[Federal Register: April 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 73)]
[Notices]
[Page 19971]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ap04-28]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 04-026-1]
Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information
Collection
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
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 in support of regulations for the interstate movement of
regulated articles from quarantined areas in order to prevent the
spread of the West Indian fruit fly to noninfested areas of the United
States.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June
14, 2004.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket
No. 04-026-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state
that your comment refers to Docket No. 04-026-1.
E-mail: Address your comment to
regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your comment must be contained in the body
of your message; do not send attached files. Please include your name
and address in your message and ``Docket No. 04-026-1'' on the subject
line.
Agency Web site: Go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/cominst.html
for a form you can use to
submit an e-mail comment through the APHIS Web site.
Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this
docket in our reading room. The reading room 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) 690-2817 before coming.
Other Information: You may view APHIS documents published in the
Federal Register and related information, including the names of groups
and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, on the Internet at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the West Indian
fruit fly regulations, contact Mr. Michael B. Stefan, Director,
Emergency Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 134, Riverdale, MD
20737-1236; (301) 734-4387. For copies of more detailed information on
the information collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS'
Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-7477.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: West Indian Fruit Fly.
OMB Number: 0579-0170.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701-7772) authorizes
the Secretary of Agriculture, either independently or in cooperation
with States, to carry out operations or measures to detect, eradicate,
suppress, control, prevent, or retard the spread of plant pests, such
as West Indian fruit fly, that are new to or not widely distributed
within the United States.
The West Indian fruit fly, Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), is a very
destructive pest of fruits and vegetables, including carambola,
grapefruit, guava, limes, mangoes, oranges, passion fruit, peaches, and
pears. This pest can cause serious economic losses by lowering the
yield and quality of these fruits and vegetables and, in some cases, by
damaging seedlings and young plants. Heavy infestations can result in
complete loss of these crops.
Regulations in 7 CFR 301.98 through 301.98-10 restrict the
interstate movement of regulated articles from quarantined areas to
prevent the spread of the West Indian fruit fly to noninfested areas of
the United States and require the use of certain information collection
activities in the form of certificates or limited permits and
compliance agreements.
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 Agency, including
whether the information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the
information collection, 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 information collection 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 reporting burden for this collection
of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response.
Respondents: State and county cooperators (inspectors) and
producers, handlers, and movers of regulated fruit and vegetables.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 37.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
Estimated annual number of responses: 37.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 37 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 9th day of April 2004.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 04-8560 Filed 4-14-04; 8:45 am]
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