Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 79 / Wednesday, April 24, 2013 / Notices 24155 

APHIS–2012–0105, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at http:// 

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0105 or 

in our reading room, which 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) 799–7039 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Sarah Tomlinson, Associate 

Coordinator, National Animal Health 

Laboratory Network, Veterinary 

Services, APHIS, 2140 Centre Avenue, 

Building B, Fort Collins, CO 80526; 

(970) 494–7152. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The National Animal Health 

Laboratory Network (NAHLN) is a 

nationally coordinated network and 

partnership of Federal, State, and 

university-associated animal health 

laboratories working to protect animal 

and public health and the nation’s food 

supply by providing diagnostic testing 

aimed at detecting biological threats to 

the nation’s food animals. Participating 

NAHLN laboratories are currently 

designated as Core, Member, Contract, 

or Adjunct laboratories, depending on 

their testing capacities, geographical 

distribution, and degree of 

specialization. Oversight and 

administration of the NAHLN is 

provided by the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

through the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS). Input and 

leadership is provided to the NAHLN by 

a Coordinating Council composed of 

USDA and State regulatory animal 

health officials and State employee 

representatives of NAHLN laboratories. 

Since its inception in 2002, the 

NAHLN has expanded from 12 to over 

50 current active participating 

laboratories, each with varying 

diagnostic capacities. The need and 

available technology for diagnostic 

testing has also changed. Stakeholder 

feedback indicates that the NAHLN’s 

structure also needs to change in order 

to expand detection of emerging and 

zoonotic diseases. To address 

stakeholder feedback, APHIS is 

considering certain elements that we 

believe will ensure continuation of the 

NAHLN’s founding principles while 

responding to the need for additional 

flexibility and capacity to address 

identified gaps in the nation’s 

surveillance, detection, and response 

capabilities. 

The concept paper describes the roles 

and responsibilities of the NAHLN 

Coordinating Council and offers a 

revised structure for the NAHLN that 

would clarify opportunities for 

participation by State-based NAHLN 

laboratories. Inclusion of State-based 

laboratories in the NAHLN allows for 

greater proximity to and linkages with 

producers and veterinarians, which is 

critical to early detection of foreign 

animal and emerging diseases. Possible 

criteria and designations for various 

levels of participation, including 

participation by private laboratories, are 

set forth in the concept paper. Instead 

of using Core, Member, Contract, or 

Adjunct laboratory designations, 

participating laboratories would be 

designated as Level 1, 2, or 3, Affiliate 

Laboratory, or Specialty Laboratory, 

depending on the criteria met by each 

participating laboratory. To maintain 

designation, qualifying laboratories 

would undergo annual reviews to 

demonstrate adherence to established 

NAHLN policies and procedures. 

APHIS will consider all comments 

received on the concept paper in 

determining the appropriate structure 

and governance for the NAHLN. The 

concept paper for the revised structure 

of the NAHLN may be viewed on the 

Regulations.gov Web site or in our 

reading room (see ADDRESSES above for 

a link to Regulations.gov and 

information on the location and hours of 

the reading room). You may request 

paper copies of the document by calling 

or writing to the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please 

refer to the title of this document when 

requesting copies. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of 

April 2013. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–09733 Filed 4–23–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2013–0017] 

Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk 

Analysis for Interstate Movement of 

Sapote Fruit From Puerto Rico Into the 

Continental United States 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that we have prepared a pest risk 

analysis that evaluates the risks 

associated with the interstate movement 

into the continental United States of 

fresh sapote fruit from Puerto Rico. 

Based on that analysis, we believe that 

the application of one or more 

designated phytosanitary measures will 

be sufficient to mitigate the risks of 

introducing or disseminating plant pests 

or noxious weeds via the interstate 

movement of sapote fruit from Puerto 

Rico. We are making the pest risk 

analysis available to the public for 

review and comment. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before June 24, 

2013. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0017- 

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2013–0017, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at http:// 

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0017 or 

in our reading room, which 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) 799–7039 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

David Lamb, Regulatory Policy 

Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737– 

1231; (301) 851–2103. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
24156 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 79 / Wednesday, April 24, 2013 / Notices 

Background 

Under the regulations in ‘‘Subpart— 

Regulated Articles From Hawaii and the 

Territories’’ (7 CFR 318.13–1 through 

318.13–26, referred to below as the 

regulations), the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

prohibits or restricts the interstate 

movement of fruits and vegetables into 

the continental United States from 

Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin 

Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth 

of the Northern Mariana Islands to 

prevent plant pests and noxious weeds 

from being introduced into and spread 

within the continental United States. 

(The continental United States is 

defined in § 318.13–2 of the regulations 

as the 48 contiguous States, Alaska, and 

the District of Columbia.) 

Section 318.13–4 contains a 

performance-based process for 

approving the interstate movement of 

commodities that, based on the findings 

of a pest risk analysis, can be safely 

moved subject to one or more of the 

designated phytosanitary measures 

listed in paragraph (b) of that section. 

APHIS received a request from 

tropical fruit growers in Puerto Rico to 

allow the interstate movement of fresh 

sapote fruit (Pouteria sapota) from 

Puerto Rico to the continental United 

States. We have completed a pest risk 

assessment to identify pests of 

quarantine significance that could 

follow the pathway of interstate 

movement into the continental United 

States and, based on that pest risk 

assessment, have prepared a risk 

management document to identify 

phytosanitary measures that could be 

applied to the commodity to mitigate 

the pest risk. We have concluded that 

sapote fruit can be safely moved from 

Puerto Rico to the continental United 

States using one or more of the six 

designated phytosanitary measures 

listed in § 318.13–4(b). The measures 

under which sapote fruit may be moved 

from Puerto Rico to the continental 

United States are: 

• Inspection in Puerto Rico; and 

• Movement of the sapote fruit as 

commercial consignments only. 

Therefore, in accordance with 

§ 318.13–4(c), we are announcing the 

availability of our pest risk assessment 

and risk management document for 

public review and comment. The 

documents may be viewed on the 

Regulations.gov Web site or in our 

reading room (see ADDRESSES above for 

instructions for accessing 

Regulations.gov and information on the 

location and hours of the reading room). 

You may request paper copies of the 

pest risk analysis by calling or writing 

to the person listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the 

subject of the pest risk analysis when 

requesting copies. 

After reviewing the comments we 

receive, we will announce our decision 

regarding the interstate movement of 

sapote fruit from Puerto Rico to the 

continental United States in a 

subsequent notice. If the overall 

conclusions of the analysis and the 

Administrator’s determination of risk 

remain unchanged following our 

consideration of the comments, then we 

will begin allowing the interstate 

movement of sapote fruit from Puerto 

Rico to the continental United States 

subject to the requirements specified in 

the risk management document. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781– 

7786; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of 

April 2013. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–09735 Filed 4–23–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Information Collection Activity; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the 

Rural Utilities Service, an agency of the 

United States Department of 

Agriculture’s (USDA), invites comments 

on this information collection for which 

the Agency intends to request approval 

from the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB). 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by June 24, 2013. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michele L. Brooks, Director, Program 

Development and Regulatory Analysis, 

Rural Utilities Service, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW., STOP 1522, 

Room 5162 South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–1078, FAX: (202) 

720–4120. Email: 

Michele.brooks@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget’s (OMB) 

regulation (5 CFR 1320) implementing 

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13) requires 

that interested members of the public 

and affected agencies have an 

opportunity to comment on information 

collection and recordkeeping activities 

(see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). This notice 

identifies an information collection that 

the Agency is submitting to OMB for 

revision. 

Comments are invited on (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 

assumption 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 on 

other forms and information technology. 

Comments may be sent to Michele L. 

Brooks, Director, Program Development 

and Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities 

Service, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., 

STOP 1522, Room 5162 South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–1078, FAX: (202) 

720–4120, Email: 

Michele.brooks@wdc.usda.gov. 

Title: Special Evaluation Assistance 

for Rural Communities and Household 

Program (SEARCH). 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0146. 

Type of Request: Revision of currently 

approved package. 

Abstract: The Food, Conservation and 

Energy Act of 2008, Public Law 110–246 

(Farm Bill) amended Section 306(a)(2) 

of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (CONACT) (7 U.S.C. 

1926(a)(2)). The amendment created a 

grant program to make Special 

Evaluation Assistance for Rural 

Communities and Households 

(SEARCH) Program grants. 

Under the SEARCH program, the 

Secretary may make predevelopment 

and planning grants to public or quasipublic agencies, organizations operated 

on a not-for-profit basis or Indian tribes 

on Federal and State reservations and 

other federally recognized Indian tribes. 

The grant recipients shall use the grant 

funds for feasibility studies, design 

assistance, and development of an 

application for financial assistance to 

financially distressed communities in 

rural areas with populations of 2,500 or 

fewer inhabitants for water and waste 

disposal projects as authorized in 

Sections 306(a)(1), 306(a)(2) and 

306(a)(24) of the CONACT. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES