[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 233 (Thursday, December 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67828-67831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-30155]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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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 
 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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 233 / Thursday, December 4, 2003 / 
Notices  

[[Page 67828]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

December 1, 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), Pamela--Beverly--OIRA --
Submission @OMB.EOP.GOV 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 
of 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.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: 7 CFR 1941, Operating Loan Policies, Procedures and 
Authorizations.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0162.
    Summary of Collection: The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1922) (CONACT) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture 
and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to make and insure loans to farmers 
and ranchers and to administer the provisions of the CONACT applicable 
to the Farm Loan Program. The information is required to ensure that 
the agency provides assistance to applicants who have reasonable 
prospects of repaying the government and meet statutory eligibility 
requirements. This assistance enables family farm operators to use 
their land, labor, and other resources to improve their living and 
financial conditions so that they can eventually obtain credit 
elsewhere.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information is needed for FSA 
loan approval officials to evaluate an applicant's eligibility, and to 
determine if the operation is economically feasible and the security 
offered in support of the loan is adequate. FSA relies on current 
information to carry out the business of the program as intended and to 
protect the government's interest. A variety of forms will be used to 
collect the information. If the information were not collected, or 
collected less frequently, the Agency would be: (1) Unable to make an 
accurate eligibility and financial feasibility determination on 
respondents' request for new loans as required by the CONACT; and (2) 
unable to meet the congressionally mandated mission of loan programs.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit; 
Federal government; Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 26,146.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other.
    Total Burden Hours: 7,019.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: National School Lunch Program Sample Frame Development.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts periodic evaluation of the 
school meal programs to provide updated information on program 
operations, meal characteristic, and students' diets as well as costs 
and revenues of school meals. The Economic Research Service has 
contracted with the team of Abt Associates Inc. and Mathematica Policy 
Research Inc., to design an integrated study of USDA school meal 
program and to assess the cost and feasibility of such a study. The 
integrated study will collect data on five domains: (1) Policies and 
practices of schools and School Food Authorities (SFAs) that affect 
school meal programs; (2) characteristics of meals as offered and 
served; (3) costs and revenues of providing schools meals; (4) student 
participation, satisfaction, and related attitudes toward the school 
lunch and breakfast programs; and (5) students' dietary intakes and 
other student/family characteristics that may influenced program 
participation. The integrated study would have a multi-level design 
featuring cross-sectional data and nationally representative samples of 
SFAs, schools, and students.
    Need and Use of the Information: The National School Lunch Program 
Sample Frame Development is designed to provide a nationally 
representative sample frame of Public SFAs that are participating in 
the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program. The 
information collected from the sample frame will include: current 
enrollment by school level, number of students approved for free and 
reduced-price meals, poverty rates, the type of school meal programs 
offered, type of menu-planning system in use, type of food production 
system used, whether the school district uses a food service management 
company to manage the food service operation, and the start and ending 
date of the school year. The information will be used to provide 
federal, state, and local policy makers as well as program 
administrators with much needed information on how the school meal 
programs have changed, since the implementation of the School Meal 
Initiative.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Individual 
or households; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 2,079.

[[Page 67829]]

    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (One-time only).
    Total Burden Hours: 3,119.

Forest Service

    Title: Visitor Permit and Visitor Registration Card.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-0019.
    Summary of Collection: The Organic Administration Act (30 stat. 
11), the Wilderness Act (78 stat. 890), the Wild and Scenic River Act 
(82 stat. 906) and Executive Order 11644, all authorize the Forest 
Service (FS) to manage the forests to benefit both land and people. 
Every year millions of people visit the National Forest System. As FS 
heads into the next millennium, their challenge is to meet the 
increasing demand for higher quality recreation experiences while 
safeguarding the health of the land. One way FS will care for the land 
and serve people is to determine where people are going when they visit 
the national forest, and give them information, which provides for a 
safe and enjoyable visit, and at the same time protects the resource. 
The Visitors Permit and Visitor Registration Card are tools that will 
help meet this objective. At the majority of locations visited, a 
permit for use is required. The FS uses the Visitor's Permit (Form 
2300-30) and the Visitor Registration Card (Form 2300-32) to permit and 
monitor use in these areas.
    Need and Use of the Information: The visitor permit provides FS 
with information about the visitor's name, address, area to be visited, 
date of visit, length of stay, method of travel, number of people, and 
number of pack and saddle stock. The permit and registration card 
allows managers to identify areas, which are being heavily used and is 
also used to locate forest visitors if they do not return from their 
trip as planned. If the information were not collected from visitors it 
could cause overuse and site deterioration in some environmentally 
sensitive areas.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Business or 
other for-profit; Not-for profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 368,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (per visit).
    Total Burden Hours: 18,400.

Forest Service

    Title: Economic, Social, and Cultural Aspects of Livestock Ranching 
on the Santa Fe and Carson National Forests.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: Management of federal lands is hampered in 
many cases because land managing agencies lack sufficient information 
to understand and monitor socio-cultural values and changing attitude 
toward land and resource use. The lack of up-to-date information 
impedes efforts of the Forest Service (FS) to work with livestock 
ranchers who graze their cattle under permit on FS managed land 
(permittees). Cultural differences and historic problems over land use 
contribute to disagreements and misunderstanding between the permittees 
and federal land managers. Information on the economic, social, and 
cultural contributions of livestock ownership to federal permittees is 
of interest to land managers, policy makers, social scientists, the 
general public, and the permittees themselves. FS will use a 
questionnaire to collect information from livestock permittees from the 
Santa Fe and Carson National Forest.
    Need and use of the Information: FS will collect data on economic, 
social, and cultural contributions of livestock ownership will help FS 
personnel manage the land more effectively and work more cooperatively 
with the permittees by increasing understanding of the local culture 
and the role of livestock ownership in that culture. If the data is not 
collected, grazing allotment plans and forest plan revisions will not 
be based on the most current and appropriate socio-cultural and 
economic information.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Farms; 
Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 600.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 900.

Rural Business Cooperative Service

    Title: 7 CFR 4284-F, Rural Cooperative Development Grant.
    OMB Control Number: 0570-0006.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Cooperative Development Grants 
(RCDG) program is administered through the State Rural Development 
Offices on behalf of the Rural Business Cooperative Service (RBS). The 
primary objective of the program is to improve the economic condition 
of rural areas through cooperative development. Grant funds are awarded 
on a competitive basis using a scoring system that gives preference to 
applications that demonstrate a proven track record. The applicants, 
who are non-profit corporations or institutions of higher education, 
will provide information using various forms and supporting 
documentation.
    Need and Use of the Information: RBS will use the information 
collected to evaluate the applicant's ability to carry out the purposes 
of the program. If this information were not collected, RBS would have 
no basis on which to evaluate the relative merit of each application.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Not for 
profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 75.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,675.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Agricultural Resource Management, Chemical Use, and Post-
Harvest Chemical Use Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0218.
    Summary of Collection: The primary objectives of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) are to provide the public with 
timely and reliable agricultural production and economic statistics, as 
well as environmental and specialty agricultural related statistics. 
Three surveys--the Agricultural Resource Management Study, the Fruit 
and Vegetable Chemical Use Surveys, and the Post-harvest Chemical Use 
Survey--are critical to NASS' ability to fulfill thee objectives and to 
build the Congressionally mandated database on agricultural chemical 
use and related farm practices. NASS uses a variety of survey 
instruments to collect the information in conjunction with these 
studies.
    Need and Use of the Information: The Agricultural Resource 
Management Study provides a robust database of information to address 
varied needs of policy makers. There are many uses for the information 
from this study including an evaluation of the safety of the Nation's 
food supply; input to the farm sector portion of the gross domestic 
product; and to provide a barometer on the financial condition of farm 
businesses. Data from the Fruit and Vegetable Chemical Use Surveys is 
used to assess the environmental and economic implications of various 
program and policies and the impact on agricultural producers and 
consumers.
    The results of the Post-harvest Chemical Use Survey are used by the 
Environmental Protection Agency to develop Food Quality Protection Act 
risk assessments. Other organizations use this data to make sound 
regulatory decisions.
    Description of Respondents: Farms
    Number of Respondents: 80,650.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 57,209.

[[Page 67830]]

Rural Utility Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1792, Subpart C--Seismic Safety of New Building 
Construction.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0099.
    Summary of Collection: Seismic hazards present a serious threat to 
people and their surroundings. These hazards exist in most of the 
United States, not just on the West Coast. Unlike hurricanes, times and 
location of earthquakes cannot be predicted; most earthquakes strike 
without warning and, if of substantial strength, strike with great 
destructive forces. To reduce risks to life and property from 
earthquakes, Congress enacted the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 
1977 (Pub. L. 95-124, 42 U.S.C. 7702 et seq.) and directed the 
establishment and maintenance of an effective earthquake reduction 
program. As a result, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program 
(NEHRP) was established. The objectives of the NEHRP include the 
development of technologically and economically feasible design and 
construction methods to make both new and existing structures 
earthquake resistant, and the development and promotion of model 
building codes. 7 CFR part 1792, subpart C, identifies acceptable 
seismic standards which must be employed in new building construction 
funded by loans, grants, or guarantees made by the Rural Utility 
Service (RUS) or the Rural Telephone Bank (RTB) or through lien 
accommodations or subordinations approved by RUS or RTB.
    Need and Use of the Information: Borrowers and grant recipients 
must provide to RUS a written acknowledgment from a registered 
architect or engineer responsible for the design of each applicable 
building stating that the seismic provisions to 7 CFR part 1792, 
subpart C will be used in the design of the building. RUS will sue this 
information to: (1) Clarify and inform the applicable borrowers and 
grant recipients about seismic safety requirements; (2) improve the 
effectiveness of all RUS programs; and (3) reduce the risk to life and 
property through the use of approved building codes aimed at providing 
seismic safety.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Business 
or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 1,000
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 750.

Agricultural Marketing Service

    Title: Federal Seed Act Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0581-0026.
    Summary of Collection: The Federal Seed Act (FSA) (7 U.S.C. 1551-
1611) regulates agricultural and vegetable seeds in interstate 
commerce. Agricultural and vegetable seeds shipped in interstate 
commerce are required to be labeled with certain quality information 
such as the name of the seed, the purity, the germination, and the 
noxious-weed seeds of the state into which the seed is shipped. State 
seed regulatory agencies refer to the Agricultural Marketing Service 
(AMS) complaints that involve seed found to be mislabeled and to have 
moved in interstate commerce. AMS investigates the alleged violations 
and if the violation is substantiated, takes regulatory action ranging 
from letters of warning to monetary penalties.
    Need and Use of the Information: AMS will collect information from 
records of each lot of seed and make them available for inspection by 
agents of the Secretary. The information collected consists of records 
pertaining to interstate shipments of seed that have been alleged to be 
in violation of the FSA. The shipper's records pertaining to a 
complaint are examined by FSA program specialists and are used to 
determine if a violation of the FSA occurred. The records are used to 
determine the precautions taken by the shipper to assure that the seed 
was accurately labeled. If this information were not collected, it 
would be impossible to examine pertinent records to resolve complaints 
of violations.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; State, 
Local or Tribal Government; Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 2,679.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 36,602.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Form FNS-388, State Issuance and Participation Estimates.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0081.
    Summary of Collection: Section 18(b) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977, 
as amended, requires that ``In any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
limit the value of those allotments issued (under the Food Stamp 
Program) to an amount not in excess of the appropriation for such 
fiscal year.;'' Timely State monthly issuance estimates are necessary 
for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to ensure that it remains 
within the appropriation and will have a direct effect upon the manner 
in which allotments would be reduced when necessary. FNS uses the FNS-
388 report to obtain monthly Statewide estimated or actual issuance and 
participation data for the current and previous months, and the actual 
participation data for the second preceding month.
    Need and Use of the Information: The FNS-388 report provides the 
necessary data for an early warning system to enable the Department to 
fulfill the requirements of section 18(b) of the Food Stamp Act. In 
addition, the data is used to (1) validate the Annual Food Stamp 
Household characteristic Survey; (2) to compile a Statistical Summary 
Report which is used for special studies and in response to 
Congressional and other inquiries; and (3) to compare against the 
coupon issuance points' FNS-250 (which reports issuances from 
inventory) and reconciliation points' FNS-46 issuance data (which 
reports issuances for coupons, electronic benefit transfers, and cash-
out) for indications of accountability problems.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 53.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Monthly.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,542.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: Food Stamp Program Identification Cards.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0124.
    Summary of Collection: Section 11(e)(15) of the Food Stamp Act of 
1977 requires that State agencies issue photographic identification 
cards to recipients in certain project areas, if the Secretary and the 
Department's Inspector General find it useful and cost effective to 
protect the integrity of the Food Stamp Program (FSP). The ID cards are 
required by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to reduce the number 
of unauthorized food stamp issuances.
    Need and Use of the Information: Photo IDs are used by issuance 
agents to identify households for monthly issuance; by retailers to 
identify households when benefits are redeemed; and by households to 
provide as proof when picking up monthly allotments. The use of the 
photo ID cards and the requirement to show it to obtain benefits is 
crucial to the agency's ability to protect the integrity of the Food 
Stamp Program.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government; 
Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 44,134.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total burden Hours: 1,471.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Equine Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0227.
    Summary of Collection: The primary objective of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare

[[Page 67831]]

and issue current official State and national estimates of crop and 
livestock production, disposition, and prices. Services such as 
statistical consultation, data collection, summary tabulation, and 
analysis are performed for other Federal and State agencies on a 
reimbursable basis as the need arises. In the past, equine surveys have 
been conducted in twelve States where equine is a significant portion 
of their agriculture. The results are used to provide an assessment of 
the equine industry's contribution to the State's economy in terms of 
infrastructure and value.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information on 
equine inventories by: category, revenue, activity, purpose and equine 
related expenditures. In addition, these surveys will provide NASS with 
names and addresses of equine operations that can be used for the 
Census of Agriculture enumeration and for the NASS program that seeks 
to cover 99 percent of U.S. agricultural cash receipts.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 73,475.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: one-time.
    Total Burden Hours: 26,363.

Rural Utilities Service

    Title: Public Television Digital Transition Grant Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0134.
    Summary of Collection: As part of the nation's evolution to digital 
television, the Federal communications commission has ordered all 
television broadcasters to initiate the broadcast of a digital 
television signal by May 1, 2003, and to cease analog television 
broadcasts on December 31, 2006. About half of the nation's public 
television stations did not meet the deadline to initiate digital 
broadcasting and received extensions. The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 
will develop and issue requirements for the grant program to finance 
the conversion of television services from analog to digital 
broadcasting for public television stations serving rural areas.
    Need and Use of the Information: Applicants will submit grant 
applications to RUS for review. The information will consist of the 
following: Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for Federal 
Assistance'', executive summary, evidence of eligibility and compliance 
with other Federal statutes and any other supporting documentation. RUS 
will use the information to score and rank applications for funding. 
Scoring will consist of three categories: rurality, per capita income, 
and special disadvantaging factors facing the station's transition 
plans. If this information were not collected, there would be no basis 
for awarding grant funding.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 50.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,168.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-30155 Filed 12-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M