[Federal Register: December 31, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 251)]
[Notices]
[Page 80361-80362]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31de08-23]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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[[Page 80361]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Notice of Intent To Revise a Currently Approved Information
Collection
AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5
CFR part 1320 (60 FR 44977, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service's (CSREES)
intention to revise a currently approved information collection
entitled, ``Reporting Requirements for State Plans of Work for
Agricultural Research and Extension Formula Funds.'' The only proposed
change to the information collection is that the initial five year plan
of work will no longer be required.
DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by March 2,
2009 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date
will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket ID
CSREES--FRDOC--0001, by any of the following methods: Federal
eRulemaking Portal: http://regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for
submitting comments.
E-mail: bhewitt@csrees.usda.gov;
Mail: Bart Hewitt, USDA/CSREES/OPA, STOP 2214, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-2214;
Fax: (202) 720-7714.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bart Hewitt, (202) 720-0747.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Reporting Requirements for State
Plans of Work for Agricultural Research and Extension Formula Grants.
OMB Number: 0524-0036.
Expiration Date of Current Approval: May 31, 2009.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information
collection for three years.
Abstract: The purpose of this collection of information is to
continue implementing the requirements of sections 202 and 225 of the
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998
(AREERA) which require that a plan of work must be submitted by each
institution and approved by the Cooperative State Research, Education,
and Extension Service (CSREES) before formula funds may be provided to
the 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions. The formula funds are
authorized under the Hatch Act for agricultural research activities at
the 1862 land-grant institutions, under the Smith-Lever Act for the
extension activities at the 1862 land-grant institutions, and under
sections 1444 and 1445 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA) for research and
extension activities at the 1890 land-grant institutions. The plan of
work must address critical agricultural issues in the State and
describe the programs and projects targeted to address these issues
using the CSREES formula funds. The plan of work also must describe the
institution's multistate activities as well as their integrated
research and extension activities.
This collection of information also includes the reporting
requirements of section 102(c) of AREERA for the 1862 and 1890 land-
grant institutions. This section requires the 1862, 1890, and 1994
land-grant institutions receiving agricultural research, education, and
extension formula funds from CSREES of the Department of Agriculture
(USDA) to establish and implement processes for obtaining input from
persons who conduct or use agricultural research, extension, or
education concerning the use of such funds by October 1, 1999. Section
102(c) further requires that the Secretary of Agriculture promulgate
regulations that prescribe what the institutions must do to meet this
requirement and the consequences of not complying with this
requirement. See 65 FR 5993, Feb. 8, 2000 (7 CFR 3418) on Stakeholder
Input Requirements for Recipients of Agricultural Research, Education,
and Extension Formula Funds. This rule applies not only to the land-
grant institutions which receive formula funds but also to the
veterinary and forestry schools that are not land-grant institutions
but which receive forestry research funds under the McIntire-Stennis
Act of 1962 and Animal Health and Disease Research funds under section
1433 of the NARETPA. Failure to comply with the requirements of this
rule may result in the withholding of a recipient institution's formula
funds and redistribution of its share of formula funds to other
eligible institutions. The institutions are required to annually report
to CSREES: (1) The actions taken to seek stakeholder input to encourage
their participation; (2) a brief statement of the process used by the
recipient institution to identify individuals and groups who are
stakeholders and to collect input from them; and (3) a statement of how
collected input was considered. There is no legislatively prescribed
form or format for this reporting requirement. However, the 1862 and
1890 land-grant institutions are required to report on their
Stakeholder Input Process annually as part of their Annual Report of
Accomplishments and Results.
Section 103(e) of AREERA requires that the 1862, 1890, and 1994
land-grant institutions establish a merit review process, prior to
October 1, 1999, in order to obtain agricultural research and extension
funds. Section 104(h) of AREERA also stipulated that a scientific peer
review process be established for research programs funded under
section 3(c)(3) of the Hatch Act (commonly referred to as Hatch
Multistate Research Funds).
I. Initial 5-Year Plan of Work
Estimate of the Burden: The Initial 5-Year Plan of Work was
submitted for the FY 2007-2011 Plan of Work in 2006. Thus, this
reporting burden has been satisfied and will no longer be collected.
Consequently, the total reporting and record keeping requirements for
the submission of the ``Initial 5-Year Plan of Work'' is estimated to
average 0 hours per response.
[[Page 80362]]
II. Annual Update to 5-Year Plan of Work
Estimate of the Burden: The total reporting and record keeping
requirements for the submission of the ``Annual Update to the 5-Year
Plan of Work'' is estimated to average 64 hours per response. There are
five components of this ``5-Year Plan of Work'': ``Planned Programs,''
``Stakeholder Input Process,'' ``Program Review Process,'' ``Multi-
state Activities,'' and ``Integrated Activities.''
Estimated Number of Respondents: 75.
Estimated Number of Responses: 150.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 9,600 hours.
Frequency of Responses: Annually.
III. Annual Report of Accomplishments and Results
Estimate of the Burden: The total annual reporting and record
keeping requirements of the ``Annual Report of Accomplishments and
Results'' is estimated to average 260 hours per response.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 75.
Estimated Number of Responses: 150.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 39,000 hours.
Frequency of Responses: Annually.
Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed
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
the burden of the proposed collection of information including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (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.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments also will become a matter of
public record.
Obtaining a Copy of the Information Collection: A copy of the
information collection and related instructions may be obtained free of
charge by contacting Bart Hewitt by telephone, (202) 720-0747, or by e-
mail, bhewitt@csrees.usda.gov.
Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of December 2008.
Joseph Dunn,
Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics.
[FR Doc. E8-31143 Filed 12-30-08; 8:45 am]
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