[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 127 (Monday, July 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34908-34909]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16578]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01-053-1]


Notice of Request for Reinstatement of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Reinstatement of approval of an 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 request a reinstatement of an information collection in 
support of regulations governing the importation of fresh Hass avocados 
into the United States.

DATES: We invite you to comment on this docket. We will consider all 
comments that we receive by August 31, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and 
three copies) to: Docket No. 01-053-1, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 
Rverdale, MD 20737-1238.
    Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 01-053-1.
    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 regulations 
governing the importation of fresh Hass avocados into the United 
States, contact Mr. Wayne W. Burnett, Senior Import Specialist, 
Phytosanitary Issues Management Staff, Plant Protection and Quarantine, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 134, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-
6799.
    For copies of more detailed information on the information 
collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection 
Coordinator, at (301) 734-7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Mexican Hass Avocado Import Program.
    OMB Number: 0579-0129.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of an information collection.
    Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 
responsible for preventing plant pests from entering the United States 
and controlling and eradicating plant pests in the United States. The 
Plant

[[Page 34909]]

Protection Act authorizes the Department to carry out this mission. The 
Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program of USDA's Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service is responsible for implementing the 
regulations that carry out the intent of this Act. The regulations in 
``Subpart--Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56 through 319.56-8) 
prohibit or restrict the importation of fruits and vegetables into the 
United States from certain parts of the world to prevent the 
introduction and dissemination of plant pests, including fruit flies, 
that are new to or not widely distributed within the United States.
    The regulations in Sec. 319.56-2ff allow fresh Hass avocados grown 
in approved orchards in Michoacan, Mexico, to be imported into certain 
areas of the United States under conditions designed to ensure that the 
avocados do not harbor insect pests (including avocado stem weevils, 
seed weevils, and seed moths) that could harm U.S. agriculture. To 
reduce the pest risk to a negligible level, the regulations stipulate 
conditions for the importation of avocados, which include pest surveys, 
packinghouse procedures, inspection and shipping procedures, and 
restrictions on the time of year shipments may be imported into the 
United States.
    Allowing avocados to be imported necessitates the use of certain 
information collection activities, including the use of an application 
for permit, a trust fund agreement, a phytosanitary certificate, 
certain marking requirements, seals, an annual workplan, and fruit fly 
surveys.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collections for 3 years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
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 1.165 hours per response.
    Respondents: Packinghouse owners/operators in Mexico, importers, 
shippers, distributors, and handlers of fresh Hass avocados imported 
into the United States from Mexico.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 380.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 380.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 443 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 26th day of June 2001.
Craig A. Reed,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 01-16578 Filed 6-29-01; 8:45 am]
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