[Federal Register: November 13, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 219)]
[Notices]
[Page 68828-68831]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13no02-23]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
November 6, 2002.
The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments
regarding (a) 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; (b) the accuracy
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, DC 20503 and to
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington,
DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of
this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by
calling (202) 720-8681.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
[[Page 68829]]
Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service
Title: Brucellosis Program Cooperative Agreements--Title 9, CFR
Parts 50, 51, 53, 54, 71, 76, and 78.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0047.
Summary of Collection: Brucellosis is a contagious animal disease
that causes loss of young through spontaneous abortion or birth of weak
offspring, reduced milk production, and infertility. It is mainly a
disease of cattle, bison and swine. There is no economically feasible
treatment for brucellosis in livestock. Veterinary Services, a division
with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), is
responsible for administering regulations intended to prevent the
dissemination of animal diseases, such as brucellosis, within the
United States. These regulations are found in part 78 of title 9, Code
of Federal Regulations. The continued presence of brucellosis in a herd
seriously threatens the health of other animals. APHIS will collect
information using various forms.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will use the information
collected from the forms to continue to search for other infected
herds, maintain identification of livestock, monitor deficiencies in
identification of animals for movement, and monitor program
deficiencies in suspicious and infected herds. This information will be
used to determine brucellosis area status and aids herd owners by
speeding up the detection and elimination of serious disease conditions
in their herds. Without the date, APHIS' Brucellosis Eradication
Program would be severely crippled.
Description of Respondents: Farms; State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Number of Respondents: 7,382.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 17,681.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Importation of Clementines from Spain.
OMB Control Number: 0579-NEW.
Summary of Collection: The United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for
preventing plant diseases or insect pests from entering the United
States, preventing the spread of pests not widely distributed within
the United States, eradicating plant pests when eradication is
feasible. The Plant Protection Act authorizes the Department to carry
this mission. Until recently, clementines from Spain have been imported
under permit, and provided that they were cold treated for the
Mediterranean fruit fly in accordance with the treatment listed in the
Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual. Clementines imported
from Spain were not required to meet any additional requirements in
order to be imported into the United States, but were subject to
inspection at the port of entry. In November 2001, importation of
clementines from Spain was suspended due to live Medfly larvae being
intercepted. APHIS' final rule will amend the fruits and vegetables
regulations to allow the importation of clementines from Spain to
resume if the clementines are cold treated en route to the United
States under certain conditions, and provided that certain other
pretreatment and post-treatment requirements are met.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to
ensure that the cold treatment was successfully completed and also to
ensure that no Mediterranean fruit fly are found in any of the shipment
of clementines from Spain. Failure to collect this information would
cripple APHIS' abilities to ensure that clementines from Spain are not
carrying fruit flys.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; State,
local or tribal government.
Number of Respondents: 37.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 113,200.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Safeguarding System Definition Project.
OMB Control Number: 0579-NEW.
Summary of Collection: ``Protecting American Agriculture'' is the
basic charge of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
APHIS provides leadership in ensuring the health and care of animals
and plants. The Plant Protection Quarantine (PPQ) is a program within
APHIS, charged with creating and maintaining a system of safeguards
against accidental introduction of foreign plant and animal pests and
diseases. Title IV, Agriculture Risk Protection Act (PPA) of 2000,
states that APHIS needs to educate its various audiences about
different kinds of invasive pests and diseases and the role APHIS plays
in dealing with them. The cooperation and good will of the American
people is a key element in the fight to safeguard the United States
against exotic plant and animal pests and diseases while providing for
a healthy and abundant food supply in the global marketplace. The
Safeguarding Definition Project is intended to help APHIS better
understand what the public knows about their activities, what they
would like to know, and how to best communicate that information. APHIS
will collect information using telephone or in-person interviews,
surveys, and external focus groups.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to
guide contractors in developing slogans and messages for the program as
well as obtaining ideas for implementing the market plan. The
information will also help determine key words and phrases that will
resonate with the audiences and what benefits APHIS/PPQ can communicate
to key audiences the ultimate objective of protecting American
agriculture in the United States from unwanted pests and diseases.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit;
Individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 168.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 198.
Agricultural Marketing Service
Title: National Research and Promotion Board, Council, and
Committee Membership Background Information.
OMB Control Number: 0581-NEW.
Summary of Collection: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has
the responsibility for implementing and overseeing research and
promotion programs for a variety of commodities. Each commodity is
established under specific freestanding legislation. These programs
carry out projects relating to research, consumer information,
advertising, sales promotion, producer information, market development
and product research to assist, improve or promote the marketing
distribution, and utilization of their respective commodities.
Need and Use of the Information: AMS will use form AMS-755,
Research and Promotion Background Information, to determine
qualifications, suitability, and availability for service on national
research and promotion boards, councils, and committees. Also, the form
will be used to perform background checks on the nominees, to confirm
that the nominees are not delinquent with any loans and to verify that
they do not have a negative history with USDA.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
[[Page 68830]]
Number or Respondents: 672.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 336.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: Operating Guidelines, Forms and Waivers.
OMB Control Number: 0584-0083.
Summary of Collection: Section 11(d) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977,
as amended, provides that the State agency of each participating State
shall submit to the Secretary for approval a plan of operation
specifying the manner in which the Food Stamp Program will be conducted
within the State in every political subdivision. Section 11(e) of the
Act provides that the State plan of operation shall provide for State
agency verification of household eligibility prior to certification,
completion of certification within 30 days of filing of the
application, fair hearing, and submission of reports as required by the
Secretary. The basic components of the State Plan of Operation are the
Federal/State Agreement, the Budget Projection Statement, and the
Program Activity Statement (272.2(a)(2)). Under part 272.2(c), the
State agency shall submit to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for
approval a Budget Projection Statement (which projects total Federal
administrative costs for the upcoming fiscal year) and a Program
Activity Statement (which provides program activity data for the
preceding fiscal year). FNS will collect information using Forms FNS
366A and FNS 366B.
Need and Use of the Information: FNS will collect information to
estimate funding needs and also provide data on the number of
applications processed, number of fair hearings, and fraud control
activity. FNS uses the data to monitor State agency activity levels and
performance. If the information is not collected it would disrupt
budget planning and delay appropriation distributions.
Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 53.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: On occasion;
quarterly.
Total Burden Hours: 2,932.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: Interactive Healthy Eating Index Questionnaire
OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
Summary of Collection: The Center for Nutrition Policy and
Promotion (CNPP) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to
improve the quality, clarity and usability of the Interactive Healthy
Eating Index (IHEI). The IHEI is an Internet based diet self-assessment
tool. The IHEI translates scientifically based guidance into practical
information and promotes nutrition education by increasing awareness of
the quality of a person's diet. Since the release of the IHEI in April
2000, CNPP has not collected official user feedback on the IHEI program
and its usability. To ensure appropriate user feedback, CNPP has
designed the IHEI questionnaire to collect information related to the
key components and functions of the IHEI that are important to its
overall quality, clarity, and usability.
Need and Use of the Information: The proposed questionnaire will
collect information on the usability, clarity, and quality of the IHEI
website. The questionnaire will also obtain feedback on user interest
and need for addition of a personalized meal plan or suggested list of
foods designed to improve a person's diet quality.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 30,000.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (one-time).
Total Burden Hours: 5,000.
Office of the Secretary, White House Liaison
Title: Advisory Committee and Research and Promotion Board
Membership Background Information.
OMB Control Number: 0505-0001.
Summary of Collection: Section 1804 of the Food and Agriculture Act
of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2281, et seq.) requires the Department to provide
information concerning advisory committee members' principal place of
residence, persons or companies by whom employed, and other major
sources of income. Similar information will be required of research and
promotion boards/committees in addition the supplemental commodity
specific questions. The Secretary appoints board members under each
program. Some of the information contained on Form AD-755 is used by
the Department to conduct background clearances of prospective board
members required by departmental regulations. All committee members who
are appointed by the Secretary require this clearance. The Office of
the Secretary, White House Liaison will collect information using form
AD-755, Advisory Committee and Research and Promotion Board Membership
Background Information.
Need and Use of the Information: The Office of the Secretary, White
House Liaison will collect information on the background of the
nominees to make sure there are no delinquent loans to the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as well as making sure they
have no previous record that could be a negative reflection to USDA.
The information obtained from the form is also used in the compilation
of an annual report to Congress. Failure of the Department to provide
this information would require the Secretary to terminate the pertinent
committee or board.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 1644.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly.
Total Burden Hours: 823.
Rural Housing Service
Title: 7 CFR 1822-G, Rural Housing Loans, Policies, Procedures and
Authorizations.
OMB Control Number: 0575-0071.
Summary of Collection: Section 523 and 524 of the Housing Act of
1949 authorizes loans for acquiring and developing housing sites for
low and moderate-income housing. Information is necessary to protect
the public from projects being built in areas of low need by applicants
that are unable to administer the program properly.
Need and Use of the Information: Rural Housing Service (RHS) will
collect the information from participating organizations to verify and
ensure program eligibility requirements and the appropriate use of
loans. If the information is not collected, RHS would be unable to
determine if the organization qualifies for loan assistance.
Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; State,
Local and Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 6.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 36.
Agricultural Research Service
Title: Web Order Forms for Research Data, Materials, Models, and
Publications, Speaker Bureau and Conference, Event, and Study
Registration Services.
OMB Control Number: 0518-NEW.
Summary of Collection: OMB Circular 130 Management of Federal
Information Resources, establishes that ``agencies will use electronic
media and formats* * *in order to make government information more
easily accessible and useful to the public''* * * The Government
Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), 44 USC 3504, Title XVII, requires
agencies, by October 2003, to provide the option of electronic
submission of information to the public. In order to provide
[[Page 68831]]
information and services related to its program responsibilities
defined at 7 CFR 2.65, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) needs to
obtain certain basic information from the public, for example, research
item or event participation requested, and name and contact information
for requestor or participant. To comply with the requirements of GPEA,
ARS needs to provide web forms so that customers may contact them
electronically to request services such as speakers for eligible
organizations; research data, materials, and models; publication;
speakers; or conference, event, and study registrations.
Need and Use of the Information: ARS will use the information to
respond to requests for specific services. The information will be
collected electronically, by telephone, or by mail. If this collection
is not conducted, ARS will be hindered from advancing its compliance
with GPEA.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 11,450.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 572.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Title: Stock Report.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0007.
Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue current
official State and national estimates of crop and livestock production.
As part of this function, estimates are made for stocks of grain and
oilseeds, potatoes, peanuts, hops, and rice. Grain and oilseed stocks
in all positions are estimated quarterly. Grain stocks estimates are
one of the most important NASS estimates, which are watched closely by
growers and industry groups. General authority for data collection is
granted under U.S. Code title 7, section 2204. The Hop Growers of
America provides the data collection for much of the production
information because of sensitivity issues an impartial third party,
NASS, collects stocks and price information.
Need and Use of the Information: NASS collects information to
administer farm program legislation and make decisions relative to the
export-import programs. Estimates of stocks provide essential
statistics on supplies and contribute to orderly marketing. Farmers and
agribusiness firms use these estimates in their production and
marketing decisions. Collecting this information less frequently would
eliminate data needed by government, industry and farmers to keep
abreast of changes at the State and national level.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for profit; Farms.
Number of Respondents: 12,876.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly; quarterly; Semi-
annually; Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 14,580.
Rural Utilities Service
Title: Advance of Loan Funds and Budgetary Control and Other
Related Burdens.
OMB Control Number: 0572-0015.
Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is
authorized by the Rural Electrification Act (RE Act) of 1936, as
amended, to make loans in several States and territories of the United
States for rural electrification and for the purpose of furnishing and
improving electric and telephone service in rural areas and to assist
electric borrowers to implement demand-side management, energy
conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy
systems.'' Borrowers will provide the agency with information that
supports the use of the funds as well as identify the type of projects
for which they will use the funds.
Need and Use of the Information: RUS electric borrowers will submit
RUS form 595, Financial Requirement & Expenditure Statement, to request
an advance of loan funds. The information collected will ensure that
loans funds are expended and advanced for RUS approved budget process
and amounts. Failure to collect proper information could result in
improper determinations of eligibility or improper use of funds.
Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Business
or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 700.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 14,820.
Agricultural Marketing Service
Title: AMS Research and Promotion Customer Service Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0581-NEW.
Summary of Collection: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has
the responsibility for the national commodity research and promotion
boards. These boards are responsible for carrying out coordinated
programs of research, producer and consumer education, and promotion to
improve, maintain, and develop markets for various commodities. AMS has
developed a survey to determine how well they have met their
responsibilities and accomplished its mission.
Need and Use of the Information: AMS will use the information
gathered to improve customer service with the boards and to provide
them with an accurate evaluation of the boards.
Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Farms.
Number of Respondents: 672.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 336.
Sondra A. Blakey,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-28740 Filed 11-12-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M