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.

Notices Federal Register

15934 

Vol. 76, No. 55 

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2010–0122] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Karnal Bunt; Importation of Wheat and 

Related Articles 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Extension of approval of an 

information collection; comment 

request. 

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 associated with 

regulations for the importation of wheat 

and related articles from regions 

affected with Karnal bunt. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before May 23, 

2011. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/

component/main?main=DocketDetail&

d=APHIS-2010-0122 to submit or view 

comments and to view supporting and 

related materials available 

electronically. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send one copy of your comment 

to Docket No. APHIS–2010–0122, 

Regulatory Analysis and Development, 

PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 

River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1238. Please state that your 

comment refers to Docket No. APHIS– 

2010–0122. 

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: Additional 

information about APHIS and its 

programs is available on the Internet at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on regulations for the 

importation of wheat and related 

articles from regions affected with 

Karnal bunt, contact Mr. William Aley, 

Senior Import Specialist, Risk 

Management and Plants for Planting 

Policy, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road 

Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; 

(301) 734–5057. For copies of more 

detailed information on the information 

collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, 

APHIS’ Information Collection 

Coordinator, at (301) 851–2908. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Karnal Bunt; Importation of 

Wheat and Related Articles. 

OMB Number: 0579–0240. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: As authorized by the Plant 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) 

(PPA), the Secretary of Agriculture may 

prohibit or restrict the importation, 

entry, exportation, or movement in 

interstate commerce of any plant, plant 

product, biological control organism, 

noxious weed, means of conveyance, or 

other article if the Secretary determines 

that the prohibition or restriction is 

necessary to prevent a plant pest or 

noxious weed from being introduced 

into or disseminated within the United 

States. This authority has been 

delegated to the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS), 

which administers regulations to 

implement the PPA. 

Karnal bunt is a fungal disease of 

wheat (Triticum aestivum), durum 

wheat (Triticum durum), and triticale 

(Triticum aestivum X Secale cereale), a 

hybrid of wheat and rye. Karnal bunt is 

caused by the smut fungus Tilletia 

indica (Mitra) Mundkhur and is spread 

by spores, primarily through the 

movement of infected seed. Karnal bunt 

is found in Afghanistan, India, Iraq, 

Pakistan, and portions of Mexico and 

the United States. 

To prevent the introduction and 

spread of various wheat diseases, 

including Karnal bunt, APHIS’s 

regulations in Subpart—Wheat Diseases 

(7 CFR 319.59–1 through 319.59–4) 

prohibit the importation of wheat seed, 

straw, and other products into the 

United States from regions affected with 

Karnal bunt. 

The regulations require that certain 

regulated articles imported from Karnal 

bunt-free areas within regions regulated 

for Karnal bunt be accompanied by a 

phytosanitary certificate that must be 

completed by an official of the national 

plant protection organization of the 

region of origin. The certificate must 

include a declaration stating that the 

regulated articles originated in areas 

where Karnal bunt is not known to 

occur, as attested to either by survey 

results or by testing for bunted kernals 

or spores. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of this information 

collection activity 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 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 1.2 

hours per response. 

Respondents: U.S. importers/ 

exporters of wheat, foreign Federal 

officials. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 500. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 1. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 55 / Tuesday, March 22, 2011 / Notices 15935 

1To view the notice, EA, and FONSI go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/

component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS–

2010–0115. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 500. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 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 16th day of 

March 2011. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6604 Filed 3–21–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2010–0115] 

Availability of an Environmental 

Assessment and Finding of No 

Significant Impact for a Biological 

Control Agent for Air Potato 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that an environmental assessment and 

finding of no significant impact have 

been prepared by the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service relative to the 

control of air potato (Dioscorea 

bulbifera). Based on its finding of no 

significant impact, the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service has 

determined that an environmental 

impact statement need not be prepared. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Shirley Wager-Page, Chief, Pest 

Permitting Branch, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 

River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1237; (301) 734–8453. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing 

to issue permits for the release of an 

insect, Lilioceris cheni, into the 

continental United States for use as a 

biological control agent to reduce the 

severity of air potato (Dioscorea 

bulbifera) infestations. 

On January 19, 2011, we published in 

the Federal Register (76 FR 3076–3077, 

Docket No. APHIS–2010–0115) a 

notice 1 in which we announced the 

availability, for public review and 

comment, of an environmental 

assessment (EA) that examined the 

potential environmental impacts 

associated with the proposed release of 

this biological control agent into the 

continental United States. 

We solicited comments on the EA for 

30 days ending February 18, 2011. We 

received one comment by that date, 

from a State agricultural agency. The 

commenter, who supported the 

proposed release, asked whether, when 

the shipments of L. cheni were 

imported, the identity of the specimens 

was confirmed and if voucher 

specimens had been established. The 

commenter was concerned that the 

validity of the host specificity testing 

would be called into question if the 

identity of the specimens was not firmly 

established. We have notified the 

commenter that the identity of the 

specimens was confirmed at the time of 

their importation and that voucher 

specimens have been set aside. 

In this document, we are advising the 

public of our finding of no significant 

impact (FONSI) regarding the release of 

L. cheni, into the continental United 

States for use as a biological control 

agent to reduce the severity of air potato 

(Dioscorea bulbifera) infestations. The 

finding, which is based on the EA, 

reflects our determination that release of 

this biological control agent will not 

have a significant impact on the quality 

of the human environment. 

The EA and FONSI may be viewed on 

the Regulations.gov Web site (see 

footnote 1). Copies of the EA and FONSI 

are also available for public inspection 

at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 

14th Street and Independence Avenue, 

SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. 

and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except holidays. Persons wishing to 

inspect copies are requested to call 

ahead on (202) 690–2817 to facilitate 

entry into the reading room. In addition, 

copies may be obtained by calling or 

writing to the individual listed under 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

The EA and FONSI have been 

prepared in accordance with: (1) The 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.), (2) regulations of the 

Council on Environmental Quality for 

implementing the procedural provisions 

of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3) 

USDA regulations implementing NEPA 

(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA 

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 

372). 

Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of 

March 2011. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6605 Filed 3–21–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Lake Tahoe Federal 

Advisory Committee (LTFAC) will hold 

meetings on March 31, 2011, April 6, 

2011, and April 19, 2011 at the Lake 

Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 

College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 

96150. This Committee, established by 

the Secretary of Agriculture on 

December 15, 1998 (64 FR 2876), is 

chartered to provide advice to the 

Secretary on implementing the terms of 

the Federal Interagency Partnership on 

the Lake Tahoe Region and other 

matters raised by the Secretary. 

DATES: The meetings will be held March 

31, 2011 beginning at 10 a.m. and 

ending at 4 p.m. and April 6, 2011, 

beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 4 

p.m. and April 19, 2011 beginning at 10 

a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 

35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 

96150. 

For Further Information or to Request 

an Accommodation (one week prior to 

meeting date) Contact: Arla Hains, Lake 

Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Forest 

Service, 35 College Drive, South Lake 

Tahoe, CA 96150, (530) 543–2773. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Items to 

be covered on the agenda on March 31, 

2011: (1) Tahoe Working Group 

presentation on the Southern Nevada 

Public Management Act (SNPLMA) 

Round 12 capital project nominations 

and science themes, and (2) public 

comment. Items to be covered on the 

agenda on April 6 include: (1) Followup presentations on the SNPLMA 

Round 12 capital project nominations 

and science themes, and (2) public 

comments. Items to be covered on the 

agenda on April 9 include (1) LTFAC 

SNPLMA Round 12 preliminary 

recommendations for capital projects 

and science themes, and (2) public 

comment. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES