[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20348-20349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1838]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 05-013-1]


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 associated with regulations to prevent the interstate spread 
of plant diseases within the United States.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 
20, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     EDOCKET: Go to http://www.epa.gov/feddocket to submit or 
view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the 
official public docket, and to access those documents in the public 
docket that are available electronically. Once you have entered 
EDOCKET, click on the ``View Open APHIS Dockets'' link to locate this 
document.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 05-013-1, 
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. 05-013-1.
    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 on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding domestic 
quarantine regulations, contact Mr. Charles Brown, Senior Staff 
Officer, Pest Detection and Management Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 
Road Unit 134, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-4838. 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: Domestic Quarantine Regulations.
    OMB Number: 0579-0088.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: As authorized by the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701-
7772) (PPA), the Secretary of Agriculture may prohibit or restrict the 
importation, entry, exportation, or movement in interstate commerce of 
any plant, plant product, biological control organism, noxious weed, 
means of conveyance, or other article if the Secretary determines that 
the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent a plant pest or 
noxious weed from being introduced into or disseminated within the 
United States. This authority has been delegated to the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which administers regulations 
to implement the PPA.Regulations governing the interstate movement of 
plants, plant products, and other articles are contained in 7 CFR part 
301, ``Domestic Quarantine Notices.''
    These regulations prohibit or restrict the interstate movement of 
certain articles from infested areas to noninfested areas to prevent 
the spread of plant pests such as the Asian longhorned beetle, emerald 
ash borer, imported fire ant, Mexican fruit fly, and

[[Page 20349]]

the West Indian fruit fly. For example, if an area of the United States 
has been placed under quarantine because of a fruit fly infestation, 
then certain plants and plant products that may present a risk of 
spreading the fruit fly may be moved interstate from the infested area 
only under certain conditions (e.g., after treatment or inspection). In 
this way, we prevent the fruit flies from being spread to noninfested 
areas of the United States via the movement of the plants and plant 
products.
    Administering these regulations requires APHIS to collect 
information from a variety of individuals who are involved in growing, 
packing, handling, and transporting plants and plant products. The 
information we collect serves as the supporting documentation required 
for the issuance of forms and documents that authorize the movement of 
regulated plants and plant products and is vital to help prevent the 
spread of injurious plant pests within the United States.
    Collecting this information requires us to use a number of forms 
and documents, including certificates, limited permits, transit 
permits, and outdoor household article documents.
    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 
collection of information, 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 collection of information 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 0.0990402 hours per response.
    Respondents: State plant regulatory officials, State cooperators, 
and individuals involved in growing, packing, handling, and 
transporting plants and plant products.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 191,866.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 5.7993026.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 1,112,689.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 110,201 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 April 2005.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E5-1838 Filed 4-18-05; 8:45 am]
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