[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 72 (Tuesday, April 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18193-18194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9175]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 03-007-1]


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 importation of animals and poultry, animal 
and poultry products, and animal germ plasm.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 
16, 2003.

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. 03-007-1, 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. 03-007-1. 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. 
03-007-1'' 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 of animals and poultry, animal and poultry products, and 
animal germplasm, contact Dr. Gary Colgrove, Director, National Center 
for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, 
MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-4356. 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: Importation of Animals and Poultry, Animal and Poultry 
Products, Certain Animal Embryos, Semen, and Zoological Animals.
    OMB Number: 0579-0040.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an 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 the introduction of exotic animal diseases 
into the United States and for rapidly identifying, containing, and 
eradicating such diseases when feasible. In connection with this 
mission, APHIS collects pertinent information from those individuals 
who import animals or poultry, animal or poultry products, or animal 
germplasm into the United States.
    This information includes data such as the origins of the animals 
or animal products to be imported, the health status of the animals or 
the processing methods used to produce animal products to be imported, 
and whether the animals or animal products were temporarily offloaded 
in another country during their transit to the United States. We need 
this information to help ensure that these imports do not introduce 
exotic animal diseases into the United States.
    We use a variety of information collection procedures, devices, and 
forms including, but not limited to: Health certificates, import 
permits, ear tags, leg bands, specimen submission forms, inspection 
reports, cooperative and trust fund agreements, and certification 
statements.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities 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 
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 0.0369992 hours per response.
    Respondents: Entities that import animals or poultry, animal or 
poultry products, and animal embryos, germplasm, and semen.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 169,806.

[[Page 18194]]

    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 9.618176.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 1,633,224.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 60,428 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 10th day of April 2003.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-9175 Filed 4-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P