[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 42 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9648-9649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5074]


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 Notices
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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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 42 / Monday, March 4, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 9648]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01-128-1]


Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information 
Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension 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 an extension of approval of an information 
collection in support of the regulations to protect endangered species 
of terrestrial plants.

DATES: We will consider all comments we receive that are postmarked, 
delivered, or e-mailed by May 3, 2002.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery 
or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send 
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket 
No. 01-128-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. 01-128-1. If you use e-mail, 
address your comment to [email protected]. Your comment must 
be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. 
Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket No. 
01-128-1'' on the subject line.
    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 regarding the 
importation or exportation of endangered species of terrestrial plants, 
contact Mr. James Petit de Mange, Inspection Station Coordinator, PPQ, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 60, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-
7839. 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: Endangered Species Regulation and Forfeiture Procedures.
    OMB Number: 0579-0076.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) is responsible for protecting endangered species of terrestrial 
plants by regulating the individuals or entities who are engaged in the 
business of importing, exporting, or reexporting these plants.
    To carry out this mission, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS), USDA, administers regulations at 7 CFR part 355. In 
accordance with these regulations, any individual, nursery, or other 
entity wishing to engage in the business of importing, exporting, or 
reexporting terrestrial plants listed in the Convention on 
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 
regulations at 50 CFR 17.12 or 23.23 must obtain a general permit (PPQ 
form 622). This includes importers, exporters, or reexporters who sell, 
barter, collect, or otherwise exchange or acquire terrestrial plants as 
a livelihood or enterprise engaged in for gain or profit. This does not 
include persons engaged in business merely as carriers or customhouse 
brokers.
    To obtain a general permit, these individuals or entities must 
complete an application (PPQ form 621) and submit it to APHIS for 
approval. When a permit has been issued, the plants covered by the 
permit may be imported into the United States provided they are 
accompanied by documentation required by the regulations and provided 
all other conditions of the regulations are met.
    Effectively regulating entities who are engaged in the business of 
importing, exporting, or reexporting endangered species requires the 
use of this application process, as well as the use of other 
information collection activities, such as notifying APHIS of the 
impending importation, exportation, and reexportation of endangered 
species, marking containers used for the importation, exportation, and 
reexportation of plants, and creating and maintaining records of 
importation, exportation, and reexportation.
    The information provided by these information gathering activities 
is critical to our ability to carry out the responsibilities assigned 
to us by the Endangered Species Act. These responsibilities include the 
careful monitoring of importation, exportation, and reexportation 
activities involving endangered species of plants, as well as 
investigating possible violations of the Endangered Species Act.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of this information collection activity for an additional 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 
collection of information, 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 collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic,

[[Page 9649]]

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 0.21355 hours per response.
    Respondents: U.S. importers, exporters, and reexporters of 
endangered species.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 1,400.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 11.666.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 16,333.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 3,488 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 February 2002.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-5074 Filed 3-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P