[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34608-34609]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16401]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 126 / Friday, June 29, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 34608]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01-045-1]


Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: New information collection; 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 initiate a new information collection activity to support 
the National Animal Health Monitoring System's national Sheep 2001 
study. The objectives of the study, which will be conducted in 22 
States, are to estimate the regional and national prevalence of 
specific diseases of sheep, conduct genomic testing for genetic factors 
that may be related to health conditions in sheep, describe baseline 
health and management practices employed by sheep producers, evaluate 
nutritional practices by region, and describe the frequency of health-
related management practices.

DATES: We invite you to comment on this docket. We will consider all 
comments that we receive by August 28, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and 
three copies) to: Docket No. 01-045-1, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
    Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 01-045-1.
    You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our 
reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, 
DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the national Sheep 
2001 study, contact Ms. Marj Swanson, Management Analyst, Centers for 
Epidemiology and Animal Health, VS, APHIS, 555 S. Howes, Fort Collins, 
CO 80521; (970) 490-7978. For copies of more detailed information on 
the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, 
APHISInformation Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: National Animal Health Monitoring 
System, Sheep 2001.
    OMB Number: 0579-XXXX.
    Type of Request: Approval of new information collection.
    Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture is 
responsible for protecting the health of our Nation's livestock and 
poultry populations by preventing the introduction and interstate 
spread of contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases of livestock 
and poultry and for eradicating such diseases from the United States 
when feasible. In connection with this mission, the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) operates the National Animal Health 
Monitoring System (NAHMS), which collects, on a national basis, 
statistically valid and scientifically sound data on the prevalence and 
economic importance of livestock and poultry diseases. Information from 
the studies conducted by NAHMS is disseminated to and used by livestock 
and poultry producers, consumers, animal health officials, private 
veterinary practitioners, animal industry groups, policy makers, public 
health officials, media, educational institutions, and others to 
improve the productivity and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture.
    NAHMS' national studies have evolved into a collaborative industry 
and government initiative to help improve product quality and to 
determine the most effective means of producing animal and poultry 
products. APHIS is the only agency responsible for collecting national 
data on animal and poultry health. Participation in any NAHMS study is 
voluntary, and all data are confidential.
    NAHMS will initiate the first national data collection for sheep 
through a national study, Sheep 2001. The study will take place in the 
following 22 States, which represent 88.8 percent of the U.S. sheep 
population according to the 1997 Census of Agriculture: Arkansas, 
California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, 
Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, 
South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and 
Wyoming.
    NAHMS personnel have completed a needs assessment, which was a 
collaborative effort with producers, industry, extension specialists, 
Federal and State personnel, and university researchers. The 
information gathered through this effort was used to determine the 
objectives of the study, i.e.: (1) Estimating the regional and national 
prevalence of specific diseases of sheep, such as Johne's disease, 
ovine progressive pneumonia, intestinal parasites, and some of the 
major causes of ovine abortion, such as Toxoplasma gondii, Chlamydia, 
and Campylobacter (Note: Toxoplasma gondii is one of the three major 
causes of sheep abortion in the United States. There are known risk 
factors for infection that could be measured and serve as 
recommendations to producers to avoid infection risks.); (2) conducting 
genomic testing to correlate certain genetic traits with possible 
health conditions in sheep, including measuring possible risk factors 
associated with the occurrence of scrapie infection; (3) describing 
baseline management practices used by sheep producers and evaluating 
their potential impact on selected health problems of sheep and 
potential productivity losses; (4) evaluating nutritional 
supplementation practices by sheep producers, variations in practices 
by region, and the impact on sheep health; and (5) describing the 
frequency of health-related management practices, including animal 
movement

[[Page 34609]]

and identification, feeding practices, biosecurity procedures, use of 
veterinary services, source of health information, and vaccination and 
treatment practices.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
the information collection activity for the national Sheep 2001 study.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning these information collection 
activities. These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate 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;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
information collection, 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 information collection 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: The public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average 0.82564 hours per response.
    Respondents: Industry personnel, private veterinary practitioners, 
company and independent producers, academicians, State veterinary 
medical officers, State public health officials, and other interested 
parties involved with animal health and management practices in the 
United States.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 10,731.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 10,731.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 8,860 hours. (Due to 
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per 
response.)
    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 25th day of June 2001.
Bobby R. Acord,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 01-16401 Filed 6-28-01; 8:45 am]
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