[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20515-20516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1861]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 05-018-1]


Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: New 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 approval of a new information collection activity, 
the National Chronic Wasting Disease 2005 Study.

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

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either 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. 
05-018-1, 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. 05-018-1.

    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 on the Chronic Wasting

[[Page 20516]]

Disease 2005 Study, contact Mr. Chris Quatrano, Management and Program 
Analyst, Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, VS, APHIS, 2150 
Centre Avenue, Building B MS 2E6, Fort Collins, CO 80526; (970) 494-
7207. 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: National Animal Health Monitoring System; Chronic Wasting 
Disease 2005 Study.
    OMB Number: 0579-XXXX.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture is 
responsible for protecting the health of our Nation's livestock and 
poultry populations by preventing the introduction and interstate 
spread of serious diseases and pests of livestock and for eradicating 
such diseases from the United States when feasible. In connection with 
this mission, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
operates the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), which 
collects, on a national basis, statistically valid and scientifically 
sound data on the prevalence and economic importance of livestock and 
poultry disease risk factors.
    NAHMS' national studies have evolved into a collaborative industry 
and government initiative to help determine the most effective means of 
preventing and controlling diseases of livestock. APHIS is the only 
agency responsible for collecting national data on livestock health. 
Participation in any NAHMS study is voluntary, and all data are 
confidential.
    APHIS plans to initiate a national study titled the Chronic Wasting 
Disease (CWD) 2005 Study. The study will collect information from 5,600 
cervid producers nationwide. The purpose of the CWD 2005 Study is to 
support the farmed/captive cervid industry by collecting baseline data 
to: (1) Describe general health and management practices; (2) describe 
the farmed/captive cervid industry; and (3) identify the most efficient 
ways to contact producers for outreach purposes. The potential benefit 
to the industry from the CWD 2005 Study is increased information on the 
impact of general health and management practices.
    CWD is a fatal, neurological disease that occurs in deer and elk 
populations. It belongs to the family of diseases known as 
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which includes bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, scrapie in sheep and goats, 
and both variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (vCJD) and Creutzfeldt-Jacob 
Disease in humans. Although all TSEs are similar, CWD only affects deer 
and elk. A herd usually presents evidence of CWD infection within 5 
years of exposure through the presence of sick or dead animals.
    APHIS is establishing a voluntary program for farmed/captive cervid 
herds that will track how long a particular herd has been closed and 
monitored for CWD. The CWD 2005 Study will include farms that choose to 
enroll in the CWD certification program. In conjunction with this 
effort, NAHMS plans to use this opportunity to collect data from cervid 
producers within the United States as producers enroll in the CWD 
certification program. APHIS will analyze information from this study 
and prepare descriptive reports and information sheets that will be 
disseminated to cervid producers, stakeholders, academia, and other 
interested parties.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
the national CWD 2005 Study.
    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 1 hour per response.
    Respondents: Cervid producers.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 5,600.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 5,600.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 5,600 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 14th day of April 2005.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E5-1861 Filed 4-19-05; 8:45 am]
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