[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 67 (Monday, April 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18733-18734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7193]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0028]


Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information 
Collection; Endangered Species Regulations and Forfeiture Procedures

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 protect endangered species of 
terrestrial plants and with regulations concerning procedures related 
to the forfeiture of plants or other property.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 
6, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods: 
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0028 to submit 
or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available 
electronically.
    Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of your 
comment to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0028, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to 
Docket No. APHIS-2008-0028.
    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: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on regulations to 
protect endangered species of terrestrial plants and concerning 
forfeiture procedures, contact Dr. John Veremis, National CITES 
Coordinator, Plant Safeguarding and Pest Identification, PPQ, APHIS, 
4700 River Road Unit 52, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-8891. 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: Endangered Species Regulations and Forfeiture Procedures.
    OMB Number: 0579-0076.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) is responsible for enforcing provisions of the Act and the 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 
and Flora (CITES) that pertain to the importation, exportation, or 
reexportation of plants.
    As part of this mission, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS), USDA, administers regulations at 7 CFR part 355, 
``Endangered Species Regulations Concerning Terrestrial Plants.'' In 
accordance with these regulations, any individual, nursery, or other 
entity wishing to engage in the business of importing, exporting, or 
reexporting terrestrial plants listed in the CITES regulations at 50 
CFR 17.12 or 23.23 must obtain a protected plant permit from APHIS. 
Such entities include importers, exporters, or reexporters who sell, 
barter, collect, or otherwise exchange or acquire terrestrial plants as 
a livelihood or enterprise engaged in for gain or profit. The 
requirement does not apply to persons engaged in business merely as 
carriers or customhouse brokers.
    To obtain a protected plant permit, entities must complete an 
application (PPQ Form 621) and submit it to APHIS for approval. When a 
permit has been issued, the plants covered by the permit may be 
imported into the United States, exported, or reexported, provided they 
are accompanied by documentation required by the regulations and 
provided all other conditions of the regulations are met.
    Effectively regulating entities who are engaged in the business of 
importing, exporting, or reexporting endangered species of terrestrial 
plants requires the use of this application process, as well as the use 
of other information collection activities, such as notifying APHIS of 
the impending importation, exportation, or reexportation of the

[[Page 18734]]

plants, marking containers used for the importation, exportation, and 
reexportation of the plants, and creating and maintaining records of 
importation, exportation, and reexportation.
    APHIS also administers regulations at 7 CFR part 356, ``Forfeiture 
Procedures,'' which sets out procedures for the forfeiture of plants or 
other property by entities in violation of the Endangered Species Act 
or the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.). Entities 
whose property is subject to forfeiture may file with APHIS a waiver of 
forfeiture procedures, a claim of ownership or interest in the seized 
property and a bond, a request for bonded release of property, a 
petition for remission or mitigation of forfeiture, or a request for 
release of property.
    The information provided by these information collection activities 
is critical to APHIS' ability to carry out its responsibilities under 
the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act. These responsibilities 
include monitoring importation, exportation, and reexportation 
activities involving endangered species of plants, as well as the 
investigation of possible violations and the forfeiture of plants or 
other property.
    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 0.1039962 hours per response.
    Respondents: U.S. importers, exporters, and reexporters of 
endangered species of terrestrial plants.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 16,584.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 4.9476.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 82,051.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 8,533 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 1st day of April 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E8-7193 Filed 4-4-08; 8:45 am]
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