Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 83 / Friday, April 28, 2000 / Notices 24911

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–3256,

Telephone (202) 720–3189 or send an email message to

charles.kraenzle@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Annual Survey of Farmer

Cooperatives.

OMB Number: 0570–0007.

Expiration Date of Approval: August

31, 2000.

Type of Request: Intent to extend and

revise a currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: The primary objective of

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

(RBS) is to promote understanding, use

and development of the cooperative

form of business as a viable option for

enhancing the income of agricultural

producers and other rural residents.

RBS’ direct role is providing knowledge

to improve the effectiveness and

performance of farmer cooperative

businesses through technical assistance,

research, information, and education.

The annual survey of farmer

cooperatives collects basic statistics on

cooperative business volume, net

income, members, financial status,

employees, and other selected

information to support RBS’ objective

and role. Cooperative statistics are

published in various reports and used

by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,

cooperative leaders, educators and

others in planning and promoting the

cooperative form of business.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 1 hour per

response.

Respondents: Farmer cooperatives.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

2,649.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 2,404 Hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Cheryl Thompson,

Regulations and Paperwork

Management Division, at (202) 692–

0043.

Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of RBS, including

whether the information will have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

RBS’ 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 forms of information

technology. Comments may be sent to

Cheryl Thompson, Regulations and

Paperwork Management Branch,

Support Services Division, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Rural

Development, STOP 0742, Washington,

DC 20250-0742. 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.

Dated: April 21, 2000.

Dayton J. Watkins,

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative

Service.

[FR Doc. 00–10648 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Southern Intertie Project Draft

Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Extension for the

Southern Intertie Project Draft

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service

(RUS), as lead Federal agency, is

preparing an environmental impact

statement (EIS) for the Southern Intertie

Project, a proposal by six electric

utilities that are collectively known as

the Intertie Participants Group (IPG).

The project consists of the construction

and operation of a 230 kV transmission

line and associated facilities to be

located between Anchorage and a

location on the Kenai Peninsula in

Alaska. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (FWS) and Army Corps of

Engineers-Alaska District (ACE) are both

cooperating agencies. A notice of intent

to prepare an EIS was announced in the

Federal Register on Wednesday,

October 9, 1996, at 61 FR 52908.

The route proposed by the IPG would

cross portions of the Kenai National

Wildlife Refuge. On August 5, 1999, the

IPG submitted an application for a rightof-way pursuant to Title XI of the

Alaska National Interest Lands

Conservation Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96–

487, U.S.C. 668dd) and its

implementing regulations (43 CFR part

36). The application was accepted by

the RUS, FWS, and ACE.

Regulations at 43 CFR 36.6(a)(2)

require the lead agency to publish

notification of an extension with

reasons for the extension of a ninemonth period to complete the draft EIS.

Due to the magnitude and complexity of

the proposed project and the number of

resources that will potentially be

impacted, the evaluation of the data

compiled by the applicant’s consultants

is taking longer than expected. Because

of the additional time needed to

evaluate the data, RUS is providing

notice that an additional four months is

required to complete the draft EIS.

DATES: The draft EIS is expected to be

available for public review in September

of 2000. Public hearings on the draft EIS

will be scheduled in Soldotna and

Anchorage, Alaska, and Washington, DC

in September/October of 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lawrence R. Wolfe, Senior

Environmental Protection Specialist,

RUS, Engineering and Environmental

Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence

Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250–1571,

telephone (202) 720–5093 or e-mail:

lwolfe@rus.usda.gov.

Dated: April 25, 2000.

Mark S. Plank,

Acting Director, Engineering and

Environmental Staff.

[FR Doc. 00–10649 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR

SEVERELY DISABLED

Procurement List; Addition and

Deletions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled.

ACTION: Addition to and Deletions from

the Procurement List.

SUMMARY: This action adds to the

Procurement List a service to be

furnished by nonprofit agencies

employing persons who are blind or

have other severe disabilities, and

deletes from the Procurement List

commodities previously furnished by

such agencies.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 30, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase

From People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled, Crystal Gateway 3, Suite 310,

1215 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, Virginia 22202–4302.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Louis R. Bartalot (703) 603–7740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March

17, 2000, the Committee for Purchase