[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 245 (Friday, December 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77592-77593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30215]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0130]


Notice of Request for Revision and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; National Poultry Improvement Plan

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision and 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 approval of a revision and extension of an 
information collection associated with regulations for the National 
Poultry Improvement Plan.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
February 17, 2009.

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-2008-0130 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-2008-0130, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to 
Docket No. APHIS-2008-0130.
    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 
associated with the National Poultry Improvement Plan, contact Mr. 
Andrew Rhorer, Senior Coordinator, National Poultry Improvement Plan, 
VS, APHIS, 1498 Klondike Road, Suite 101, Conyers, GA 30094; (770) 922-
3496. For copies of more detailed information on the information 
collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection 
Coordinator, at (301) 851-2908.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Poultry Improvement Plan.
    OMB Number: 0579-0007.
    Type of Request: Revision and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of 
the United States Department of Agriculture is authorized to, among 
other things, administer the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), 
the primary purpose of which is to protect the health of the U.S. 
poultry population. NPIP is a voluntary Federal-State-industry 
cooperative program for the improvement of poultry flocks and products 
through disease control techniques. Participation in all Plan programs 
is voluntary, but flocks, hatcheries, and dealers of breeding poultry 
must first qualify as ``U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean'' as a condition 
for participation in the other Plan programs. The NPIP regulations are 
contained in 9 CFR parts 56, 145, 146, and 147.
    In administering the Plan, APHIS requires a number of information 
collection activities and forms, including VS Forms 1-23/1-23A, 
Appraisal and Indemnity Claim for Animals Destroyed or Materials 
Destroyed/Continuation Sheet; VS Form 9-3, Report of Sales of Hatching 
Eggs, Chicks, and Poults; VS Form 9-4, Summary of Breeding Flock, 
Table-Egg Layer Flocks, Meat-Type Chicken and Turkey Slaughter Plants 
Participation; VS Form 9-5, Report of Hatcheries, Dealers, and 
Independent Flocks, Table-Egg Producers, Meat-Type Chicken and Turkey 
Slaughter Plants Participating in the NPIP; VS Form 9-6, Report of 
Salmonella Isolations to NPIP Official State Agencies; VS Form 9-7, 
Investigation of Salmonella Isolations in Poultry; VS Form 9-8, Flock 
Inspection and Check Testing Report; VS Form 9-9, Hatchery Inspection 
Form; VS Form 10-3, Request for Salmonella Serotyping; banding of 
sentinel birds for identification prior to flock vaccination; 
memorandums of understanding; recordkeeping; and printing and mailing 
to States, upon request, of computerized printouts of interstate sales 
by hatchery operators who ship large numbers of small chick orders.

[[Page 77593]]

    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for an additional 3 
years.
    This notice includes a description of the information collection 
requirements currently approved by OMB under numbers 0579-0007 
(National Poultry Improvement Plan) and 0579-0305 (Low Pathogenic Avian 
Influenza; Voluntary Control Program and Payment of Indemnity). After 
OMB approves and combines the burden for both collections under a 
single collection (number 0579-0007), the Department will retire number 
0579-0305.
    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 0.6159046 hours per response.
    Respondents: Flock owners, breeders, hatchery operators, commercial 
table-egg layer producers, meat-type chicken slaughter plants, turkey 
slaughter plants, and State veterinary medical officers.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 12,222.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 13.772541.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 168,328.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 103,674 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 15th day of December 2008.
Kevin Shea,
 Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E8-30215 Filed 12-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P