[Federal Register: April 22, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 78)]
[Notices]               
[Page 21579-21580]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22ap08-27]                         

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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 21579]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

 
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

April 16, 2008.
    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), 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) 720-8958.
    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.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Scrapie in Sheep and Goats; Interstate Movement Restrictions 
and Indemnity Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0101.
    Summary Of Collection: Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-71, subtitle E, Animal Health Protection, 
Section 10401-10418, the Secretary of Agriculture, in order to protect 
the agriculture, environment, economy, and health and welfare of the 
people of the United States by preventing, detecting, controlling, and 
eradicating diseases and pests of animal, is authorized to cooperate 
with foreign countries, States, and other jurisdictions, or other 
person, to prevent and eliminate burdens on interstate commerce and 
foreign commerce, and to regulate effectively interstate commerce and 
foreign commerce. Scrapie is a progressive, degenerative and eventually 
fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. 
Its control is complicated because the disease has an extremely long 
incubation period without clinical signs of disease, and there is no 
test for the disease and or known treatment. The Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) restricts the interstate movement of 
certain sheep and goats to help prevent the spread of scrapie. APHIS 
has regulations at 9 CFR part 54 for an indemnity program to compensate 
owners of sheep and goats destroyed because of scrapie.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect information 
using cooperative agreements; applications from owners to participate 
in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program; post-exposure management 
and monitoring plans; scrapie test records; application for indemnity 
payments; certificates, permits, and owner statements for the 
interstate movement of certain sheep and goats; application for 
premises identification numbers; and applications for APHIS-approved 
eartags, backtags, or tattoos, etc. Without this information APHIS' 
efforts to more aggressively prevent the spread of scrapie would be 
severely hindered.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit; 
State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 131,911.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 670,455.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Customer/Stakeholder Satisfaction Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: Collection and dissemination of animal 
health data and information is mandated by 7 U.S.C. 391, the Animal 
Industry Act of 1884, which established the precursor of the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services, the 
Bureau of Animal Industry. The collection, analysis and dissemination 
of livestock and poultry health information on a national basis are 
consistent with the APHIS mission of protecting and improving American 
agriculture's productivity and competitiveness. The National Animal 
Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) program relies heavily on producer and 
industry support. The NAHMS Program is committed to improving the value 
of studies for producers and industry, reducing the burden of these 
studies on respondents, and developing timely information of value to 
the American public. As part of this commitment, the NAHMS is seeking 
approval to perform customer/stakeholder satisfaction surveys for 
participants of NAHMS studies, user of NAHMS information as well as 
recipients of the U.S. Animal Health Report. Therefore, NAHMS needs to 
collect this type of feedback from producer and other to enhance future 
studies and ensure that the informational products are meeting their 
needs.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information collected through 
the surveys will be analyzed and used for internal program adjustments 
and to tailor future NAHMS studies and reports. The potential benefit 
to the industry from these surveys is feedback to improve the program, 
laboratory services and informational products by gathering relevant 
and timely information and opinion on the content and method of program 
or service delivery.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

[[Page 21580]]

    Number of Respondents: 35,700.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting; On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,471.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-8644 Filed 4-21-08; 8:45 am]

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