[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 197 (Friday, October 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47693-47694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-22348]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2017-0077]


Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Gypsy Moth Identification Worksheet and 
Checklist

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 gypsy moth program.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
December 12, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2017-0077.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2017-0077, 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-
0077 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 gypsy moth 
program, contact Mr. Paul Chaloux, National Policy Manager, PHP, PPQ, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 137, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2064. 
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: Gypsy Moth Identification Worksheet and Checklist.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0104.
    Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), either independently or in 
cooperation with the States, is authorized to carry out operations or 
measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control, prevent, or retard 
the spread of plant pests new to the United States or not widely 
distributed throughout the United States. The USDA's Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is the delegated authority to carry 
out this mission.
    As part of the mission, APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine 
(PPQ) program engages in detection surveys to monitor for the presence 
of, among other things, the European gypsy moth and the Asian gypsy 
moth. The European gypsy moth is one of the most destructive pests of 
fruit and ornamental trees as well as hardwood forests. First 
introduced into the United States in Medford, MA, in 1869, the European 
gypsy moth has gradually spread to infest the entire northeastern 
portion of the country. The gypsy moth regulations can be found in 7 
CFR 301.45 through 301.45-12.
    Heavily infested European gypsy moth areas are inundated with 
actively crawling larvae that cover trees, fences, vehicles, and houses 
during their search for food. Entire areas may be stripped of all 
foliage, often resulting in heavy damage to trees. The damage can have 
long-lasting effects, depriving wildlife of food and shelter, and 
severely limiting the recreational value of forested areas.
    The Asian gypsy moth is an exotic strain of gypsy moth that is 
closely related to the European variety already established in the 
United States. While the Asian gypsy moth has been introduced into the 
United States on several occasions, it is currently not established in 
the United States. However, due to behavioral differences, the Asian 
gypsy moth is considered to pose an even greater threat to trees and 
forested areas than the European gypsy moth.
    Unlike the flightless European gypsy moth female adult, the Asian 
gypsy moth female adult is capable of strong directed flight between 
mating and egg deposition, significantly increasing its ability to 
spread over a much greater area and become widely established within a 
short time. In addition, Asian gypsy moth larvae feed on a much wider 
variety of hosts, allowing them to exploit more areas and cause more 
damage than the European gypsy moth.
    To determine the presence and extent of a European gypsy moth or an 
Asian gypsy moth infestation, APHIS sets traps in high-risk areas to 
collect specimens. Once an infestation is identified, control and 
eradication work (usually involving State cooperation) is initiated to 
eliminate the moths.
    APHIS personnel, with assistance from State/local officials, check 
traps for the presence of gypsy moths. If a suspicious moth is found in 
the trap, it is sent to APHIS laboratories at the Otis Methods 
Development Center in Massachusetts so that it can be correctly 
identified through DNA analysis. DNA analysis is the only way to 
accurately identify these insects because the European gypsy moth and 
the Asian gypsy moth are strains of the same species, and they cannot 
be visually distinguished from each other.
    The PPQ or State/local officials submitting the moth for analysis 
must complete a specimen worksheet, which accompanies the insect to the 
laboratory. The worksheet enables Federal and State/local officials to 
identify and track specific specimens through the DNA identification 
tests that are conducted. In addition, the information provided by the 
gypsy moth identification worksheets is vital to APHIS' ability to 
monitor, detect, and eradicate gypsy moth infestations.
    The gypsy moth regulations (Sec.  301.45-4(a)) also require the

[[Page 47694]]

inspection of outdoor household articles that are to be moved from a 
gypsy moth quarantined area to a non-quarantined area to ensure that 
they are free of all life stages of gypsy moth. Individuals may use a 
self-inspection checklist, ``It's the Law; Before Moving, Check For 
Gypsy Moth.'' The completed checklist must be signed by the person who 
performed the inspection and must be kept in the vehicle used to move 
the outdoor household articles in the event that USDA or State/local 
officials request it during the movement of the articles. In addition, 
it is recommended that individuals maintain a copy of the signed 
checklist for at least 5 years.
    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;
    (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 burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.54 hours per response.
    Respondents: Individuals who complete the self-inspection checklist 
and State and local officials.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 2,500,020.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 2.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 5,000,260.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 2,707,565 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 11th day of October 2017.
Michael C. Gregoire,
 Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-22348 Filed 10-12-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P