This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

42481

Vol. 62, No. 152

Thursday, August 7, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 95–040–5]

Agency Information Collection

Activities; OMB Approval Received

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act, this notice

announces the Office of Management

and Budget’s approval of a collection of

information contained in the Animal

and Plant Health Inspection Service

final rule amending the regulations

pertaining to genetically engineered

plants introduced under notification

and to the petition process for the

determination of nonregulated status.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Cheryl Jenkins, APHIS Information

Collection Coordinator, AIM, APHIS,

suite 2C42, 4700 River Road Unit 103,

Riverdale, MD 20737–1235, (301) 734–

5360.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On May 2, 1997, we published in the

Federal Register (62 FR 23945–23958,

Docket No. 95–040–2) a final rule

amending the regulations at 7 CFR part

340, ‘‘Genetically Engineered Organisms

and Products; Simplification of

Requirements and Procedures for

Genetically Engineered Organisms.’’

This rule contains information

collection requirements. On July 24,

1997, the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) approved the collection

of information requirements with

respect to this final rule under OMB

control number 0579–0085 (expires

September 30, 1998).

Done in Washington, DC, this 1st day of

August 1997.

Craig A. Reed,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–20818 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 97–069–1]

Availability of Environmental

Assessments and Findings of No

Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: We are advising the public

that three environmental assessments

and findings of no significant impact

have been prepared by the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service relative

to the issuance of permits to allow the

field testing of genetically engineered

organisms. The environmental

assessments provide a basis for our

conclusion that the field testing of the

genetically engineered organisms will

not present a risk of introducing or

disseminating a plant pest and will not

have a significant impact on the quality

of the human environment. Based on its

findings of no significant impact, the

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service has determined that

environmental impact statements need

not be prepared for these field tests.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental

assessments and findings of no

significant impact are available for

public inspection at USDA, room 1141,

South Building, 14th Street and

Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except holidays. Persons wishing to

inspect those documents are requested

to telephone before visiting on (202)

690–2817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Arnold Foudin, Deputy Director,

Biotechnology Evaluation, BSS, PPQ,

APHIS, Suite 5B05, 4700 River Road

Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1237;

(301) 734–7710. For copies of the

environmental assessments and findings

of no significant impact, contact Ms.

Linda Lightle at (301) 734–8231; e-mail:

llightle@aphis.usda.gov. Please refer to

the permit numbers listed below when

ordering the documents.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

regulations in 7 CFR part 340 (referred

to below as the regulations) regulate the

introduction (importation, interstate

movement, and release into the

environment) of genetically engineered

organisms and products that are plant

pests or that there is reason to believe

are plant pests (regulated articles). A

permit must be obtained or there must

be a notification, specific requirements

met, and approval by the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

before a regulated article may be

introduced into the United States. The

regulations set forth the permit

application requirements and the

notification procedures for the

importation, interstate movement, and

release into the environment of a

regulated article.

In the course of reviewing each permit

application, APHIS assessed the impact

on the environment that releasing the

organisms under the conditions

described in the permit application

would have. APHIS has issued permits

for the field testing of the organisms

listed below after concluding that the

organisms will not present a risk of

plant pest introduction or dissemination

and will not have a significant impact

on the quality of the human

environment. The environmental

assessments and findings of no

significant impact, which are based on

data submitted by the applicant and on

a review of other relevant literature,

provide the public with documentation

of APHIS’ review and analysis of the

environmental impacts associated with

conducting the field tests.

Environmental assessments and

findings of no significant impact have

been prepared by APHIS relative to the

issuance of permits to allow the field

testing of the following genetically

engineered organisms:
42482 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 152 / Thursday, August 7, 1997 / Notices

Permit No. Permittee Date issued Organisms Field test

location

97–071–01r .. University of Wisconsin ............ 6–3–97 Rhizobium and Sinorhizobium bacterial strains genetically engineered to enhance yield on host legumes.Wisconsin.

97–083–02r .. Sanford Scientific, Inc .............. 6–3–97 Geranium plants genetically engineered for disease resistance

and extended flower life.

California.

97–087–02r .. Pure Seed Testing, Inc ............ 6–24–97 Creeping bentgrass plants genetically engineered for tolerance

to the herbicide glufosinate and to contain the proteinase inhibitor gene derived from potato.

Oregon.

The environmental assessments and

findings of no significant impact have

been prepared in accordance with: (1)

The National Environmental Policy Act

of 1969, as amended (NEPA)(42 U.S.C.

4321 et seq.), (2) regulations of the

Council on Environmental Quality for

implementing the procedural provisions

of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3)

USDA regulations implementing NEPA

(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part

372).

Done in Washington, DC, this 31st day of

July 1997.

Terry L. Medley,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–20752 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Farm Service Agency

Inviting Preapplications for Rural

Cooperative Development Grants

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBS) announces

the availability of approximately $1.7

million in competing Rural Cooperative

Development Grant (RCDG) funds for

fiscal year (FY) 1997. This action will

comply with legislation which

authorizes grants for establishing and

operating centers for rural cooperative

development. The intended effect of this

notice is to solicit preapplications for

FY 1997 and award grants before

September 15, 1997.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of a

preapplication is August 20, 1997.

Preapplications received after that date

will not be considered for FY 1997

funding.

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for

assistance should contact the Rural

Development State Offices to receive

further information and copies of the

preapplication package.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James E. Haskell, Assistant Deputy

Administrator, Cooperative Services,

Rural Business-Cooperative Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop

3250, Room 4016, South Agriculture

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20250–3250.

Telephone (202) 720–8460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rural

Technology and Cooperative

Development Grants (RTCDG) program

was established by interim rule on

August 12, 1994 (59 FR 41386–98) and

published as a final rule February 12,

1996 (61 FR 3779–87) and was

authorized by section 310B(f) through

(h) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural

Development Act (7 U.S.C. § 1932). The

Federal Agriculture Improvement and

Reform Act of 1996 (the 1996 Act)

removed ‘‘technology’’ from RTCDG,

thereby directing the focus of the

program specifically to cooperative

development. The 1996 Act also

clarified that public bodies were not

eligible applicants, and modified

application requirements and applicant

selection criteria. The primary objective

of the RCDG program is to improve the

economic condition of rural areas

through cooperative development. The

program is administered through Rural

Development State Offices acting on

behalf of RBS. RBS is one of the

successors of the Rural Development

Administration pursuant to the

Department of Agriculture

Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L.

103–354).

Grants will be awarded on a

competitive basis to nonprofit

corporations and institutions of higher

education based on specific selection

criteria. The priorities described in this

paragraph will be used by RBS to rate

preapplications. RBS review of

preapplications will include the

complete preapplication package

submitted to the Rural Development

State Office. Points will be distributed

according to ranking as compared with

other preapplications on hand. All

factors will receive equal weight with

points awarded to each factor on a 5, 4,

3, 2, 1 basis depending on the

applicant’s ranking compared to other

applicants.

(a) Preference will be given to

applications that:

(1) demonstrate a proven track record

in administering a nationally

coordinated, regionally or State-wide

operated project;

(2) demonstrate previous expertise in

providing technical assistance in rural

areas;

(3) demonstrate the ability to assist in

the retention of business, facilitate the

establishment of cooperatives and new

cooperative approaches, and generate

employment opportunities that will

improve the economic conditions of

rural areas;

(4) demonstrate the ability to create

horizontal linkages among businesses

within and among various sectors in

rural areas of the United States and

vertical linkages to domestic and

international markets;

(5) commit to providing technical

assistance and other services to

underserved and economically

distressed rural areas of the United

States;

(6) commit to providing greater than

a 25 percent matching contribution with

private funds and in-kind contributions;

(7) evidence transferability or

demonstration value to assist rural areas

outside of project area; and

(8) demonstrate that any cooperative

development activity is consistent with

positive environmental stewardship.

Fiscal Year 1997 Preapplication

Submission

Due to the short preapplication period

for FY 1997 funds, qualified applicants

should begin the preapplication process

as soon as possible. Preapplications

must include a clear statement of the

goals and objectives of the project and

a plan which describes the proposed

project as required by the statute and 7

CFR part 4284, subpart F. Each

preapplication received in the State

Office will be reviewed to determine if

the preapplication is consistent with the

eligible purposes outlined in 7 CFR part

4284, subpart F. Preapplications

without supportive data to address