[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 12, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42782-42783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19280]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2017-0072]


Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Bees and Related Articles

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 the 
importation of bees and related articles into the United States.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
November 13, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2017-0072.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2017-0072, 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-2017-
0072 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 for 
the importation of bees and related articles, contact Dr. Colin 
Stewart, Senior Entomologist, Pest Permit Evaluations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2038, email: 
[email protected]. For copies of more detailed information 
on the information collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' 
Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Bees and Related Articles.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0207.
    Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) 
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to restrict the importation, 
entry, or interstate movement of plants, plant products, and other 
articles to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United 
States or their dissemination within the United States.
    Under the Honeybee Act (7 U.S.C. 281-286), the Secretary is 
authorized to prohibit or restrict the importation of honeybees and 
honeybee semen to prevent the introduction into the United States of 
diseases and parasites harmful to honeybees and of undesirable species 
such as the African honey bee. This authority has been delegated to the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture.
    The establishment of certain bee diseases, parasites, or 
undesirable species and subspecies of honeybees in

[[Page 42783]]

the United States could cause substantial reductions in pollination by 
bees. These reductions could cause serious damage to crops and other 
plants and result in substantial financial losses to American 
agriculture.
    Regulations for the importation of honeybees and honeybee semen and 
regulations to prevent the introduction of exotic bee diseases and 
parasites through the importation of bees other than honeybees, certain 
beekeeping products, and used beekeeping equipment are contained in 7 
CFR part 322, ``Bees, Beekeeping Byproducts, and Beekeeping 
Equipment.'' These regulations require the use of certain information 
collection activities, including an application for a permit, request 
for risk assessment, request for facility approval, written agreement 
to permit conditions, emergency action notification, appealing the 
denial of permit applications or revocation of permits, interstate 
transit documentation, packaging and labeling, recordkeeping for 
containment facilities, notices of arrival for shipments from approved 
regions, transit shipments, port of entry inspections, and notification 
of escaped organisms.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of 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 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 
information collection, 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 information collection 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 0.24 hours per response.
    Respondents: Importers, exporters, and shippers of bees and related 
articles; foreign governments; and containment facilities.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 18.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 12.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 210.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 50 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 6th day of September 2017.
Michael C. Gregoire,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-19280 Filed 9-11-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P