8216 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 36 / Monday, February 24, 1997 / Notices

International Plant Protection Convention Issues identified for revision or proposals for review

5. The instruments of acceptance of amendments involving new obligations shall be deposited with the Director-General of FAO, who shall

inform all contracting parties of the receipt of acceptance and the

entry into force of amendments.

ARTICLE XIV—Entry into force

As soon as this Convention has been ratified by three signatory states

it shall come into force between them. It shall come into force for

each state ratifying or adhering thereafter from the date of deposit of

its instrument of ratification or adherence.

Clarify the role of regional economic integration organizations.

ARTICLE XV—Denunciation

1. Any contracting party may at any time give notice of denunciation of

this Convention by notification addressed to the Director-General of

FAO. The Director-General shall at once inform all signatory and adhering States.

Clarify the role of regional economic integration organizations.

2. Denunciation shall take effect one year from the date of receipt of

the notification by the Director-General of FAO.

ANNEX ...................................................................................................... Replace with standard for certification.

1. Model Phytosanitary Certificate ............................................................ Continue to maintain annexes, replace or supplement with standards.

2. Model Phytosanitary Certificate for Re-Export ..................................... Amend certifying statements.

[FR Doc. 97–4477 Filed 2–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

Commodity Credit Corporation

Notice and Request for Comment for

an Approval of a New Information

Collection

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit

Corporation (CCC) is seeking approval

from the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) to revise procedures for

accepting vendor bids to supply

commodities for use under export

donation programs. An Electronic Bid

Entry System (EBES) will provide for

electronic submission of bids via the

Internet. This will replace the current

system, which requires hard-copy bids

and manual entry into CCC’s system.

The new procedure will be more

reliable and more efficient than the

current procedure.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received on or before April 25, 1997 to

be assured consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Comments regarding this information

collection requirement may be directed

to the Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention:

Desk Officer for USDA, Washington, DC

20503 and to Donna Ryles, Chief

Planning and Analysis Division, Kansas

City Commodity Office, 9200 Ward

Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri 64114,

telephone (816) 926–1505, fax (816)

926–6767.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Electronic Bid Entry System

(EBES)—7 CFR 1496.

OMB Number: New submission.

Expiration Date: Not yet determined. Type of Request: Approval of a new

information collection.

Abstract: The United States donates

agricultural commodities overseas

under Title II of the Agricultural Trade

Development and Assistance Act of

1954 (P.L. 480) to meet famine or other

relief requirements to combat

malnutrition and to promote economic

development. CCC issues invitations to purchase or

process commodities for food donation

programs monthly. Vendors respond by

making offers using the CCC Commodity

Bid Form (form PBI170). CCC verifies

that the PBI170 is responsive and

manually enters the information on the

form into the bid evaluation program to

determine the lowest landed cost and

award data for the creation of contracts.

The current keypunching process

requires entering hand-written data and

then verifying the results. The

sensitivity of the data and the high

value of the contracts at stake requires

a reliable and efficient system for

capturing the bid data. Regulations governing paperwork

burdens on the public require that

before an agency collects information

from the public, the agency must receive

approval from OMB. In accordance with

those regulations, CCC is seeking

approval for EBES to provide for the

submission of bids through the Internet. Under OMB regulations, comments

concerning EBES must be submitted to

OMB within 30 days of this notice’s

publication in the Federal Register.

Within 60 days ‘‘after receipt of the

proposed collection of information or

publication of the notice’’ in the Federal

Register, whichever is later, OMB shall

notify CCC of its decision to approve,

require modifications to, or disapprove

EBES.

Bid Process Modifications

In August 1996, the Export Operations

Division, Kansas City Commodity Office

(KCCO), issued a survey to all active

vendors requesting specifics about their

computer capabilities. Based on the

response to that survey, it was

determined that a majority of vendors

have IBM-compatible Personal

Computers (PC’s), and are currently

involved in some form of electronic

commerce. Therefore, this project will

require IBM-compatible PC’s. We

anticipate having the final PC

configuration requirements for this

project by March 1997. In addition to

meeting the PC specifications, each

vendor will be required to obtain an

Internet Service Provider to participate

in the EBES.

KCCO will provide vendor training

and offer hotline assistance for EBES. It

is anticipated EBES will be put into

operation in the summer of 1997.

Vendor participation in the EBES shall

be required to submit bids to CCC for

the purchase of agricultural

commodities intended for food donation

programs for export distribution. The

EBES will capture commodity vendor

bid data for the regular monthly

purchases of agricultural commodities

for food donation programs for export

distribution in a more reliable and

efficient way than the current system.

EBES provides the data in an electronic

and linear format.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for collecting information under

this notice is estimated to average 30

minutes per response, including the

time for reviewing instructions,
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 36 / Monday, February 24, 1997 / Notices 8217

searching existing data sources,

gathering and maintaining the data

needed, and completing and reviewing

the collection of information.

Respondents: Business and other for

profit.

Respondents: 60.

Estimated Number of Annual

Responses per Respondent: 24.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 720 hours.

Proposed topics for comment include:

(a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of burden including

the validity of the methodology and

assumptions used; ways to enhance the

quality, utility and clarity of the

information collected; or (d) ways to

minimize the burden of the collection of

the 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

regarding this information collection

requirement may be directed to the

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer

for USDA, Washington, DC 20503, and

to Donna Ryles, Chief Planning and

Analysis Division, Kansas City

Commodity Office, 9200 Ward Parkway,

Kansas City, Missouri 64114, telephone

(816) 926–1505, fax (816) 926–6767.

Signed at Washington, D.C., on February

13, 1997.

Alan King,

Acting Executive Vice President, Commodity

Credit Corporation.

[FR Doc. 97–4414 Filed 2–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P

Forest Service, Eastern Region

Waterville Valley Ski Area Ltd.

Snowmaking Ponds; Notice of

Availability for Review of Draft

Environmental Impact Statement

SUMMARY: The Department of

Agriculture, Forest Service has prepared

a Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) issued on February 28, 1997 for

the Waterville Valley Ski Area

Snowmaking Pond Impoundments

Project (Waterville Valley

Impoundments Project), on the

Pemigewasset Ranger District, White

Mountain National Forest, Grafton

County, New Hampshire. The New

Hampshire Department of

Environmental Services participated as

a cooperating agency. The U.S. Corps of

Engineers the Fish and Wildlife Service,

Department of Interior and the Town of

Waterville Valley provided assistance in

the preparation of the document.

The DEIS is for the proposed action of

the construction of five water

impoundments (ponds) for the storage

of approximately 130 million gallons of

water for snowmaking purposes. In

addition, the project would result in the

change of the February Median Flow

(FMF) from the presently approved 0.50

csm to 0.75 csm (recommended by the

Fish and Wildlife FMF) for the Mad

River. The project would be phased in

over a five to ten year period. The DEIS

describes alternatives to and

environmental effects of the proposal on

National Forest System lands where the

ponds would be constructed.

The project area is located in the town

of Waterville Valley, NH. Waterville

Valley Ski Area operates under a

Special Use Permit issued by the USDA

Forest Service. Currently, Waterville

Valley Ski Area withdraws water from

the Mad River for the purposes of

snowmaking on the mountain. They are

allowed to withdraw water from the

Mad River down to 0.50 csm, as

identified in the White Mountain Land

and Resource Management Plan. Given

the small size of the watershed and

periodic droughts that result in the

availability of no water, the Mad River

is an unreliable water source for

snowmaking at Waterville Valley Ski

Area. In addition, to utilizing the Mad

River the ski area also uses Cochranes

Pond, located in the town of Waterville

Valley as a supplemental source of

water. Cochranes pond only holds

approximately 5 million gallons of

water. This combination results in

Waterville Valley only being able to

provide adequate snowmaking coverage

68% of the time over the ski season.

Water Valley would like to be able to

provide adequate snowmaking so to be

able to provide 100% coverage in 95%

of the years.

In April 1996 the USDA Forest

Service issued a Notice of Intent (NOI)

to prepare a Environmental Impact

Statement. At the same time a scoping

letter was mailed to the public that

requested if there were concerns to the

proposed action that they submit their

concerns to the Forest Supervisor of the

White Mountain National Forest. During

the 45-day comment period (April 26 to

June 10, 1996) fifteen letters were

received that brought forth issues/

concerns to the proposal. The four main

issues identified through scoping were;

(1) Changes in Water Withdrawal from

the Mad River, (2) Increase in Water

Withdrawal Rates and Total Water

Withdrawal Needed, and (3) Impacts to

Wetlands. Additional issues were

identified that were important in the

overall analysis and development of the

alternatives, but were not the ‘‘driving

issues’’ for the purposes of alternative

development.

DISCUSSION ON PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE:

The agency gives notice that a complete

DEIS is available for public review and

requests input from the public to the

Preferred Alternative. The analysis was

completed by a third party contractor,

Sno.Engineering (Sno.e) of Littleton,

NH, and overseen by the USDA Forest

Service. The Forest Supervisor has

identified Alternative 2 (Proposed

Action) as the ‘‘Preferred Alternative.’’

Alternative 2 (Proposed Action)

includes the construction of four ponds

(Pond Sites 2, 3a, 3b and 5). This

Alternative would allow for the storage

of 130 million gallons (mg) of water,

which would achieve coverage of 100%

of the mountain, 91% of the time.

Alternative 2 is preferred because it

would allow for the necessary storage

and upgrade of facilities needed to

provide for improved alpine skiing

opportunities at Waterville Valley Ski

Area. This alternative should allow

Waterville Valley Ski Area to become

more competitive with other New

England ski areas that offer the same

facilities to skiers. Aquatic resources

should be improved by having a stepped

increase of the February median flow

over the 5 to 10 year implementation

period. Loss of wetlands in the project

area would be mitigated through the

improvement, creation and preservation

of wetlands outlined in Option 2

(described in Chapter IV Effects to

Wetlands section).

Finally, the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers (Corps) has jurisdiction over

portions of the project under Section

404 of the Clean Water Act. A Corps

permit is required under Section 404 for

the placement of dredged or fill

material, excavation, or mechanized

land clearing in waters of the United

States. Areas under Corps jurisdiction

include wetlands associated with: the

construction of the snowmaking ponds

with wetlands (Pond Sites 2, 3a, 3b and

4), upgrade of the intake structure in the

Mad River, upgrade of the piping form

its present 10′′ diameter to 18′′, and the

improvement, creation and preservation

wetland projects as discussed in the

environmental analysis.

DATES: The public comment period for

the DEIS will end on April 14, 1997. If

you would like to comment, please

review the entire DEIS. You may receive

a copy of the DEIS by writing to the

Forest Service, 719 Main Street,