Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 81 / Friday, April 26, 2013 / Notices 24715 

matching grants on a competitive basis 

to enable States to explore new market 

opportunities for U.S. food and 

agricultural products and to encourage 

research and innovation aimed at 

improving the efficiency and 

performance of the U.S. marketing 

system. Eligible applicants include State 

departments of agriculture, State 

agricultural experiment stations, and 

other appropriate State Agencies. Other 

organizations interested in participating 

in this program should contact their 

State Department of Agriculture’s 

Marketing Division. State agencies 

specifically named under the 

authorizing legislation should assume 

the lead role in FSMIP projects, and use 

cooperative or contractual agreements 

with other agencies, universities, 

institutions, and producer, industry or 

community-based organizations as 

appropriate. Multi-State projects are 

encouraged. In such projects, one State 

agency assumes the coordinating role, 

using appropriate cooperative 

arrangements with the other State 

agencies and entities involved in the 

project. 

Proposals must be accompanied by 

completed Standard Forms (SF) 424 and 

424B. AMS will not approve the use of 

FSMIP funds for advertising or, with 

limited exceptions, for the purchase of 

equipment. Detailed program guidelines 

may be obtained from the contact listed 

above, and are available at the FSMIP 

Web site: http://www.ams.usda.gov/ 

FSMIP. 

Background 

FSMIP funds a wide range of applied 

research projects that address barriers, 

challenges, and opportunities in 

marketing, transportation, and 

distribution of U.S. food and 

agricultural products domestically and 

internationally. 

Eligible agricultural categories 

include livestock, livestock products, 

food and feed crops, fish and shellfish, 

horticulture, viticulture, apiary, and 

forest products and processed or 

manufactured products derived from 

such commodities. Reflecting the 

growing diversity of U.S. agriculture, in 

recent years, FSMIP accepts proposals 

dealing with nutraceuticals, bioenergy, 

compost, agroforestry products, and 

products made from agricultural 

residue. 

Proposals may deal with barriers, 

challenges, or opportunities manifesting 

at any stage of the marketing chain 

including direct, wholesale, and retail. 

Proposals may involve small, medium, 

or large scale agricultural entities but 

should potentially benefit multiple 

producers or agribusinesses. Proprietary 

proposals that benefit one business or 

individual will not be considered. 

Proposals that address issues of 

importance at the State, Multi-State or 

national level are appropriate for 

FSMIP. FSMIP also seeks unique 

proposals on a smaller scale that may 

serve as pilot projects or case studies 

useful as a model for other States. Of 

particular interest are proposals that 

reflect a collaborative approach among 

the States, academia, the farm sector 

and other appropriate entities and 

stakeholders. FSMIP’s enabling 

legislation authorizes projects to: 

• Determine the best methods for 

processing, preparing for market, 

packing, handling, transporting, storing, 

distributing, and marketing agricultural 

products. 

• Determine the costs of marketing 

agricultural products in their various 

forms and through various channels. 

• Assist in the development of more 

efficient marketing methods, practices, 

and facilities to bring about more 

efficient and orderly marketing, and 

reduce the price spread between the 

producer and the consumer. 

• Develop and improve standards of 

quality, condition, quantity, grade, and 

packaging in order to encourage 

uniformity and consistency in 

commercial practices. 

• Eliminate artificial barriers to the 

free movement of agricultural products 

in commercial channels. 

• Foster new/expanded domestic/ 

foreign markets and new/expanded uses 

of agricultural products. 

• Collect and disseminate marketing 

information to anticipate and meet 

consumer requirements, maintain farm 

income, and balance production and 

utilization. 

All proposals which fall within the 

FSMIP guidelines will be considered. 

FSMIP encourages States to submit 

proposals that address the following 

objectives: 

• Creating wealth in rural 

communities through the development 

of local and regional food systems and 

value-added agriculture. 

• Developing direct marketing 

opportunities for producers, or producer 

groups. 

• Assessing challenges and 

developing methods or practices that 

could assist local and regional 

producers in marketing agricultural 

products that meet the mandates of the 

Food and Drug Administration’s new 

Food Safety Modernization Act. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the FSMIP 

information collection requirements 

were previously approved by the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) and 

were assigned OMB control number 

0581–0240. 

AMS is committed to compliance 

with the Government Paperwork 

Elimination Act (GPEA), which requires 

Government agencies in general to 

provide the public with the option of 

submitted information or transacting 

business electronically to the maximum 

extent possible. 

How To Submit Proposals and 

Applications 

Applications must be submitted 

electronically through the Federal grants 

Web site, http://www.grants.gov. Hard 

copy and emailed applications will not 

be accepted. Applicants are strongly 

urged to familiarize themselves with the 

Federal grants Web site well before the 

application deadline and to begin the 

application process before the deadline. 

FSMIP is listed in the ‘‘Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance’’ under 

number 10.156 and subject agencies 

must adhere to Title VI of the Civil 

Rights Act of 1964, which bars 

discrimination in all Federally assisted 

programs. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627. 

Dated: April 23, 2013. 

David R. Shipman, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–09934 Filed 4–25–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2013–0015] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Importation of Seed and Screenings 

From Canada Into the United States 

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 

the regulations for the importation of 

seed and screenings from Canada into 

the United States. 


erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
24716 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 81 / Friday, April 26, 2013 / Notices 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before June 25, 

2013. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0015- 

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2013–0015, 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-2013-0015 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: For 

information on the regulations for the 

importation of seed and screenings, 

contact Ms. Lydia Colo ́n, Regulatory 

Policy Specialist, PHP, PPQ, APHIS, 

4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale 

MD 20737; (301) 851–2302. 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: Importation of Seed and 

Screenings From Canada into the United 

States. 

OMB Number: 0579–0124. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: Under the authority of the 

Federal Seed Act (FSA) of 1939, as 

amended (7 U.S.C. 1551 et seq.), the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

regulates the importation and interstate 

movement of certain agricultural and 

vegetable seeds and screenings. Title III 

of the FSA, ‘Foreign Commerce,’ 

requires shipments of imported 

agricultural and vegetable seeds to be 

labeled correctly and to be tested for the 

presence of the seeds of certain noxious 

weeds as a condition of entry into the 

United States. The Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS’) 

regulations implementing the provisions 

of title III of the FSA are found in 7 CFR 

part 361. 

The regulations in 7 CFR part 361, 

‘‘Importation of Seed and Screenings 

under the Federal Seed Act’’ (§§ 361.1 to 

361.10, referred to below as the 

regulations), prohibit or restrict the 

importation of agricultural seed, 

vegetable seed, and screenings into the 

United States. Section 361.7 provides 

the regulations for special provisions for 

Canadian-origin seed and screenings, 

and § 361.8 provides the regulations for 

the cleaning of imported seed and 

processing of certain Canadian-origin 

screenings. 

APHIS’ Plant Protection and 

Quarantine (PPQ) program operates a 

seed analysis program with Canada that 

allows U.S. companies that import seed 

for cleaning or processing to enter into 

compliance agreements with APHIS. 

This program eliminates the need for 

sampling shipments of Canadian-origin 

seed at the U.S.-Canadian border and 

allows certain seed importers to clean 

the seed without direct supervision of 

an APHIS inspector. The program 

provides a safe and expedited process 

for the importation of seed and 

screenings into the United States 

without posing a plant pest or noxious 

weed risk. 

The seed analysis program involves 

the use of information collection 

activities, including a declaration for 

importation, container labeling, 

notification of seed location, a seed 

return request, seed identity 

maintenance, documentation for U.S. 

origin exported seed returned to the 

United States, written appeal for 

cancellation of a compliance agreement 

and request for a hearing, and associated 

recordkeeping. In addition, two forms 

that are required are the Seed Analysis 

Certificate (For Canadian-grown seed 

destined for the United States)(PPQ 

Form 925) and the USDA, APHIS, PPQ 

Compliance Agreement (PPQ Form 519). 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of these information 

collection activities 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 

0.3553 hours per response. 

Respondents: Importers of Canadian 

seed and screenings, seed cleaning/ 

processing facility personnel, and 

Canadian Food Inspection Agency 

(CFIA) officials, and private seed 

laboratories accredited by the CFIA. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 1,168. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 23.099. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 26,980. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 9,588 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 22nd day of 

April 2013. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–09911 Filed 4–25–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Information Collection: Disposal of 

Mineral Materials 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; Request for Comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Forest Service is seeking comments 

from all interested individuals and 

organizations on the extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection, Disposal of Mineral 

Materials. 

DATES: Comments must be received in 

writing on or before June 25, 2013 to be 

assured of consideration. Comments 

received after that date will be 

considered to the extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this 

notice should be addressed to Ray 

TeSoro, Senior Geologist, USDA Forest 

Service Northern Region, Minerals and 


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