[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 123 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38109-38110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13686]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2020-0055]
Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information
Collection; Bees and Related Articles
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 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
August 24, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2020-0055.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2020-0055, 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-2020-
0055 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 Mr. Wayne
Wehling, Senior Entomologist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2336; [email protected]. For
information on the information collection process, contact Mr. Joseph
Moxey, APHIS Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483;
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Bees and Related Articles.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0207.
Type of Request: 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 through 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 honeybee. 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 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 application for a permit, State
consultation, written agreement to permit conditions, appealing denial
of a permit application or revocation of permit, packaging and
labeling, notice of arrival for shipments from approved regions,
transit shipment, port of entry inspection, notification of escaped
organisms, emergency action notification, request for release, request
for risk assessment, request for facility approval, and recordkeeping
for containment facilities.
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
[[Page 38110]]
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 0.25 hours per response.
Respondents: Importers, exporters, and shippers of bees and related
articles; foreign and State 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 19th day of June 2020.
Mark Davidson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-13686 Filed 6-24-20; 8:45 am]
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