[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66835-66836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26743]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

November 5, 2008.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
regarding (a) 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; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and

[[Page 66836]]

clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, 
including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology should be addressed to: Desk Officer for 
Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB), [email protected] or fax (202) 
395-5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 
7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information 
collections are best assured of having their full effect if received 
within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be 
obtained by calling (202) 720-8958.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: National Animal Identification System.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0259.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) regulates the importation and interstate movement of 
animals and animal products and conducts various other activities to 
protect the health of our Nation's livestock and poultry. The advent of 
increased animal disease outbreaks around the globe over the past 
decade, especially the recent BSE-positive cow found in Washington 
State, has intensified the public interest in developing a national 
animal identification program for the purpose of protecting animal 
health. Fundamental to controlling any disease threat, foreign or 
domestic, to the Nation's animal resources is to have a system that can 
identify individual animals or groups, the premises where they are 
located, and the date of entry to each premises. A national animal 
identification system is being implemented by APHIS at present on a 
voluntary basis. It is intended to identify all livestock, as well as 
record their movements over the course of their lifespan.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS goal is to create an 
effective, uniform, consistent, and efficient system that when fully 
implemented, will allow traces to be completed within 48 hours of 
detection of a disease, ensuring rapid containment of the disease. 
Successful implementation of the animal identification and tracking 
systems will depend on the effective use of three primary information 
collection activities: Premises and nonproducer participants 
identification records, individual animal identification transaction 
records, and group/lot transaction records that will be created and 
maintained through various industry and Government collaborative 
efforts. Failing to collect the needed information would make it 
impossible to conduct a timely traceback of animals potentially exposed 
to a disease of concern.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 500,472.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping;
     Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,832,437.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Importation of Fruits and Vegetables.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0264.
    Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 
7701-7772), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to regulate the 
importation of plants, plant products, and other articles to prevent 
the introduction of injurious plant pests. Regulations contained in 
Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 319 (Subpart--Fruit 
and Vegetables), Sections 319.56 et seq., implement the intent of the 
this Act by prohibiting or restricting the importation of certain 
fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the 
world to prevent the introduction and dissemination of fruit flies and 
other injurious plant pests that are new to the United States or not 
widely distributed within the United States. These regulations are 
enforced by the Plant Protection and quarantine, a program with USDA's 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
    Need and Use of the Information: The use of certain information 
collection activities including phytosanitary certificates, fruit fly 
monitoring records, and cooperative agreements will be used to allow 
the entry of certain fruits and vegetables into the United States. 
Without the information all shipments would need to be inspected very 
thoroughly, thereby requiring considerably more time and would slow the 
clearance of international shipments.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Federal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 15.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping;
     Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 123.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
 [FR Doc. E8-26743 Filed 11-10-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P