[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 217 (Monday, November 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63752-63755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28218]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 217 / Monday, November 10, 2003 /
Notices
[[Page 63752]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
November 4, 2003.
The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments
regarding (a) 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; (b) the accuracy
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), [email protected] or fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-
7602. Comments regarding these information collections are best assured
to having their full effect if received within 30 days of this
notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling
(202) 720-8681.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Title: Assurance of Compliance with the Department of Agriculture
Regulations Assuring Civil Rights Compliance Organization Information.
OMB Control Number: 0524-0026.
Summary of Collection: The Cooperative State Research, Education,
and Extension Service (CSREES) has primary responsibility for providing
linkages between the Federal and State components of a broad-based,
national agricultural research, extension, and higher education system.
Focused on national issues, its purpose is to represent the Secretary
of Agriculture and the intent of Congress by administering formula and
grant funds appropriated for agricultural research, extension, and
higher education. Before awards can be made, certain information is
required from applicant to assure compliance with the civil rights laws
and to effectively assess the potential recipient's capacity to manage
Federal funds. CSREES will collect information using forms CSREES 665,
``Assurance of Compliance with the Department of Agriculture
Regulations Assuring Civil Rights Compliance'' and CSREES 666,
``Organizational Information.''
Need and Use of the Information: CSREES will collect information to
determine that applicants recommended for awards are responsible
recipients of Federal funds and that applicant agrees they will offer
programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color,
national origin, sex, disability, age, political beliefs, religion,
marital status, or familial status. If the information were not
collected, it would not be possible to determine that the prospective
grantees are responsible and are complying with the Civil Rights Act.
Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; business
or other for-profit; individuals or households; State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Number of Respondents: 150.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 1,020.
Foreign Agricultural Service
Title: Dairy Tariff-Rate Import Quota Licensing Regulation.
OMB Control Number: 0551-0001.
Summary of Collection: The Importation of most cheese made from
cow's milk and certain non-cheese dairy articles (butter, dried milk,
and butter substitutes) are subject to Tariff-rate Quotas (TRQs) and
must be accompanied by an import license issue by the Department to
enter at the lower tariff. Licenses are issued in accordance with the
Department's Import Licensing Regulation (7 CFR part 6). Importers
without licenses may enter these dairy articles, but are required to
pay the higher tariff. The Department issues three types of licenses:
Historical license (renewable), non-historical licenses (non-
renewable); and preferred cheese licenses issued to importers
designated by the government of a foreign country. The Foreign
Agricultural Service (FAS) will collect information using several
forms.
Need and Use of the Information: FAS will use the information to
assure that the intent of the legislation is correctly administered and
to determine eligibility to obtain benefits under the Import
Regulation. If the information were collected less frequently, FSA
would be unable to issue licenses on an annual basis in compliance with
the Import Regulation.
Description of Respondents: Business or other-for-profit;
individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 540.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping, reporting: Annually.
Total Burden House: 426.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Phytosanitary Certificates for Imported Articles to Prevent
Introduction of Potato Brown Rot.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0221.
Summary of Collection: The United States Department of Agriculture
is responsible for preventing plant disease or insect pests from
entering the United States, preventing the spread of pests and noxious
weeds not widely distributed in the United State, and eradicating those
imported pests when eradication is necessary. The Plant Protection Act
authorizes the Department to carry out this mission. Also, the
regulations in 7 CFR part 319 prohibit or restrict the importation of
certain plants and plant products into the United States to prevent the
introduction of plant pest. The Animal
[[Page 63753]]
Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) amended regulations to
require a phytosanitary certificate to accompany articles of
Pelargonium spp. and Solanum spp. imported into the United States,
except those imported under the Canadian greenhouse restricted plant
program. Recently, APHIS became aware that articles have Pelargonium
spp. and Solanum spp. can serve as vectors for the transmission of
potato brown rot. This bacterium is widely distributed in temperature
areas of the world and could cause severe damage to U.S. production of
potatoes, if it were to become established in the United States.
Need and Use of the Information: A Phytosanitary Certificate is
required from each foreign country for articles Pelargonium spp. and
Solanum spp. offered for importation into the United States. The
certificate must contain either a declaration that the production
facility in which the articles were produced has been found free, by
testing, of R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 or that R. solanacearum
race 3 biovar 2 is not present in the region in which the articles were
produced. If the information is not collected, potato fields could
become infected with the strain of R. solanacearum and this could
drastically reduce or eliminate potato fields.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; State,
Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 1,040.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 83,200.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: Generic Clearance to Conduct Formative Research.
OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
Summary of Collection: Diet has a significant impact on the health
of citizens and is linked to four leading causes of disease, which can
reduce the quality of life and cause premature death. While these diet-
related problems affect all Americans, they have a greater impact on
the disadvantaged populations reached by many of the Food and Nutrition
Service (FNS) programs. One of FNS' goals includes improving the
nutrition of children and low-income families by providing access to
program benefits and nutrition education. The basis of FNS' approach
rests on the philosophies that all health communications and social
marketing activities must be science-based, theoretically grounded,
audience-driven, and results-oriented. FNS will collect information
through formative research methods that will include focus groups,
interviews (dyad, triad, telephone, etc.), surveys and web-based
information gathering tools. The formative research is essential to
advancing ``Eat Smart Play Hard'' Campaign as well as other FNS
nutrition education and outreach efforts.
Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information to
provide formative input and feedback on how bets to reach and motivate
the targeted population. The collected information will provide input
regarding the potential use of materials and products during both the
developmental and testing stages. FNS will also collect information
regarding effective nutrition education and outreach initiatives being
implemented by State agencies that administer nutrition assistance
programs to address critical nutrition program access issues.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Federal
Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 14,500.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (one-time).
Total Burden Hours: 5,100.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: Generic Clearance to Conduct Formative Research/CNPP.
OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
Summary of Collection: The Center for Nutrition Policy and
Promotion (CNPP) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is interested in
conducting consumer research to identify key issues of concern related
to understanding and use of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and
the Food Guide Pyramid. The mission of CNPP is to improve the
nutritional status of Americans by developing and promoting science-
based dietary guidance and economic information for the public. CNPP
will be conducting a formative research with consumers to examine their
understanding of the Dietary Guideline and Pyramid concepts and their
use of and barriers to using both the Guidelines and the Pyramid. CNPP
believes that obtaining qualitative information from consumer is
fundamentally necessary for reassessing and revising the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid. CNPP will collect
information using focus groups, qualitative interviews, and Web-based
surveys.
Need and Use of the Information: CNPP will collect information to
develop practical and meaningful food and nutrition guidance for
Americans to help improve their diets. The information will also be
used to expand the knowledge base concerning how the Dietary Guidelines
for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid recommendations and messages
are understood as well as how they can be used by consumers to improve
diets while overcoming barriers.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Federal
Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 9,950.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (individual projects).
Total Burden Hours: 3,379.
Forest Service
Title: Objection to New Land Management Plans, Plan Amendments, and
Plan Revisions.
OMB Control Number: 0596-0158.
Summary of Collection: The current appeals process for land and
resource management plans and regional guides is set forth in 36 CFR
217.1-217.19 which provides an opportunity to challenge a Forest
Service (FS) decision after the responsible official has made a final
decision. A person objecting to a proposed or revised plan must file
their objection in writing within 30 days of the publication, in a
newspaper of record, with the reviewing. The objector must provide
name, mailing address and telephone number; a statement of the
information or decisions to which the person or organization objects; a
description of the part or parts of the plan, plan amendment or plan
revision being objected to; and a concise statement explaining why the
responsible official's pending decision should not be adopted.
Need and Use of the Information: Information gathered in the
objection process will be analyzed and responded to be a Forest Service
official and possibly used to modify the decision on land and resource
management planning. Without the information, the Agency's decision
making will suffer from reduced public input and Agency relationships
with the public will deteriorate.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; business or
other for-profit; not-for-profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Number of Respondents: 1,210.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (once).
Total Burden Hours: 1,210.
Foreign Agricultural Service
Title: CCC's Export Enhancement Program (EEP) and CCC's Dairy
Export Incentive Program (DEIP).
OMB Control Number: 0551-0028.
Summary of Collection: The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
collects
[[Page 63754]]
information from U.S. exporters in order to determine the exporters'
eligibility for the Export Enhancement Program (EEP) and the Dairy
Export Incentive Program (DEIP). Information can be faxed in by program
applicants or applicants may register over the Internet.
Need and Use of the Information: Information collected from U.S.
Exporters is used by FAS to determine whether an exporter has the
experience necessary to perform under the proposed agreements. Other
information is collected to determine compliance during the period of
the agreement and to ensure that compensation in the appropriate amount
is made. Without the application and related information, FAS would be
unable to properly qualify U.S. Exporters for EEP and DEIP.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 26.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 1,803.
Economic Research Service
Title: An Assessment of the Impact of Medicaid Managed Care on WIC
Program Coordination with Primary Care Services.
OMB Control Number: 0536-NEW.
Summary of Collection: The Economic Research Service (ERS) has
responsibility, as authorized in the Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act.
Fiscal Year 2002 (Pub. L. 1-7-76) to conduct economic research on the
operation of the Nation's food assistance programs, especially the Food
Stamp Program, Child Nutrition Programs, and the Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The
relationship between the WIC program and primary care services is an
important component of the program. ERS is seeking detailed information
that will determine the impact Medicaid managed care may have on the
ability of WIC to coordinate services with primary care providers. The
study will be conducted through telephone surveys and e-mail.
Need and Use of the Information: ERS will collect information to
understanding the impact of Medicaid managed care on the coordination
between WIC and primary care services in a way that will be relevant to
public policymakers. Data from the study can be used by FNS to assess
how well existing program policies and procedures facilitate
coordination and referral between WIC and Medicaid managed care.
Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government;
business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 210.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 132.
Forest Service
Title: National Survey on Recreation and the Environment 2005.
OMB Control Number: 0596-0127.
Summary of Collection: The National Survey on Recreation and the
Environment (NSRE) 2005 will be the latest in a series of surveys
conducted by the Forest Service (FS) which began in 1960 as the primary
source of recreation data from the U.S. population. This information is
vital for federal land managing agencies to obtain an understanding of
the outdoor recreation participation levels and preferences of the
American people so that effective policy making, planning, and
decision-making can occur. Information from the survey is shared with
and relied upon by organizations outside the federal government
including educational institutions, private sector companies, state
agencies, and other governmental organizations as the fundamental
source of outdoor recreation trend and demand data on a national scale.
The survey will be administered using a statistically valid sampling
methodology through computer-assisted telephone interviewing
techniques.
Need and Use of the Information: FS will collect information
nationally from the public to assess trends in recreation participation
over the years and to estimate demand for outdoor recreation among the
U.S. population. FS and other federal agencies will use the information
to develop long-range strategic plans, adjust programs and activities
to meet customer needs and expectations and better manage federally
owned lands.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 16,666.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (one time).
Total Burden Hours: 4,166.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Title: List Sampling Frame Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0140.
Summary of Collection: The primary objective of the National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to provide data users with
timely and reliable agricultural production and economic statistic, as
well as environmental and specialty agricultural related statistics. To
accomplish this objective, NASS relies heavily on the use of sample
surveys statistically drawn from ``List Sampling Frame.'' The List
Sampling Frame is a database of names and addresses, with control data,
that contains the components from which these samples can be drawn.
Need and Use of the Information: The List Sampling Frame is used to
maintain a complete list of possible farm operations. The goal is to
produce for each state a relatively complete, current, and unduplicated
list of names to sample for agricultural operation surveys. Government
agencies and educational institutions use the information from these
surveys in planning, farm policy analysis, and program administration.
Description of Respondents: Farms; business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 350,000.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 22,500.
National Agriculture Statistics Service
Title: Childhood Injury and Adult Occupational Injury Survey of
Minority Farm Operators.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0235.
Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National
Agricultural Statistics Services (NASS) is to prepare and issue state
and national estimates of crop and livestock production under the
authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204(a). NASS will conduct a survey that will
provide estimates of annual childhood and adult nonfatal injury
incidence rates on minority farms, annual injury frequencies, and
descriptive injury information for minority farm operators and their
employees 20 years of age or older.
Need and Use of the Information: The National Institute of
Occupational Safety Health will use the data to develop injury
prevention materials for minority farm operators and technical reports.
The objective of this project is to develop a uniform inquiry for
determining the incidence rate and characteristics of childhood
agricultural and adult occupational injuries occurring on minority
operated farms in the United States.
Description of Respondents: Farms.
Number of Respondents: 50,000.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (One-Time).
Total Burden Hours: 12,093.
Rural Utilities Service
Title: Preloan Procedures and Requirements for Telecommunications
Program.
OMB Control Number: 0572-0079.
Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is a
credit agency
[[Page 63755]]
of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It makes mortgage loans and loan
guarantees to finance telecommunications, electric, water and waste
facilities in rural areas. RUS manages loan programs in accordance with
the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq. (RE Act)
and has a loan portfolio that totals approximately $42 billion. Section
201 of the RE Act authorizes the Administrator to make loans to
qualified telephone companies for the purpose of providing telephone
service to the widest practicable number of rural subscribers.
Need and Use of the Information: RUS will collect information using
several forms to determine an applicant's eligibility to borrow from
RUS under the terms of the RE Act. The information is also used to
determine that the Government's security for loans made by RUS are
reasonably adequate and that the loans will be repaid within the time
agreed. Without the information, RUS could not effectively monitor each
borrower's compliance with the loan terms and conditions to properly
ensure continued loan security.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; not-for-
profit institutions.
Number of Respondents: 50.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 3,621.
Rural Utilities Service
Title: 7 CFR Part 1778, Emergency and Imminent Community Water
Assistance Grants.
OMB Control Number: 0572-0110.
Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is
authorized under section 306A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act, (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) to provide grants to rural areas
and small communities to secure adequate quantities of safe water.
Grants made under this program shall be made for 100 percent of the
project cost can serve rural areas with population not in excess of
5,000 and household income should not exceed 100 percent of a State's
non-metropolitan medial household income. Grants under this program may
be made to public bodies and private nonprofit corporations serving
rural areas.
Need and Use of the Information: RUS will collect the information
from applicants applying for grants under 7 CFR part 1778. The
information is unique to each borrower and emergency situation.
Applicants must demonstrate that there is an imminent emergency or that
a decline occurred within 2 years of the date the application was filed
with Rural Development.
Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government; not-
for-profit institutions.
Number of Respondents: 100.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 400.
Sondra Blakey,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-28218 Filed 11-7-03; 8:45 am]
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