[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49491-49492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19887]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 162 / Thursday, August 21, 2014 / 
Notices  

[[Page 49491]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0073]


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 
October 20, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0073.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0073, 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-
0073 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 Lacey Act 
declaration requirements for plants and plant products, contact Mr. 
Gary Lougee, Lacey Act Program Specialist, CEC, RPM, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 150, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2229. 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 Control 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 in which the plant was harvested. For paper and paperboard 
products with recycled plant content, the importer is not required to 
specify the species or country of harvest with respect to the recycled 
plant product component, but is 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.
    In addition to the declaration, there is a supplemental form that 
must be completed if additional space is needed to declare additional 
plants and plant products. Also, records of the import declaration and 
supplemental form must be retained for at least 5 years.
    Since the last extension of approval for this information 
collection, APHIS has decreased the estimated annual number of 
respondents from 20,352 to 17,140. However, while the number of 
respondents has decreased, there has been an overall increase in the 
burden estimates due to an increase in the number declarations 
completed per respondent.
    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;
    (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 0.4840 hours per response.
    Respondents: Importers of certain plants and plant products.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 17,140.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 30.375.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 520,629.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 252,019 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.


[[Page 49492]]


    Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of August 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-19887 Filed 8-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P