[Federal Register: April 20, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 75)]
[Notices]
[Page 20515-20516]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20ap05-25]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 05-018-1]
Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: New 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 approval of a new information collection activity,
the National Chronic Wasting Disease 2005 Study.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June
20, 2005.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
EDOCKET: Go to http://www.epa.gov/feddocket to submit
or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of
the official public docket, and to access those documents in the
public docket that are available electronically. Once you have
entered EDOCKET, click on the ``View Open APHIS Dockets'' link to
locate this document.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four
copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No.
05-018-1, 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. 05-018-1.
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 on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the Chronic Wasting
[[Page 20516]]
Disease 2005 Study, contact Mr. Chris Quatrano, Management and Program
Analyst, Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, VS, APHIS, 2150
Centre Avenue, Building B MS 2E6, Fort Collins, CO 80526; (970) 494-
7207. 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: National Animal Health Monitoring System; Chronic Wasting
Disease 2005 Study.
OMB Number: 0579-XXXX.
Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
Abstract: 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 interstate
spread of serious diseases and pests of livestock and for eradicating
such diseases from the United States when feasible. In connection with
this mission, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
operates the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), which
collects, on a national basis, statistically valid and scientifically
sound data on the prevalence and economic importance of livestock and
poultry disease risk factors.
NAHMS' national studies have evolved into a collaborative industry
and government initiative to help determine the most effective means of
preventing and controlling diseases of livestock. APHIS is the only
agency responsible for collecting national data on livestock health.
Participation in any NAHMS study is voluntary, and all data are
confidential.
APHIS plans to initiate a national study titled the Chronic Wasting
Disease (CWD) 2005 Study. The study will collect information from 5,600
cervid producers nationwide. The purpose of the CWD 2005 Study is to
support the farmed/captive cervid industry by collecting baseline data
to: (1) Describe general health and management practices; (2) describe
the farmed/captive cervid industry; and (3) identify the most efficient
ways to contact producers for outreach purposes. The potential benefit
to the industry from the CWD 2005 Study is increased information on the
impact of general health and management practices.
CWD is a fatal, neurological disease that occurs in deer and elk
populations. It belongs to the family of diseases known as
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which includes bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, scrapie in sheep and goats,
and both variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (vCJD) and Creutzfeldt-Jacob
Disease in humans. Although all TSEs are similar, CWD only affects deer
and elk. A herd usually presents evidence of CWD infection within 5
years of exposure through the presence of sick or dead animals.
APHIS is establishing a voluntary program for farmed/captive cervid
herds that will track how long a particular herd has been closed and
monitored for CWD. The CWD 2005 Study will include farms that choose to
enroll in the CWD certification program. In conjunction with this
effort, NAHMS plans to use this opportunity to collect data from cervid
producers within the United States as producers enroll in the CWD
certification program. APHIS will analyze information from this study
and prepare descriptive reports and information sheets that will be
disseminated to cervid producers, stakeholders, academia, and other
interested parties.
We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve
the national CWD 2005 Study.
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, 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: Cervid producers.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 5,600.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
Estimated annual number of responses: 5,600.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 5,600 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 14th day of April 2005.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E5-1861 Filed 4-19-05; 8:45 am]
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