[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 152 (Thursday, August 7, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47015-47016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-20083]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Information Collection; Record of Pooled Farm Allotment or Quota, 
Application for Transfer of Allotment or Quota from Pool, and Request 
for Tobacco Disaster Credit

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested 
individuals and entities on the reinstatement with revision of a 
previously approved information collection and on a new information 
collection transaction. The revision to the information collection is 
to remove all references to peanuts. The three forms will be used in 
administering the tobacco marketing quota program.

DATES: To be assured of consideration, comments about this notice must 
be received in writing on or before October 6, 2003. Comments received 
after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to the 
Director, Tobacco Division, FSA, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Room 5750-S, STOP 0514, Washington, DC 20250-0514; and to the Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Comments may be 
submitted via facsimile to (202) 720-0549 or by e-mail to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann Wortham, Tobacco Division, at 
(202) 720-2715 or at [email protected]. The public may inspect 
comments received and copies of the forms at the Tobacco Division at 
the address shown above during normal business hours. Visitors are 
encouraged to call ahead at (202) 720-7413 to facilitate entry into the 
building. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf 
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., eastern standard time, Monday 
through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description of Information Collections

    Title: Record of Pooled Farm Allotment of Quota.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0033.
    Form Number: FSA-177.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement With Revision of a Previously 
Approved Information Collection.
    Abstract: The `Record of Pooled Farm Allotment or Quota' form is 
used to record tobacco allotments or quotas that are to be held in a 
reserve `pool' for landowners who have been displaced because their 
farms have been taken by power of `eminent domain' by a Federal, State, 
or other agency either by court proceedings to condemn the land or by 
negotiation between the agency and the owner of the land. When an owner 
is displaced from a farm in such a way, the owner shall notify the FSA 
County Committee at the FSA County office where the farm is located so 
that the farm allotment or quota may be placed

[[Page 47016]]

in an eminent domain pool. The allotment or quota thus placed in a pool 
is held for the displaced owners to transfer to other farms they own or 
may purchase. An owner must request transfer of the allotment or quota 
from the pool within 3 years from the date of displacement from the 
farm to which the allotment or quota originally belonged. Pooled 
allotments or quotas shall be considered fully planted and, for each 
year in the pool, shall be established in accordance with tobacco 
marketing quota regulations. (An owner is a person, or persons in a 
joint ownership, having title to the land for a period of at least 12 
months immediately prior to the date of eminent domain acquisition.)
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 50 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: Tobacco allotment or quota holders who are 
displaced from their land when such land is taken by eminent domain 
acquisition.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 12.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 10 hours.
    Title: Application for Transfer of Allotment or Quota From Pool.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0033.
    Form Number: FSA-178.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement with Revision of a Previously 
Approved Information Collection.
    Abstract: A person who has been displaced from her/his farm by 
eminent domain and who placed that farm's tobacco allotment or quota in 
a pool, will use the `Application for Transfer of Allotment or Quota 
From Pool' to transfer the pooled tobacco to another farm which she/he 
owns or has purchased. The request for transfer must be made within 3 
years from the date of displacement and submitted for approval to the 
FSA County Office in which the receiving farm is located.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 50 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: Tobacco allotment or quota holders who are 
displaced from their land when such land is taken by eminent domain 
acquisition.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 12.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 10 hours.
    Title: Request for Tobacco Disaster Credit.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0033.
    Form Number: FSA-182.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: Tobacco growers whose crop either could not be planted or 
that failed because of a natural disaster will use the `Request for 
Tobacco Disaster Credit'. When a grower is faced with either condition, 
the grower may supply information pertaining to the disaster to the 
County Committee of the FSA County office where the tobacco farm is 
located, requesting disaster credit for the affected acreage. Data 
provided by the grower in this information collection transaction 
include such things as the kind and amount of tobacco impacted, weather 
conditions which affected it, and management practices that were used 
in planting, or preparing to plant the crop.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 30 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: Allotment or quota growers who were prevented 
from planting tobacco, or whose tobacco crop failed, because of a 
disaster.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 12.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 6 hours.
    Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this collection of information 
is necessary for the purposes stated and the proper performance of FSA, 
including whether the information will have practical or scientific 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public records. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for Office 
of Management and Budget Approval.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on July 28, 2003.
James R. Little,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 03-20083 Filed 8-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3451-05-P