[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49248-49249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16972]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Docket No. AMS-PY-07-0105]


Notice of Request for an Extension of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing 
Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of a currently approved 
information collection for organic exemption requests under national 
research and promotion programs. Upon OMB approval, this burden will be 
merged into the information collection currently approved under OMB No. 
0581-0093 for National Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information 
Programs.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by October 29, 2007.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Interested persons are invited to submit 
written comments on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov or to 
Angela C. Snyder, Research and Promotion; Standards, Promotion & 
Technology Branch; Poultry Programs, AMS, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 0256; Washington, DC 
20250-0259, (202) 720-0976. Comments should reference the docket number 
and the date and page number of this issue of the Federal Register and 
will be available for public inspection in the Office of the Docket 
Clerk, Poultry Programs, AMS, USDA, Room 3953-S, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0259, during regular business hours, 
or can be viewed at: http://www.regulations.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Organic Producer and Marketer Exemption From Assessment 
Under Research and Promotion Programs.
    OMB Number: 0581-0217.
    Expiration Date, as approved by OMB: 01/31/2008.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: National research and promotion programs: 7 CFR parts 
1150 (dairy), 1160 (fluid milk), 1205 (cotton), 1206 (mango), 1207 
(potato), 1209 (mushroom), 1210 (watermelon), 1215 (popcorn), 1216 
(peanut), 1218 (blueberry), 1219 (Hass avocado), 1220 (soybean), 1230 
(pork), 1240 (honey), 1250 (egg), 1260 (beef), and 1280 (lamb) are 
under AMS oversight, and are wholly industry-funded and -operated. 
These programs are charged with creating and expanding markets for the 
agricultural commodities they represent. Producers, handlers, 
importers, and/or others in the marketing chain pay assessments to 
these commodity boards to fund the programs. Research and promotion 
programs allow industries to establish, finance, and carry out 
coordinated programs of research, producer and consumer education, and 
promotion to improve, maintain, and develop markets for their 
commodities.
    Any person that produces and markets solely 100 percent organic 
products, and does not produce any conventional or non-organic 
products, is exempt from paying assessments under a commodity promotion 
law with respect to any agricultural commodity that is produced on a 
certified organic farm as defined in Section 2103 of the Organic Foods 
Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6502). To be exempt from paying 
assessments under a research and promotion program, an application--
Organic Exemption Request Form--must be submitted to the applicable 
board or council prior to or during the initial applicable assessment 
period, and annually thereafter, as long as the applicant continues to 
be eligible for the exemption. The information request requires the 
following: applicant's name, name and address of the company, telephone 
and fax numbers, type of operation, list of commodities produced, a 
copy of the applicant's organic farm or organic handling operation 
certificate provided by a USDA-accredited certifying agent under the 
Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6502), and a signed 
certification that the applicant meets all of the requirements 
specified for an assessment exemption. If the applicant complies with 
these requirements and is eligible for a promotion assessment 
exemption, the board or council will approve the exemption and notify 
the applicant within 30 days of receiving the application. If the 
application is disapproved, the board or council will notify the 
applicant of the reason(s) for disapproval. The Secretary may review 
any decisions made by the boards or councils at her or his discretion.
    The form covered under this collection requires the minimum 
information necessary to effectively carry out the requirements under 
Section 501 the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act (7 
U.S.C. 7401), and every effort has been made to minimize any 
unnecessary recordkeeping requirements. AMS has determined that there 
is no practical method for collecting the required information without 
the use of this form. The form is available from the boards and 
councils in hard copy and electronic fillable format. The information 
collection is used only by authorized board or council employees and 
representatives of USDA, including AMS staff. Authorized board and 
council employees are the primary users of the information, and AMS is 
the secondary user.
    AMS is committed to complying with the E-Government Act, which 
requires Government agencies in general to provide the public the 
option of submitting information or transacting business electronically 
to the maximum extent possible.
    Upon OMB approval, this burden will be merged into the information 
collection currently approved under OMB No. 0581-0093 for National 
Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Programs.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.50 hours per response.
    Respondents: Eligible certified organic producers and marketers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,165.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 2,165.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,082.5 hours
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Angela 
C. Snyder, Research and Promotion; Standards, Promotion & Technology 
Branch at (202) 720-0976.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.

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    All comments received will be available for public inspection 
during regular business hours at the above address and may be viewed at 
http://www.regulations.gov. 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.

    Dated: August 22, 2007.
Lloyd C. Day,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. E7-16972 Filed 8-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P