28946 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 99 / Wednesday, May 23, 2007 / Notices 

Background 

Section 375 of the Consolidated Farm 

and Rural Development Act, 7 U.S.C. 

2008j, created the National Sheep 

Industry Improvement Center (NSIIC) to 

strengthen the infrastructure of the 

sheep and goat industry. The NSIIC 

provided loans and grants for business 

ventures where normal commercial 

credit or funding was not available. 

Section 375(j) of the Farm Bill 

legislation required the privatization of 

the NSIIC to occur on the earlier of its 

receiving a certain level of Federal 

funding or September 30, 2006. The 

legislation required a transition plan, to 

be approved by the Secretary of 

Agriculture, that provides for a private 

successor entity that would have the 

same purposes and be able to continue 

the activities of the NSIIC. The Secretary 

of Agriculture has approved a 

privatization plan that was triggered by 

the September 30, 2006 deadline. The 

NSIIC ceased operations on September 

30, 2006. The American Sheep and Goat 

Center became the successor private 

organization on October 1, 2006. All 

assets and liabilities of the NSIIC have 

now been transferred to the private 

American Sheep and Goat Center. The 

transition plan is completed as of May 

23, 2007. 

Dated: May 16, 2007. 

Douglas Faulkner, 

Acting Under Secretary, Rural Development. 

[FR Doc. E7–9932 Filed 5–22–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2007–0047] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Bees 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 bees 

and related articles. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before July 23, 

2007. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov, select 

‘‘Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service’’ from the agency drop-down 

menu, then click ‘‘Submit.’’ In the 

Docket ID column, select APHIS–2007–

0047 to submit or view public 

comments and to view supporting and 

related materials available 

electronically. Information on using 

Regulations.gov, including instructions 

for accessing documents, submitting 

comments, and viewing the docket after 

the close of the comment period, is 

available through the site’s ‘‘User Tips’’

link. 

Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send four copies of your 

comment (an original and three copies) 

to Docket No. APHIS–2007–0047, 

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–

2007–0047. 

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 an information 

collection associated with regulations 

for the importation of bees and related 

articles, contact Dr. Wayne Wehling, 

Entomologist, Pest Permit Evaluations, 

PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734–8757. 

For copies of more detailed information 

on the information collection, contact 

Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS’

Information Collection Coordinator, at 

(301) 734–7477. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Bees and Related Articles. 

OMB Number: 0579–0207. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: Under the Honeybee Act (7 

U.S.C. 281–286), the Secretary is 

authorized to prohibit or restrict the 

importation of honeybees and honeybee 

semen to prevent the introduction into 

the United States of diseases and 

parasites harmful to honeybees and of 

undesirable species such as the African 

honeybee. This authority has been 

delegated to the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS). 

Further, the Plant Protection Act 

(PPA) (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) authorizes 

the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit 

or restrict the importation, entry, or 

interstate movement of plants, plant 

products, and other articles to prevent 

the introduction of plant pests into the 

United States or their dissemination 

within the United States. As with the 

Honeybee Act, APHIS has delegated 

authority for the PPA. 

The establishment of certain bee 

diseases, parasites, or undesirable 

species and subspecies of honeybees in 

the United States could cause 

substantial reductions in pollination by 

bees. These reductions could cause 

serious damage to crops and other 

plants and result in substantial financial 

losses to American agriculture. 

Regulations for the importation of 

honeybees and honeybee semen and 

regulations to prevent the introduction 

of exotic bee diseases and parasites 

through the importation of bees other 

than honeybees, certain beekeeping 

products, and used beekeeping 

equipment are contained in 7 CFR part 

322, ‘‘Bees, Beekeeping Byproducts, and 

Beekeeping Equipment.’’ These 

regulations require the use of certain 

information collection activities, 

including: An application for permit, 

appeals for denial of permit application 

and cancellation of permit, request for 

risk assessment, inspection report of 

containment facilities, request for 

release of containment, transit 

documentation, export certificate, notice 

of arrival, packaging and labeling, and 

recordkeeping by containment facilities. 

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 

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 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 99 / Wednesday, May 23, 2007 / Notices 28947 

(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., 

permitting electronic submission of 

responses. 

Estimate of burden: The public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 

2.4338 hours per response. 

Respondents: Importers and shippers 

of bees and related articles, foreign 

governments, and containment 

facilities. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents : 869. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 1. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 869. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 2,115 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 17th day of 

May 2007. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–9897 Filed 5–22–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2007–0060] 

Emerald Ash Borer; Availability of an 

Environmental Assessment 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that an environmental assessment has 

been prepared by the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service relative to the 

release of three insect parasitoid species 

for the biological control of the emerald 

ash borer Agrilus planipennis. The 

environmental assessment documents 

our review and analysis of 

environmental impacts associated with 

the release of these biological control 

agents. We are making this 

environmental assessment available to 

the public for review and comment. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before June 22, 

2007. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov, select 

‘‘Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service’’ from the agency drop-down 

menu, then click ‘‘Submit.’’ In the 

Docket ID column, select APHIS–2007–

0060 to submit or view public 

comments and to view supporting and 

related materials available 

electronically. Information on using 

Regulations.gov, including instructions 

for accessing documents, submitting 

comments, and viewing the docket after 

the close of the comment period, is 

available through the site’s ‘‘User Tips’’

link. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send four copies of your 

comment (an original and three copies) 

to Docket No. APHIS–2007–0060, 

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–

2007–0060. 

Reading Room: You may read any 

comments that we receive on the 

environmental assessment 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: Dr. 

Juli Gould, Entomologist, Otis Pest 

Survey, Detection, and Exclusion 

Laboratory, PPQ, APHIS, Building 1398, 

Otis ANGB, MA 02542–5008; (508) 563–

9303 ext. 220. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus 

planipennis) is a destructive 

woodboring insect that attacks ash trees 

(Fraxinus spp., including green ash, 

white ash, black ash, and several 

horticultural varieties of ash). The 

insect, which is indigenous to Asia and 

known to occur in China, Korea, Japan, 

Mongolia, the Russian Far East, Taiwan, 

and Canada, eventually kills healthy ash 

trees after it bores beneath their bark 

and disrupts their vascular tissues. 

The EAB regulations in 7 CFR 301.53–

1 through 301.53–9 restrict the interstate 

movement of regulated articles from 

quarantined areas to prevent the 

artificial spread of EAB into noninfested 

areas of the United States. The States of 

Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio and portions 

of the State of Michigan are currently 

designated as quarantined areas. We are 

also in the process of establishing a 

quarantine in Prince George’s County, 

MD. 

Despite State and Federal quarantines 

designed to contain EAB, the lack of 

effective methods to detect EAB-infested 

trees and the large area of EAB 

infestation has resulted in a shift in 

strategy by regulatory agencies from 

area-wide eradication to eradication in 

outlying areas and containment in the 

core infestation area. In the United 

States, EAB eradication efforts involve 

the removal of all ash trees within a 

specified radius around known 

infestations. However, by the time an 

infestation is discovered and treated, 

EAB has usually already dispersed 

outside the eradication zone. Besides 

natural dispersal, the spread of EAB has 

been accelerated through humanassisted movement of infested ash 

firewood, timber, solid wood packing 

materials, and nursery stock. As EAB 

spreads throughout North America, 

regulatory agencies, land managers, and 

the public are seeking sustainable 

management tools such as biological 

control to reduce EAB population 

densities and to slow its spread. 

APHIS has completed an 

environmental assessment that 

examines the potential effects on the 

quality of the human environment that 

may be associated with the release of 

three specific biological control agents 

to control infestations of EAB within the 

continental United States. APHIS and 

the Forest Service propose to release the 

three parasitoids into the environment 

of the continental United States for the 

purpose of reducing EAB populations. 

These parasitoids are known to attack 

EAB consistently in its native habitat in 

China. Initial releases of each parasitoid 

are planned for summer 2007. Postrelease monitoring of the spread and 

establishment of each parasitoid species 

and impacts on EAB and non-target 

wood-boring beetles will also be 

conducted. 

APHIS’ review and analysis of the 

potential environmental impacts 

associated with this biological control 

action are documented in detail in an 

environmental assessment entitled 

‘‘Proposed Release of Three Parasitoids 

for the Biological Control of the Emerald 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES