[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33388-33389]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13758]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2012-0036]


Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information 
Collection; Lacey Act Declaration Requirement; Plants and Plant 
Products

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 required by the Lacey Act for the importation of certain 
plants and plant products.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 6, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0036-0001.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2012-0036, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-
0036 or in our reading room, which 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) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on special need 
requests under the Plant Protection Act, contact Mr. George Balady, 
Agriculturist, QPAS, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 20737; 
(301) 851-2240. 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: Lacey Act Declaration Requirement; Plants and Plant 
Products.
    OMB Number: 0579-0349.
    Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Lacey Act, as amended, makes it unlawful to import, 
export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or 
foreign commerce any plant, with some limited exceptions, taken, 
possessed, transported or sold in violation of the laws of the United 
States, a State, an Indian tribe, or any foreign law that protects 
plants. The Act also makes it unlawful to make or submit any false 
record, account or label for, or any false identification of, any plant 
covered by the Act.
    In addition, section 3 of the Act makes it unlawful to import 
certain plants and plant products without an import declaration. The 
declaration must contain, among other things, the scientific name of 
the plant, value of the importation, quantity of the plant, and name of 
the country from which the plant was harvested. For paper and 
paperboard products with recycled plant content, the importer will not 
be required to specify the species or country of harvest with respect 
to the recycled plant product component, but will be required to 
provide the average percentage of recycled content. If the product also 
contains non-recycled plant materials, the basic declaration 
requirements still apply to that component of the product imported.
    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;

[[Page 33389]]

    (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 0.476953 hours per response.
    Respondents: Importers of certain plants and plant products.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 20,352.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 21.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 427,392.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 203,846 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 31st day of May 2012.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-13758 Filed 6-5-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P