[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29657-29658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14715]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2009-0044]


Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information 
Collection; Beetle Busters Survey; Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative 
Eradication Program

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 the Asian longhorned beetle cooperative 
eradication program.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 24, 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-2009-0044 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-2009-0044, 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-2009-0044.
    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 the Beetle Busters 
Survey, contact Ms. Suzanne Bond, Assistant Director, Public Affairs, 
LPA, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 51, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-
5175. 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: Beetle Busters Survey; Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative 
Eradication Program.
    OMB Number: 0579-0311.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB, Anoplophora 
glabripennis), an insect native to China, Japan, Korea, and the Isle of 
Hainan, is a destructive pest of hardwood trees. It attacks many 
healthy hardwood trees, including maple, horse chestnut, birch, poplar, 
willow, and elm. The beetle bores into the heartwood of a host tree, 
eventually killing the tree. Immature beetles bore into tree trunks and 
branches, causing heavy sap flow from wounds and sawdust accumulation 
at tree bases. They feed on, and over-winter in, the interiors of 
trees. Adult beetles emerge in the spring and summer months from round 
holes approximately three-eighths of an inch in diameter (about the 
size of a dime) that they bore through branches and trunks of trees. 
After emerging, adult beetles feed for 2 to 3 days and then mate. Adult 
females then lay eggs in oviposition sites that they make on the 
branches of trees. A new generation of ALB is produced each year. If 
this pest moves into the hardwood forests of the United States, the 
nursery, maple syrup, and forest product industries could experience 
severe economic losses. In addition, urban and forest ALB infestations 
will result in environmental damage, aesthetic deterioration, and a 
reduction in public enjoyment of recreational spaces. If the ALB were 
to become established in North America, approximately 1.2 billion trees 
would be at risk of being infested, resulting in potential losses of up 
to $669 billion.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) has administered an ALB Cooperative 
Eradication Program (the program) since 1996 to eradicate this 
destructive pest from the United States. Areas found to be infested are 
quarantined, and the movement of host material from the area is 
restricted to prevent the spread of the ALB. Infested host material is 
removed or treated. Successful eradication efforts have resulted in a 
number of infested areas being removed from quarantine, and, over the 
years, the program has made steady progress. However, the ALB

[[Page 29658]]

continues to be a serious threat, and APHIS believes that public 
support is crucial to eradication efforts.
    In this regard, APHIS enlists the public's assistance in reporting 
the presence or absence of the ALB in their local areas. APHIS invites 
members of the public to report the results of any surveys they conduct 
using a simple on-line form on the Internet to record sightings and 
nonsightings. Such reports of surveys for the ALB conducted by members 
of the general public, nature organizations, school groups, garden 
clubs, and others help APHIS develop a history of the ALB's presence 
and activity in particular areas and supplement the work done by the 
program's surveyors. If the public reports signs of the ALB, APHIS 
takes appropriate steps to determine whether the ALB is indeed present 
in the area and to what extent. In turn, negative reports help APHIS 
affirm the absence of ALB in a particular area and facilitate progress 
towards deregulation of the area.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of this information collection activity 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 0.1129774 hours per response.
    Respondents: General public, nature organizations, school groups, 
and garden clubs.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 5,000.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.0002.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 5,001.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 565 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 17th day of June 2009.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E9-14715 Filed 6-22-09; 8:45 am]
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