3434 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 24, 2012 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0032] 

RIN 0579–AB35 

Notice of Request for Reinstatement of 

an Information Collection; Chronic 

Wasting Disease Herd Certification 

Program 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Reinstatement 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 a reinstatement of an 

information collection to help eliminate 

chronic wasting disease from farmed or 

captive cervid herds in the United 

States. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before March 26, 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0032- 

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2011–0032, 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-2011-0032 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) 690–2817 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on chronic wasting disease 

in the United States, contact Dr. Patrice 

N. Klein, Senior Staff Veterinarian, 

Ruminant Health Programs, NCAHP, 

VS, APHIS, 4700 Road Unit 43, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734–0738. 

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: Chronic Wasting Disease Herd 

Certification Program. 

OMB Number: 0579–0237. 

Type of Request: Reinstatement of an 

information collection. 

Abstract: Under the Animal Health 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), 

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) of the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 

authorized, among other things, to 

protect the health of our Nation’s 

livestock and poultry populations by 

preventing the introduction and 

interstate spread of serious diseases and 

pests of livestock and for eradicating 

such diseases from the United States 

when feasible. 

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a 

transmissible spongiform 

encephalopathy of cervids, which 

include elk, deer, and moose, typified 

by chronic weight loss leading to death. 

The presence of CWD in cervids causes 

significant economic and market losses 

to U.S. producers. In an effort to 

accelerate the control and limit the 

spread of this disease, APHIS initiated 

rulemaking to create a cooperative, 

voluntary Federal-State-private sector 

CWD Herd Certification Program 

designed to actively identify farmed or 

captive herds infected with CWD and 

provide for the management of these 

herds to prevent further disease spread. 

On July 21, 2006, APHIS published a 

final rule in the Federal Register (71 FR 

41682–41707, Docket No. 00–108–1–3) 

establishing regulations in 9 CFR part 55 

for a Chronic Wasting Disease Herd 

Certification Program to help eliminate 

CWD from farmed or captive cervid 

herds in the United States and in 9 CFR 

part 81 for interstate movement 

requirements to prevent CWD spread. 

After publication of the CWD 2006 

final rule, and before its effective date 

of October 19, 2006, APHIS received 

three petitions requesting consideration 

of several requirements of the rule. On 

September 8, 2006, we published a 

document in the Federal Register (71 

FR 52983, Docket No. 00–108–4) that 

delayed the effective date of the final 

rule while APHIS considered those 

petitions. On November 3, 2006, we 

published another document in the 

Federal Register (71 FR 64650–64651, 

Docket No. 00–108–5) that described the 

nature of the petitions and made the 

petitions available for public review and 

comment, with a comment period 

closing on December 4, 2006. We 

subsequently extended that comment 

period until January 3, 2007, in a 

Federal Register document published 

on November 21, 2006 (71 FR 67313, 

Docket No. 001086). 

As part of the 2006 final rule, the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) approved information collection 

activities associated with the voluntary 

CWD program requirements (OMB 

number 0579–0237). Because the final 

rule never went into effect, APHIS did 

not collect information related to the 

voluntary CWD program, and OMB’s 

approval of the information collection 

was discontinued in April 2009. 

After reviewing the merits of the 

petitions and public comments received 

in response to them, APHIS proposed 

changes to the 2006 final rule on March 

31, 2009 (74 FR 14495–14506, Docket 

No. 00–108–7), with a comment period 

closing June 1, 2009. APHIS is in the 

process of developing rulemaking that 

would, if adopted, implement a 

voluntary CWD herd certification 

program and any approved information 

collection activities for the program. 

Further, reinstatement of the 

information collection for a CWD 

program would involve a memorandum 

of understanding between APHIS and 

participating States; requests by 

businesses (VS forms 11–1/11–1A) and 

States to participate in the program; 

wild cervid identification for interstate 

movement; farmed cervid identification; 

reporting of cervid escapes, 

disappearances, and deaths; 

recordkeeping (herd records); 

certificates and/or animal identification 

documents to move cervids interstate; a 

letter to appeal suspension; a herd plan; 

and a laboratory submission form. 

We are requesting OMB to approve for 

3 years the reinstatement of information 

collection activities for the voluntary 

CWD program, if implemented, to help 

eliminate CWD from farmed or captive 

cervid herds in the United States. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments from the public (as well as 

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 

information collection, 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 

information collection on those who are 

to respond, through use, as appropriate, 

of automated, electronic, mechanical, 

and other collection technologies, e.g., 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 24, 2012 / Notices 3435 

permitting electronic submission of 

responses. 

Estimate of burden: The public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 

3.4897877 hours per response. 

Respondents: State animal health 

officials; attending veterinarians; and 

owners/producers of elk, deer, and 

moose herds. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 2,390. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 18.887866. 

Estimated annual number of response 

hours: 45,142. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 157,536 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 18th day of 

January 2012. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–1310 Filed 1–23–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0115] 

General Conference Committee of the 

National Poultry Improvement Plan; 

Cancellation of Meeting 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of cancellation of 

meeting. 

SUMMARY: We are giving notice that the 

meeting of the General Conference 

Committee of the National Poultry 

Improvement Plan scheduled for 

January 25, 2012, has been canceled. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

C. Stephen Roney, Senior Coordinator, 

National Poultry Improvement Plan, VS, 

APHIS, 1506 Klondike Road, Suite 300, 

Conyers, GA 30094; (770) 922–3496. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a 

document published in the Federal 

Register on January 9, 2012 (77 FR 

1051–1052, Docket No. APHIS–2011– 

0115), we announced that there would 

be a meeting of the General Conference 

Committee of the National Poultry 

Improvement Plan in Atlanta, GA, on 

January 25, 2012. Due to circumstances 

beyond our control, we must cancel the 

meeting. We regret any inconvenience 

caused by the cancellation. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 19th day of 

January 2012. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–1427 Filed 1–23–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments 

requested. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Rural 

Development’s intention to request an 

extension for a currently approved 

information collection in support of the 

program for 7 CFR part 4284, subpart K, 

Agriculture Innovation Demonstration 

Centers. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by March 26, 2012 to be 

considered. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Chadwick O. Parker, Deputy 

Administrator, Cooperative Programs, 

Rural Development, USDA, STOP 3252, 

Room 4016-South, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250– 

3252. Telephone: (202) 720–7558, 

Email: chad.parker@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Agriculture Innovation Centers. 

OMB Number: 0570–0045. 

Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 

2012. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: Agriculture Innovation 

Center applicants must provide required 

information to demonstrate eligibility 

for the program and compliance with 

applicable laws and regulations. 

Grantees are required to provide 

progress reports for the duration of the 

grant agreement to ensure continued 

compliance and to measure the success 

of the program. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection is estimated to 

average 107.5 hours per response. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 12. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 24. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 58.5 hours. 

Copies of this information collection 

can be obtained from Jeanne Jacobs, 

Regulations and Paperwork 

Management Branch, (202) 692–0040. 

Comments 

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of Rural Development, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of 

Rural Development’s estimate of the 

burden to collect the required 

information, including the validity of 

the strategy 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 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments on the paperwork burden 

may be sent to Jeanne Jacobs, 

Regulations and Paperwork 

Management Branch, Rural 

Development, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, STOP 0742, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0742. All 

responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

become a matter of public record. 

Dated: January 13, 2012. 

Judith A. Canales, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–1273 Filed 1–23–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Notice of Funding Availability: Rural 

Development Voucher Program 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Rural Development 

Voucher Program Availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) in Fiscal Year 2006 

established a demonstration Rural 

Development Voucher Program, as 

authorized under Section 542 of the 

Housing Act of 1949 as amended, 

(without regard to Section 542(b)). This 

Notice informs the public that funding 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES