[Federal Register: March 26, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 59)]
[Notices]
[Page 15781-15785]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26mr04-45]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
March 22, 2004.
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), Pamela--Beverly--
OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or fax (202) 395-5806 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) 720-6746.
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.
Foreign Agricultural Service
Title: Food Donation Programs (Food for Progress & Section 416(b))
and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition
Program.
OMB Control Number: 0551-0035.
Summary of Collection: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign
Agricultural Service (FAS) helps provide U.S. agricultural commodities
to feed millions of hungry people in needy countries through direct
donations and concessional programs. The Food for Progress program
provides for donations of or sale of U.S. commodities to developing
countries and emerging democracies to support democracy and an
expansion of private enterprise. The commodities donated through Food
for Progress may be used for direct feeding programs, or may be sold in
the recipient country, and the proceeds used to support agricultural,
economic or infrastructure development programs. Section 416(b) program
provides for overseas donations of surplus commodities acquired by the
Commodity Credit Corporation. Commodities are made available for
donations through agreements with foreign governments, private
voluntary organizations, cooperatives, and intergovernmental
organizations. The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and
Child Nutrition Program helps support education, child development, and
food security for some of the world's poorest children. It provides for
donations of U.S. agricultural products, as well as financial and
technical assistance, for school feeding and maternal and child
nutrition projects in low-income, food-deficit countries that are
committed to universal education. The authorities to collection
information for these programs are under 7 CFR Part 1499, Foreign
Donation Programs and 7 CFR Part 1599, McGovern-Dole International Food
for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
Need and Use of the Information: FAS will collect information from
cooperating sponsor to determine its ability to carry out a food aid
program, to establish terms under which the commodities will be
provided, to monitor the progress of commodity distribution, including
how
[[Page 15782]]
transportation is procured, and to evaluate both the program's success
and the Cooperating Sponsor's effectiveness in meeting certain goals.
Description of Respondents: Not for-profit institutions; business
or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 241.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: Semi-annually;
quarterly.
Total Burden Hours: 50,434.
Farm Service Agency
Title: Farm Loan Programs Account Servicing Policies.
OMB Control Number: 0560-0161.
Summary of Collection: The Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Farm Loan
Program (FLP) provides supervised credit in the form of loans to family
farmers and ranchers to purchase land and finance agricultural
production. The regulations covering this information collection
request describes the policies and procedures the agency will use the
service most FLP loans. These loans include Operating, Farm Ownership,
Soil and Water, Softwood Timber Production, Emergency, Economic
Emergency, Economic Opportunity, Recreation, and Rural Housing loans
for farm service buildings. Servicing of accounts is administered in
accordance with the provisions of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (CONACT) as amended by the Food Security Act of 1985,
the Agriculture Credit Act of 1987, the Food Agriculture Conservation
and Trade Act of 1990, the Agricultural Credit Improvement Act of 1992,
and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.
Need and Use of the Information: The information collected will be
used by FSA to service the borrower's loan account and to consider the
financially distressed or delinquent borrower's request for debt
restructuring including rescheduling, reamortization, consolidation,
deferral, and write down. Failure to collect the information would
result in borrowers not being provided with available servicing options
or could result in the potential demise of their operation and the loss
of security property through either voluntary or forced liquidation.
Description of Respondents: Farms; individuals or households;
business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 24,189.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 14,312.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Fruit from Hawaii.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0123.
Summary of Collection: The United States Department of Agriculture
is responsible for preventing plant diseases or insect pests from
spreading within the United States. Under the Plant Protection Act (7
U.S.C. 7701-7772), the Secretary of Agriculture, 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.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulates the
interstate movement of fruits and vegetables from Hawaii to prevent the
spread of Mediterranean fruit fly, the melon fly, the Oriental fruit
fly, and the Malaysian fruit fly pests that occur in Hawaii and can
cause millions of dollars in damage to U.S. agriculture.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information
using several forms to ensure fruits from Hawaii are free from pests
and disease.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 300.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 327.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Imported Seed and Screening.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0124.
Summary of Collection: The United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) is responsible for preventing plant diseases or insect pests
from entering the United States, preventing the spread of pests not
widely distributed in the United States, and eradicating those imported
pest when eradication is feasible. The Plant Quarantine Act and the
Federal Plant Pest Act authorizes the Department to carry out this
mission. Under the authority of the Federal Seed Act of 1939, as
amended, the USDA regulates the importation and interstate movement of
certain agricultural and vegetable seeds. The Plant Protection &
Quarantine Division of USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service
(PHIS) has established a seed analysis program with Canada that allows
U.S. companies that import seed for cleaning or processing to enter
into compliance agreements with APHIS. This program eliminates the need
for sampling shipments of Canadian-origin seed at the border, and
allows certain seed importers to clean seed without the direct
supervision of an APHIS inspector. APHIS will collect information using
two forms.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to
prevent the spread of insect pests and noxious weeds from entering into
the United States. If the information were not collected, there would
be no way of preventing noxious weeds from entering the United States.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 30,000.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 11,345.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Plum Pox Compensation.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0159.
Summary of Collection: Plum Pox is an extremely serious viral
disease of plants that can affect many stone fruit species, including
plum, peach, apricot, almond, and nectarine. The United States
Department of Agriculture is responsible for preventing plant pests and
noxious weeds for entering the United States; preventing the spread of
pests new to the United States and eradicating those imported pests and
weeds when eradication is feasible. The regulations in 7 CFR 301.74-5
permit owners of commercial stone fruit orchards and owners of fruit
tree nurseries to receive compensation under certain circumstances.
Owners of commercial stone fruit orchards may receive compensation for
losses associated with trees destroyed to control plum pox pursuant to
an emergency action notification (EAN) issued by the Animal & Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information
using form PPQ, 651 Application for Plum Pox Compensation. The data
collected provides the owner's name and address, a description of the
owner's property, and a certification statement that the trees removed
from the owner's property were stone fruit trees from commercial fruit
orchards or fruit tree nurseries. If the information were not
collected, APHIS would be unable to compensate eligible grove and
nursery owners for the loss of their trees.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 6.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 1.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Importation of Artificially Dwarfed Plants.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0176.
Summary of Collection: Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C.
7701-
[[Page 15783]]
7772), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to prohibit or
restrict the importation, entry or movement of plants and plant pests,
to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United States or
their dissemination within the United States. Plant Protection and
Quarantine (PPQ), a unit within USDA's Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS), enforce these regulations. Artificially
dwarfed plants imported into the United States must be accompanied by a
phytosanitary certificate of inspection issued by a plant health
official employed by the government of the country from which the
plants are exported.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information
from the phytosanitary certificate to state that the plants were: (1)
Grown for at least 2 years in a nursery that is registered with the
government of the country of export; (2) grown in pots containing only
sterile growing media; (3) grown on benches at least 50 cm above the
ground; and (4) inspected at least once each year by the plant
protection service of the country of export. The collected information
will enable PPQ to verify that the imported plants were grown under
conditions that helped keep the plants free from infestation by certain
longhorned beetles and other pests. Without the information, APHIS
could not verify that imported nursery stock does not present
significant risk of introducing plant pests and plant diseases into the
United States.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; farms;
State, Local or Tribal Government; individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 20.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting; on occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 25.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: National Non-Ambulatory Livestock Study.
OMB Control Number: 0579-NEW.
Summary of Collection: The United States Department of Agriculture
is responsible for protecting the health of our Nation's livestock and
poultry populations by preventing the introduction and dissemination of
any pest or disease of livestock and for eradicating such pest and
diseases from the United States when feasible. The Center for
Epidemiology and Animal Health, Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS), plans to initiate an information
collection to gather data for the National Non-Ambulatory Livestock
Study. The objectives of the study is to: (1) Assess the scope of the
non-ambulatory livestock; (2) identify the causes that render livestock
non-ambulatory; (3) examine humane treatment practices for non-
ambulatory livestock; and (4) examine the extent to which non-
ambulatory livestock may present handling and disposition problems for
stockyards, market agencies, and dealers.
Need and Use of the Information: The collected information will be
used to promulgate regulations for the humane treatment, handling, and
disposition of non-ambulatory livestock as the Secretary sees fit. The
information will also be used to optimize BSE surveillance.
Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit;
State, Local or Tribal Government; Federal Government.
Number of Respondents: 4,375.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting; on occasion; quarterly.
Total Burden Hours: 5,500.
National Agriculture Statistics Service
Title: Cotton Ginning Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0220.
Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National
Agricultural Statistics Services (NASS) is to prepare and issue state
and national estimates of crop and livestock production, disposition
and prices as well as specialty agricultural and environmental
statistics. The Cotton Ginning Survey provides statistics concerning
cotton ginning for specific dates and geographic regions and aids in
forecasting cotton production, which is required under U.S.C. Title 13,
section 42(a).
Need and use of the Information: The ginning data collected
provides (1) all segments of the cotton industry-buyers, brokers,
crushers, shippers, textile firms, and researches with exact quantities
of cotton available at specific geographic locations within the U.S. on
a regular basis; (2) precise statistics, especially when at least 50
percent of the forecasted cotton production has been ginned in a state;
and (3) (final season ginning data is used to establish final
production. If the information were collected less frequent, the cotton
industry would be without county level quantities ginned that could
seriously affect transportation costs and marketing strategies.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 920.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (biweekly Sept.-Jan.).
Total Burden Hours: 840.
Agricultural Marketing Service
Title: Farmers Market Questionnaire.
OMB Control Number: 0581-0169.
Summary of Collection: The Transportation and Marketing (T&M)
Program, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) conducts research to find
better designs, development techniques, and operating methods for
modern farmer's markets under the Agency's Marketing Service Branch.
Individual studies are conducted in close cooperation with local
interested parties. Recommendations are made available to local
decision makers interested in constructing modern farmer's markets to
serve area producers and consumers. T&M researchers will survey by
mail, with telephone follow-up, the managers of farmer's markets
identified in the 2000 National Farmer's Market Directory. These
markets represent a varied range of sizes, geographical locations,
types, ownership, and structure and will provide a valid overview of
farmer's markets in the United States.
Need and Use of the Information: The form, T-6 ``Farmer's Market
Questionnaire,'' is used to collect information and will serve as a
survey instrument to obtain a clearer picture of existing farmer's
market structure as well as provide a measure of growth. Information
such as the size of markets, operating times and days, retail and
wholesale sales, management structure, and rules and regulations
governing the markets are all important questions that need to be
answered in the design of a new market. The information developed by
this survey will support better designs, development techniques, and
operating methods for modern farmers markets and outline improvements
that can be applied to revitalize existing markets. If this information
is not collected, the ongoing research to develop new farmer's markets
must rely on limited and often anecdotal information. This narrow focus
will limit the ability of research to provide effective designs and
development plans for new markets where such information is not
immediately available.
Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.
Number of Respondents: 3,100.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Biennially.
Total Burden Hours: 388.
Rural Utilities Service
Title: Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR Part 1794).
OMB Control Number: 0572-0117.
Summary of Collection: In December 1998, the Rural Utilities
Service (RUS)
[[Page 15784]]
published its revised Environmental Policies and Procedures and in 2003
revisions were made to clarify policy on certain environmental review
processes. The rule promulgated environmental regulations that cover
all RUS Federal actions taken by RUS' electric, telecommunications,
water and environmental programs. The regulation was necessary to
ensure continued RUS compliance with the Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508),
and certain related Federal environmental laws, statutes, regulations,
and Executive Orders. RUS electric, telecommunications, water and
environmental program borrowers provide environmental documentation to
assure that policy contained in NEPA is followed.
Need and Use of the Information: RUS will collect information to
evaluate the cost and feasibility of the proposed project and the
environmental impact. If the information is not collected, the agency
would not be in compliance with NEPA and CEQ regulations.
Description of Respondents: Non-for-profit institutions; business
or other for-profit.
Number of respondents: 600.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 440,200.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Animal Welfare; Transportation of Animals on International
Carriers.
OMB Control Number: 0579-NEW.
Summary of Collection: Under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) (7 U.S.C.
2131 et seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to promulgate
standards and other requirements governing the humane handling, care,
treatment, and transportation of certain animals by dealers, research
facilities, exhibitors, and carriers and intermediate handlers. The
Secretary has delegated responsibility for administering the AWA to the
Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services
(APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. APHIS will be applying
the AWA regulations and standards for the humane transportation of
animals in commerce to all international carriers operating within the
United States, its territories, possessions, or the District of
Columbia. APHIS believes that animals being transported by
international carriers should be afforded the same protection under the
AWA as if domestic carriers were transporting them.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information
using APHIS form 7001, United States Interstate and International
Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals and APHIS form
7011, Application for Registration. The information and certification
is necessary for carriers and intermediate handlers to properly care
for and deliver the animals to destination in a speedy and humane
manner. The information is also used in documenting instances of
violations for possible legal action and for location facilities or
persons who are evading regulations under the law. Without the
information, full enforcement of the AWA would be limited or totally
ineffective.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; not-for-
profit institutions.
Number of Respondents: 20.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 175.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Emerald Ash Borer.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0233.
Summary of Collection: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) is quarantining 13 counties in Michigan because of the
emerald ash borer (EAB) and restricting the interstate movement of
regulated articles from these quarantined areas. The EAB is a
destructive wood-boring insect that attacks ash trees (Fraxinus spp.,
including green ash, white ash, black ash, and several horticultural
varieties of ash). The insect, which is indigenous to Asia and known to
occur in China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, the Russian Far East, Taiwan,
and Canada, eventually kills healthy ash trees after it bores beneath
their bark and disrupts their vascular tissues. The authority for this
collection can be found at CFR Part 301.53-1 through 301.53-9.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to
prevent the artificial spread of this plant pest from infested areas in
the State of Michigan to noninfested areas of the United States. If
APHIS did not collect the information, the effectiveness of their EAB
quarantine would be severely compromised, likely resulting in the
interstate spread of this destructive (and economically damaging)
agricultural pest.
Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit;
Individuals or households; State, Local or Tribal Government
Number of Respondents: 225.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 180.
Farm Service Agency
Title: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Land Contract Guarantee Pilot
Program.
OMB Control Number: 0560-0228.
Summary of Collection: Section 310 F of the consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act authorizes the Secretary to establish a pilot
program to provide guarantees of loans made by private sellers of a
farm or ranch on a contract land sales basis to qualified beginning
farmers or ranchers. Pilot Program has been implemented in six States.
The pilot program will be funded using the Guaranteed Farm Ownership
loan allocation, and funds will be available for each State to
guarantee up to five loans per year. Under the Pilot Program, the Farm
Service Agency (FSA) will provide the seller of the land a ``prompt
payment'' guarantee.
Need and Use of the Information: FSA will collect information using
several FSA forms to evaluate and determine if the buyer and the sales
transaction meet the criteria established by the Agency. Failure to
collect this information may result in persons receiving benefits other
than intended program beneficiaries.
Description of Respondents: Farms, Individuals or households;
Business or other for-profit; Federal Government.
Number of Respondents: 460.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 1,126.
Farm Service Agency
Title: Guaranteed Farm Loan Programs.
OMB Control Number: 0560-0155.
Summary of Collection: The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (CONTACT), as amended, authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to
make and service loans guaranteed by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to
eligible farmers and ranchers. The statutory authorities for the
guaranteed loan program is set out in the Code of Federal Regulations,
Title 7, Chapter VII, part 762. The loans made and serviced under 762
include farm operating, farm ownership, and soil and water loans. The
loan applicant must be a citizen of the United States, own and operate
or become the owner and operator of not larger than a family size farm
and be unable to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere at reasonable rates
and terms.
Need and Use of the Information: FSA will collect information using
several
[[Page 15785]]
agency forms to determine lender and loan applicant eligibility for
farm loan guarantees, and to ensure that the lender protects the
government's financial interests. If the information were not
collected, the agency would be unable to meet the congressionally
mandated mission of the guaranteed loan program.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Farms
Business or other for-profit; Federal Government.
Number of Respondents: 16,500.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (when applying for loans).
Total Burden Hours: 201,240.
Rural Utilities Service
Title: Broadband Pilot Grant Program.
OMB Control Number: 0572-0127.
Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service has the
responsibility to deploy broadband service in unserved rural areas and
to provide broadband grants for purposes of delivering broadband
services to rural areas. Congress has appropriated funds in FY03 and
FY04 to continue this program that will promote economic development
and provide enhanced educational and health care opportunities.
Need and Use of the Information: RUS will provide financial
assistance in the form of grants to eligible entities to provide
broadband transmission service in rural communities where such service
does not currently exist. RUS will use the information to determine
that funds needed to complete the project are adequate based on the
amount requested.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; not-for-
profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 300.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting; On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 48,010.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Title: Importation of Mangoes from the Philippines.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0172.
Summary of Collection: The United States Department of Agriculture
is responsible for preventing plant pests and noxious weeds from
entering the United States. Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C.
7711-7714), the Secretary of widely distributed throughout the United
States. The regulations in ``Subpart-Fruit and Vegetables'' (7 CFR
319.56 through 319.56-8) allow the importation of mangoes from Guimaras
Island in the Republic of the Philippines into the United States under
certain conditions. The regulations require the use of box marking to
indicate the origin of the fruit, phytosanitary certificate to
confirmed that the fruit has been grown and treated in accordance with
the regulations and a trust fund agreement between the Republic of the
Philippines Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to
cover the Agency's participation in the treatment and inspection
activities in the Philippines that are required for the importation of
mangoes.
Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information to
verify that the commodity was treated adequately with heat to eliminate
the pest risk and to verify that the temperature remained at the
appropriate level for the entire treatment period, thereby destroying
any fruit flies present in the commodity.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 20.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 40.
Sondra Blakey,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-6788 Filed 3-25-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M