[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 199 (Wednesday, October 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61847-61848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24531]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0080]


Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Endangered Species Regulations and Forfeiture 
Procedures

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision to 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 a revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection associated with the regulations for protection 
of endangered species of terrestrial plants and for procedures related 
to the forfeiture of plants or other property.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
December 15, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0080.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0080, 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-
0080 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 regulations to 
protect endangered species of terrestrial plants and forfeiture 
procedures, contact Dr. John Veremis, National CITES Director, PHP, 
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 52, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-
2347. For copies of more detailed information on the information 
collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' Information Collection 
Coordinator, at (301) 851-2727.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Endangered Species Regulations and Forfeiture Procedures.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0076.
    Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 
responsible for enforcing provisions of the Act and the Convention on 
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 
(CITES) that pertain to the importation, exportation, or reexportation 
of plants.
    As part of this mission, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Services (APHIS) administers the regulations in 7 CFR part 355, 
``Endangered Species Regulations Concerning Terrestrial Plants.'' In 
accordance with these regulations, any individual, nursery, or other 
entity wishing to engage in the business of importing, exporting, or 
reexporting terrestrial plants listed in the CITES regulations at 50 
CFR 17.12 or 23.23 must obtain a protected plant permit from APHIS. 
Such entities include importers, exporters, or reexporters who sell, 
barter, collect, or otherwise exchange or acquire terrestrial plants as 
a livelihood or enterprise engaged in for gain or profit. The 
requirement does not apply to persons engaged in business merely as 
carriers or customhouse brokers.
    To obtain a protected plant permit, entities must complete an 
application (Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Form 621) and submit 
it to APHIS for approval. When a permit has been issued, the plants 
covered by the permit may be imported into the United States, exported, 
or reexported, provided they are accompanied by documentation required 
by the regulations and all other conditions of the regulations are met.
    Effectively regulating entities who are engaged in the business of 
importing, exporting, or reexporting endangered species of terrestrial 
plants requires the use of this application process, as well as the use 
of other information collection activities including, but not limited 
to, notifying APHIS of the impending importation, exportation, or 
reexportation of the plants; marking containers used for the 
importation, exportation, or reexportation of the plants; and creating 
and maintaining records of importation, exportation, and reexportation.
    APHIS also administers regulations at 7 CFR part 356, ``Forfeiture 
Procedures,'' which sets out procedures for the forfeiture of plants or 
other property by entities found to be in violation of the Endangered 
Species Act or the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371 et 
seq.). Entities whose property is subject to forfeiture may file with 
APHIS a waiver of forfeiture procedures, a petition for remission or 
mitigation of forfeiture, or a request for release of property.
    The information provided by these information collection activities 
is critical to APHIS' ability to carry out its responsibilities under 
the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act. These responsibilities 
include monitoring importation, exportation, and reexportation 
activities involving endangered species of plants, as well as the 
investigation of possible violations and the forfeiture of plants or 
other property. However, since the last approval of this collection, 
APHIS no longer requires completion of PPQ Form 625 (Claim and Bond) 
due to implementation of the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
these information collection activities, as described, 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;

[[Page 61848]]

    (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 0.0929 hours per response.
    Respondents: U.S. importers and exporters of endangered species of 
terrestrial plants.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 16,578.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 4.901.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 81,264.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 7,552 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 8th day of October 2014.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-24531 Filed 10-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P