[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 113 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40265-40266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14738]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-061-1]


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 Safeguarding System Definition Project.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 12, 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. 02-061-1, 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. 02-061-1. 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. 
02-061-1'' 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

[[Page 40266]]

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 Safeguarding 
System Definition Project, contact Ms. Beth Jones, Assistant Director, 
LPA, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 51, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 
734-7799. 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: Safeguarding System Definition Project.
    OMB Number: 0579-XXXX.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of 
the United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for, among 
other things, preventing plant pests and serious communicable animal 
diseases from entering the United States. To accomplish this mission, 
APHIS employs a comprehensive safeguarding system that includes 
elements such as inspections, quarantines, treatments, regulations, 
surveillance, emergency response, monitoring, trade agreements, and 
risk assessments.
    The public, including international travelers, importers and 
exporters, members of the transportation and agricultural production 
industries, and persons with domestic agricultural interests, are key 
to the effectiveness of our national safeguarding system. Therefore, 
APHIS informs the public about invasive plant pests and animal diseases 
of concern and the safeguarding activities we use to protect American 
agriculture. To improve our communication of these issues and the 
effectiveness of our national safeguarding system, we are initiating 
the Safeguarding System Definition Project, which is intended to help 
us better understand what the public knows about our activities, what 
they would like to know, and how to best communicate that information. 
Conducting this project will necessitate the use of information 
collection activities, including interviews, surveys, and external 
focus groups.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
the information collection activities for the Safeguarding System 
Definition Project.
    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 1.17857 hours per response.
    Respondents: International travelers, importers and exporters, 
members of the transportation and agricultural production industries, 
and persons with domestic agricultural interests.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 168.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 168.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 198 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 6th day of June, 2002.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-14738 Filed 6-11-02; 8:45 am]
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