[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 137 (Monday, July 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42961-42962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16281]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 04-062-1]


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 black stem rust quarantine and 
regulations.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
September 17, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 04-062-1, 
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. 04-062-1.
     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. 04-062-1'' on the subject 
line.
     Agency Web site: Go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/cominst.html for a form you can use to submit an e-mail comment through 
the APHIS Web site.
    Reading Room: 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.
    Other Information: You may view APHIS documents published in the 
Federal Register and related information, including the names of groups 
and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding regulations 
for the black stem rust quarantine and regulations, contact Mr. Vedpal 
S. Malik, Agriculturist, Invasive Species and Pest Management, PPQ, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 134, Riverdale MD 20737; (301) 734-6774. 
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: Black Stem Rust; Identification Requirements and Addition of 
Rust-Resistant Varieties.
    OMB Number: 0579-0186.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701-7772) authorizes 
the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit or restrict the importation, 
entry, or interstate movement of plants and plant products to prevent 
the introduction of plant pests into the United States or their 
dissemination within the United States.
    Black stem rust is one of the most destructive plant diseases of 
small grains that is known to exist in the United States. The disease 
is caused by a fungus that reduces the quality and yield of infected 
wheat, oat, barley, and rye crops by robbing host plants of food and 
water. In addition to infecting small grains, the fungus lives on a 
variety of alternate host plants that are species of the genera 
Berberis, Mahoberberis, and Mahonia. The fungus is spread from host to 
host by wind-borne spores.
    The black stem rust quarantine and regulations, contained in 7 CFR 
301.38 through 301.38-8 (referred to below as the regulations), 
quarantine the conterminous 48 States and the District of Columbia and 
govern the interstate movement of certain plants of the genera 
Berberis, Mahoberberis, and Mahonia, known as barberry plants. The 
species of these plants are categorized as either rust-resistant or 
rust-susceptible. Rust-resistant plants do not pose a risk of spreading 
black stem rust or of contributing to the development of new races of 
the rust; rust-susceptible plants do pose such risks.
    Persons who request APHIS to add a variety to the list of rust-
resistant barberry varieties in the regulations must provide the Agency 
with a description of the variety, including a written description and 
color pictures that can be used by State nursery inspectors to clearly 
identify the variety and distinguish it from other varieties. This 
requirement helps to ensure that State plant inspectors can clearly 
determine whether plants moving into or through their States are rust-
resistant varieties listed in 7 CFR 301.38-2.
    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

[[Page 42962]]

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 4 hours per response.
    Respondents: Nurseries.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 4.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 2.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 8.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 32 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 13th day of July 2004.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 04-16281 Filed 7-16-04; 8:45 am]
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