[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 188 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56886-56887]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19453]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 05-022-1]


Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection; 
Voluntary ``Do Not Sell'' List of Invasive Plant Species

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 
associated with a voluntary ``do not sell'' list of invasive plant 
species for Florida nurseries.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
November 28, 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. 05-022-1, 
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. 05-022-1.

[[Page 56887]]

    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 voluntary ``do 
not sell'' list of invasive plant species for Florida nurseries, 
contact Dr. Barney Caton, Ecologist and Pest Risk Analyst, Center for 
Plant Health Science and Technology, PPQ, 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 
300, Raleigh, NC 27607; (919) 855-7504. For copies of more detailed 
information on the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste 
Sickles, APHIS's Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Voluntary ``Do Not Sell'' List of Invasive Plant Species.
    OMB Number: 0579-XXXX.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: In 2001, the Florida Nursery, Growers, & Landscape 
Association (FNGLA), in cooperation with the Florida Exotic Pest Plant 
Council (FLEPPC), created and promoted a list of known invasive plant 
species that should not be grown or sold in Florida nurseries. Forty-
three plant species were chosen for the list. A voluntary effort by 
nurseries to limit trade in these species is a potentially worthwhile 
approach to safeguarding U.S. ecosystems from invasive plants. The 
effectiveness of the voluntary program on trade in these species since 
2001 has not been fully studied, however.
    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture is responsible for safeguarding the United 
States against plant pests and noxious weeds. A recent assessment by 
the Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Plant Protection 
and Quarantine, APHIS, indicated that availability in Florida nurseries 
of the 43 species on the FNGLA list has not changed since 1999. APHIS 
proposes to conduct a single survey of owners and managers of Florida 
nurseries and plant dealers to determine how many were aware of the 
program, whether they were complying if they were aware of it, and 
whether they would have complied if they had known about it. The 
results of the survey will help APHIS learn how well such voluntary 
``do not sell'' programs may be accepted by owners and managers of 
nurseries and plant dealers and how effective such programs may be.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
the information collection activity associated with the voluntary ``do 
not sell'' list of invasive species for Florida nurseries.
    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 0.5 hour per response.
    Respondents: Owners and managers of nurseries, and nursery stock 
dealers in Florida.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 200.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 200.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 100 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 23rd day of September 2005.

Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 05-19453 Filed 9-28-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P