[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 165 (Monday, August 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48387-48388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18645]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2021-0044]


Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an 
Information Collection; Foreign Quarantine Notices

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 to prevent the 
introduction or spread of foreign plant pests and diseases into or 
within the United States.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
October 29, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2021-0044 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, 
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2021-0044, 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 www.regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is 
located in Room 1620 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 foreign quarantine 
notices, contact Mr. Marc Phillips, Senior Regulatory Policy 
Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737; 
(301) 851-2114. For more detailed information on the information 
collection reporting process, contact Mr. Joseph Moxey, APHIS' 
Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Foreign Quarantine Notices.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0049.
    Type of request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (PPA, 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 and diseases into 
the United States or their dissemination within the United States. This 
authority has been delegated to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS), which administers regulations to implement the PPA. 
Regulations governing the importation of plants, fruits, vegetables, 
roots, bulbs, seeds, unmanufactured wood articles, and other plant 
products are contained in 7 CFR part 319, ``Foreign Quarantine 
Notices.'' Regulations governing the transit of certain products or 
articles that are classified as prohibited or restricted products or 
articles are contained in 7 CFR part 352, ``Plant Quarantine Safeguard 
Regulations.''
    The movement of plants and plant products requires various 
information collection activities, such as operational workplans; 
audits; pest risk assessments; cooperative service agreements; trust 
funds; production or processing site/facility registrations; foreign 
site certification of inspection and/or treatment; applications for 
permits; appeals of denial or revocation of permits; requests for 
additional mailing labels; compliance agreements; phytosanitary 
certificates; labeling; importer documents; agreements for post entry 
quarantine State screening notices; 30-day article notifications; 
requests for emergency transshipment or division; notices of arrival; 
emergency action notifications; and monitoring/recordkeeping from 
entities responsible for growing, packing, handling, transporting, and 
importing foreign plant parts (roots, bulbs, seeds, fruit, leaves, 
etc.), plant products, timber, and timber products. In addition, APHIS 
collects required information from national plant protection 
organizations (NPPOs) as part of the commodity import approval process.
    The information collected is vital to helping APHIS ensure that 
plants and plant products do not harbor plant pests or diseases that, 
if introduced into the United States, could cause extensive economic 
damage to U.S. agriculture.
    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 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,

[[Page 48388]]

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 0.011 hours per response.
    Respondents: Facilities; growers; producers; production, 
processing, and packing sites; importers; individuals; businesses; 
brokers; shippers; NPPOs; and foreign plant protection authorities.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 22,315.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 2,803.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 62,552,921.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 712,982 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 25th day of August 2021.
Mark Davidson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-18645 Filed 8-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P