[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27308-27309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12589]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0029]


Notice of Request for Reinstatement of an Information Collection; 
National Animal Health Monitoring System; Goat 2019 Study

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Reinstatement of an information collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request the reinstatement of an information collection to 
conduct the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Goat 2019 Study.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 13, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0029.
    <bullet> Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2018-0029, 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-2018-
0029 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 Goat 2019 
Study, contact Mr. Bill Kelley, Program Analyst, Science, Technology, 
and Analysis Services, VS, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building B, Fort 
Collins, CO 80524; (970) 494-7207. For copies of more detailed 
information on the information collection, contact Ms. Kimberly Hardy, 
APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851-2483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: National Animal Health Monitoring System; Goat 2019 Study.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0354.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of an information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et 
seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to protect the health 
of the livestock, poultry, and aquaculture populations in the United 
States 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. This authority has been delegated to 
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
    In connection with this mission, APHIS operates the National Animal 
Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), which collects, on a national basis, 
statistically valid and scientifically sound data on the prevalence and 
economic importance of livestock, poultry, and aquaculture disease risk 
factors.
    NAHMS' studies have evolved into a collaborative industry and 
government initiative to help determine the most effective means of 
preventing and controlling diseases of livestock. APHIS

[[Page 27309]]

is the only agency responsible for collecting data on livestock health. 
Participation in any NAHMS study is voluntary, and all data are 
confidential.
    APHIS plans to conduct the Goat 2019 Study as part of an ongoing 
series of NAHMS studies on the U.S. livestock population. The purpose 
of the study is to collect information to describe changes in animal 
health, nutrition, and management practices in the U.S. goat industry 
from 2009-2019; describe practices producers use to control internal 
parasites and reduce anthelmintic resistance; describe antimicrobial 
stewardship on goat operations and provide information on the 
prevalence of enteric pathogens and antimicrobial resistance patterns; 
describe management practices associated with, and producer-reported 
occurrence of, economically important goat diseases; and provide a 
serologic bank to meet the future research needs of the goat industry.
    The study will consist of two phases. In Phase I, a National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) enumerator will contact and 
conduct interviews with goat producers from 26 States who have 5 or 
more goats. These respondents will be asked to sign a consent form 
allowing NASS to present their names to APHIS-designated data 
collectors for further consideration in the study. In Phase II, which 
we consider the APHIS phase, the respondents will complete the producer 
agreement and up to three on-farm questionnaires. In addition, biologic 
sampling will be available to selected participants that complete the 
initial visit questionnaire.
    The information collected through the Goat 2019 Study will be 
analyzed and organized into descriptive reports. Several information 
sheets will be derived from these reports and disseminated by APHIS to 
producers, stakeholders, academia, veterinarians, and other interested 
parties. The collected data will be used to establish national and 
regional production measures for producer, veterinary, and industry 
references; predict or detect national and regional trends in disease 
emergence and movement; address emerging issues; examine the economic 
impact of health management practices; provide estimates of both 
outcome (disease or other parameters) and exposure (risks and 
components) variables that can be used in analytic studies in the 
future by APHIS; provide input into the design of surveillance systems 
for specific diseases; and provide parameters for animal disease spread 
models.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for 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 burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.51 hours per response.
    Respondents: Goat producers from 26 States who have 5 or more 
goats.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 4,770.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 4.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 17,668.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 8,947 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 6th day of June 2018.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-12589 Filed 6-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P