[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 129 (Monday, July 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38277-38278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15749]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0044]


Notice of Request for Reinstatement of an Information Collection; 
National Animal Health Monitoring System; Equine 2015 Study

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Reinstatement 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 a reinstatement of an information collection to 
support the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Equine 2015 
Study to support the equine industry in the United States.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
September 5, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0044.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0044, 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-2014-
0044 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 the Equine 2015 
Study, contact Mr. Chris Quatrano, Industry Analyst, Centers for 
Epidemiology and Animal Health, VS, APHIS, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building 
B MS 2E7, Fort Collins, CO 80526; (970) 494-7207. 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 Animal Health Monitoring System; Equine 2015 Study.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0269.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of an information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et 
seq.), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture is authorized, among other things, to 
protect the health of U.S. livestock and poultry populations by 
preventing the introduction and interstate spread of serious diseases 
and pests of livestock and by eradicating such diseases from the United 
States when feasible. In connection with this mission, APHIS operates 
the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), which collects 
nationally representative, statistically valid, and scientifically 
sound data on the prevalence and economic importance of livestock 
diseases and associated risk factors.
    NAHMS' national studies are a collaborative industry and Government 
initiative to help determine the most effective means of preventing and 
controlling diseases of livestock. APHIS is the only agency responsible 
for collecting national data on livestock health. Participation in any 
NAHMS study is voluntary.
    APHIS plans to conduct an Equine 2015 Study as part of an ongoing 
series of NAHMS studies on the U.S. livestock population. The purpose 
of this study is to:
     Describe trends in equine care and health management for 
study years 1998, 2005, and 2015;
     Estimate the occurrence of owner-reported lameness and 
describe practices associated with the management of lameness;
     Describe health and management practices associated with 
important equine infectious diseases;
     Describe animal health related costs of equine ownership;
     Evaluate control practices for gastrointestinal parasites;
     Evaluate horses for presence of ticks and describe tick-
control practices used on equine operations; and
     Collect equine sera along with equine demographic 
information in order to create a serum bank for future studies.
    The Equine 2015 Study will consist of on-farm questionnaires and a 
biological collection administered by National Agricultural Statistics 
Service enumerators and APHIS-designated data collectors. States are 
selected for participation based on the number of operations with 
equids and on the equid inventory. The goal is to include States that, 
combined, account for at least 70 percent of the operations and 
inventory in the United States. For each State, a weighted average of 
operations and inventory is calculated, with inventory weighted 
slightly higher. Generally, States with at least 2 percent of the U.S. 
total weighted average are selected to participate in the survey. 
States may also be included based on industry interest or for 
geographic representation.
    The information collected will be used to:
     Direct future equine industry education;
     Allow equine owners and managers to compare their health 
management practices and disease prevalence in their equids with 
national and regional estimates;
     Identify research needs;
     Describe trends in equine health and management over time; 
and
     Provide baseline information to assist with policy 
development.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for 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:

[[Page 38278]]

    (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, such as 
electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of burden: The public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average 0.906 hours per response.
    Respondents: Equine owners, equine farm managers, and equine 
trainers.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 18,446.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 18,446.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 16,712 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 30th day of June 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-15749 Filed 7-3-14; 8:45 am]
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