.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect the owner's 
name, address, and a description of the owner's property, and 
certification statements that the trees removed from the owner's 
property were commercial citrus trees. The information will be used to 
verify the location and number of citrus trees for which the owner is 
requesting replacement funds. If the information were not collected 
APHIS would be unable to reimburse eligible grove owners for the loss 
of their trees.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 65.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 15.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Importation of Horses, Ruminants, Swine, and Dogs, 
Inspection and Treatment for Screwworm.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0165.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture is 
charged with disease prevention. This agency regulates the importation 
of animals and animal products into the U.S. to guard against the 
introduction of exotic animal diseases. Title 21 U.S.C. authorizes 
sections 111, 114, 114a, 114-1, 115, 120, 125, 126, 134a, 134c, 134f, 
and 134g of 21 U.S.C. authorizes the Secretary to prevent, control and 
eliminate domestic diseases such as brucellosis, as well as to take 
actions to prevent and to manage exotic diseases such as exotic 
Newcastle disease and other foreign diseases. The regulations under 
which APHIS conduct disease prevention activities are contained in 
Title 9, Chapter 1, Subchapter D, Parts 91 through 99. These 
regulations govern the importation of animals, birds and poultry, 
certain animal and poultry products, and animal germplasm. The animal 
import regulations are being amended to require horses, ruminants, 
swine and dogs imported from regions of the world where screwworm is 
considered to exist to be inspected and treated for infestation with 
screwworm.
    Need and Use of the Information: Horses, ruminants, swine, and dogs 
entering the United States from regions where screwworm is known to 
exist must be accompanied by a certificate, signed by a full-time 
salaried veterinary official of the exporting country, stating that 
these animals have been thoroughly examined, that they have been 
treated with ivermectin, that any visible wounds have been treated with 
camaphos, and the animals appear to be free of screwworm. This is 
necessary to prevent the introduction of screwworm into the United 
States. Screwworm is a pest native to tropical areas and causes 
extensive damage to livestock and other warm-blooded animals. If the 
information were collected less frequently or not collected at all, it 
would significantly cripple our ability to ensure that horses, 
ruminants, swine, and dogs imported into the United States are not 
carrying screwworm. Such a development would make a screwworm incursion 
much more likely, with economically damaging effects on the U.S. 
equine, cattle, and swine industries.
    Description of Respondents: Federal Government; State, Local or 
Tribal.
    Number of Respondents: 36.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 34.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Bluetongue Surveillance Pilot Program (BSPP).
    OMB Control Number: 0579-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The Department of Agriculture is responsible 
for protecting the health of animals and poultry by preventing the 
spread of contagious diseases from one State to another and by 
eradicating such diseases from the United States when feasible. 7 
U.S.C. 391, the Animal Industry Act of 1884 mandates the collection and 
dissemination of animal and poultry health data and information. APHIS 
is initiating the Bluetongue Surveillance Pilot Program Sentinel Trail 
that will take place on farms in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, 
and Montana. Bluetongue is a virus transmitted by blood-feeding midges, 
which breed in cattle manure and transmit the viruses between hosts 
including antelope, cattle, deer, elk, goats, and sheep. Cattle are 
infected naturally by these viruses but rarely show clinical signs. 
APHIS will collect information using several forms.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to: 
(1) Develop a pilot sentinel system as a tool for substantiating 
disease freedom and compare it to other surveillance options; (2) test 
Bluetongue disease freedom in two demarcated populations (free and 
infected); (3) develop data on the epidemiology of Bluetongue in a 
seasonally infected area. The information from the study will be 
disseminated and used by livestock producers, animal health officials, 
private veterinary practitioners, public health officials, the media, 
educational institutions, and others to improve agricultural 
productivity and competitiveness.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Federal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1,365.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,373.

Agricultural Marketing Service

    Title: Poultry Market News Report.
    OMB Control Number: 0581-0033.
    Summary of Collection: The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, 
legislates that USDA shall ``collect and disseminate marketing 
information * * *'' and ``* * * collect, tabulate, and disseminate 
statistics on marketing agricultural products, including, but not 
restricted to statistics on marketing supplies, storage, stocks, 
quantity, quality, and condition of such products in various positions 
in the marketing channel, use of such products, and shipments and 
unloads thereof.'' The mission of Market News is to provide current 
unbiased, factual information to all members of the Nation's 
agricultural industry, from farm to retailer.
    Need and Use of the Information: Market News Reports aid government 
agencies in tracking prices, wages and productivity or as indicators of 
economic activity. Market news information is contained in published 
reports distributed by other government agencies--for example the 
``Situation and Outlook: reports by the Economic Research Service and 
is used by private business firms, as well as, educational 
institutions, agricultural colleges and universities. Also, the poultry 
and egg industry uses the data to help determine future production and 
marketing projections. The absence of this data would deny primary and 
secondary users information that otherwise would be available to aid 
them in their production and marketing decisions, analyses, research 
and knowledge of current market conditions. The omission of these data 
could adversely affect prices, supply, and demand.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 1,720.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Weekly; Monthly.
    Total Burden Hours: 17,657.

[[Page 32922]]

Agricultural Marketing Service

    Title: 7 CFR Part 70. Regulations for Voluntary Grading of Poultry 
Products and Rabbit Products.
    OMB Control Number: 0581-0127.
    Summary of Collection: The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (60 
Stat. 1087-1091, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627) (AMA) directs and 
authorizes the Department to develop standards of quality, grades, 
grading programs, and services to enable a more orderly marketing of 
agricultural products so trading may be facilitated and so consumers 
may be able to obtain products graded and identified under USDA 
programs. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) carries out 
regulations, which provide a voluntary program for grading poultry and 
rabbit products. This program is voluntary where respondents would need 
to request or apply for the specific service they wish.
    Need and Use of the Information: Because the AMA requires that the 
cost of the service be assessed and collected, there is no alternative 
but to provide voluntary programs on a fee for service basis and to 
collect the information needed to establish the cost. The information 
collected is used to administer the grading services requested by the 
respondents and only by authorized representatives of the USDA.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Federal 
Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 374.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Semi-annually; 
Monthly; Annually; Other.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,781.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: National School Lunch Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0006.
    Summary of Collection: Section 9 of the National School Lunch Act 
(NSLA) gives the Secretary authority to prescribe the minimum 
nutritional requirements for lunches served by schools participating in 
the School Lunch Program. The current program regulations include the 
third party disclosure provisions which require school food authorities 
to inform children and their parents of the use of products or dishes 
containing more than 30 parts fully hydrated vegetable protein products 
to less than 70 parts beef, pork, poultry or seafood in food served 
under the NSLP. The Food and Nutrition Service will collect information 
using forms FNS-66, 640, and 67.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information will be collected 
to ensure that the alternatives implemented by the States and the 
school food authorities adequately meet program requirements and goals. 
The information gathered will contribute to a comprehensive review of 
program operations and will be available for monitoring purposes.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government; 
Individuals or households; Business or other for-profit; Nor-for-profit 
institutions; Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 118,051.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Quarterly; Monthly; Annually; Semi-annually; Other.
    Total Burden Hours: 9,462,622.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: 7 CFR Part 220 School Breakfast Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0012.
    Summary of Collection: Section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act (CNA) 
of 1966 as amended, authorizes the School Breakfast Program (SBP). The 
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the School Breakfast 
Program on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture so that needy 
children may receive their breakfasts free or at a reduced price. The 
current program regulations include third party disclosure provisions 
which requires school food authorities to inform children and their 
parents of the use of products or dishes containing more than 30 parts 
fully hydrated vegetable protein products to less than 70 parts beef, 
pork, poultry or seafood in food served under the SBP.
    Need and Use of the Information: School food authorities provide 
information to State agencies. The State agencies report to FNS. FNS 
uses the information submitted to determine the amount of funds to be 
reimbursed, evaluate and adjust program operations, and to develop 
projections for future program operations.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government; 
Individuals or households; Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 82,748.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Quarterly; Monthly; Semi-annually; Annually; Other.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,895,796.

Forest Service

    Title:  36 CFR Part 228, Subpart C--Disposal of Mineral Materials.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-0081.
    Summary of Collection: The Forest Service (FS) is responsible for 
overseeing the management of National Forest System land. The Multiple-
Use Mining Act of 1955 (30 U.S.C. 601, 603, 611-615) gives the FS 
specific authority to manage the disposal of mineral materials mined 
from National Forest land. FS uses form FS-2800-9 to collect detailed 
information on the planned mining and disposal operations as well as a 
contract for the sale of mineral materials.
    Need and Use of the Information: FS will use information collected 
from the public to ensure that environmental impacts of mineral 
material disposal are minimized. A review of the operating plan 
provides the authorized officer the opportunity to determine if the 
proposed operation is appropriate and consistent with all applicable 
land management laws and regulations. The information also provides the 
means of documenting planned operations and the terms and conditions 
that the FS deems necessary to protect surface resources.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 3,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 7,500.

Nancy B. Sternberg,
Departmental Information Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-15407 Filed 6-18-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M