46374 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2012 / Notices 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2012–0060, 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–2012–0060 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: Dr. 

Shirley A. Wager-Page, Chief, Pest 

Permitting Branch, Registration, 

Identification, Permitting, and Plant 

Safeguarding, APHIS, 4700 River Road 

Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; 

(301) 851–2323. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

The Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing 

to issue permits for the release of 

Scymnus coniferarum, a native 

predaceous beetle from the western 

United States, into the eastern United 

States for use as a biological control 

agent to reduce the severity of hemlock 

woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) 

infestations on hemlock. 

Hemlock woolly adelgid was 

accidentally introduced to the eastern 

United States from Asia. Although 

native to the western United States, in 

the eastern United States, hemlock 

woolly adelgid is a destructive pest of 

the eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), 

where it causes needle loss, abortion of 

buds, and the eventual death of infested 

trees. 

Four predatory beetles have been 

introduced to the eastern United States 

as biological controls of hemlock woolly 

adelgid with two of these considered 

established in the eastern United States. 

However, because hemlock woolly 

adelgid has a multigenerational lifestyle 

with multiple forms appearing at 

different times during the year, a group 

of natural predators similar to that 

found in areas in which it is native is 

needed in order to provide more 

efficient control. Therefore, APHIS is 

proposing to issue permits for the 

release of S. coniferarum into the 

eastern United States in order to reduce 

the severity and extent of hemlock 

woolly adelgid infestations. 

The proposed biological control agent, 

S. coniferarum, is a small lady beetle 

about 2 millimeters long and covered in 

fine, short hairs. In the wild it feeds on 

all hemlock woolly adelgid stages 

except nymphs that are in diapause 

during the summer. Because the larvae 

of S. coniferarum primarily target the 

egg stage of the hemlock woolly adelgid 

in late spring to early summer, the 

release of S. coniferarum will provide a 

predator that the spring generation of 

hemlock woolly adelgid currently lacks 

in the eastern United States. 

APHIS’ review and analysis of the 

potential environmental effects 

associated with the proposed action are 

documented in detail in an 

environmental assessment (EA) entitled 

‘‘Release of the Predatory Beetle 

Scymnus coniferarum (Coleoptera: 

Coccinellidae), for Biological Control of 

the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges 

tsugae) in the Eastern United States’’ 

(February 2012). We are making the EA 

available to the public for review and 

comment. We will consider all 

comments that we receive on or before 

the date listed under the heading DATES

at the beginning of this notice. 

The EA may be viewed on the 

Regulations.gov Web site or in our 

reading room. (Instructions for accessing 

Regulations.gov and information on the 

location and hours of the reading room 

are provided under the heading 

ADDRESSES at the beginning of this 

notice.) In addition, copies may be 

obtained by calling or writing to the 

individual listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

The EA has been prepared in 

accordance with: (1) The National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA), as amended (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 30th day of 

July 2012. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–19029 Filed 8–2–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2012–0044] 

National Poultry Improvement Plan; 

General Conference Committee 

Meeting and 41st Biennial Conference 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: We are giving notice of a 

meeting of the General Conference 

Committee of the National Poultry 

Improvement Plan (NPIP) and the 

NPIP’s 41st Biennial Conference. 

DATES: The General Conference 

Committee meeting will be held on 

September 25, 2012, from 12 p.m. to 

4 p.m. The Biennial Conference will 

meet on September 26, 2012, from 8 

a.m. to 5 p.m., and on September 27, 

2012, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Loews New Orleans Hotel, 300 

Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

C. Stephen Roney, Senior Coordinator, 

National Poultry Improvement Plan, VS, 

APHIS, 1506 Klondike Road, Suite 300, 

Conyers, GA 30094–5173, (770) 922– 

3496. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

General Conference Committee (the 

Committee) of the National Poultry 

Improvement Plan (NPIP), representing 

cooperating State agencies and poultry 

industry members, serves an essential 

function by acting as a liaison between 

the poultry 

industry and the Department in 

matters pertaining to poultry health. 

The Committee meets to discuss 

significant poultry health issues and 

makes recommendations to improve the 

NPIP program. 

Topics for discussion at the upcoming 

meetings include: 

1. Salmonella testing. 

2. Technical Committee report. 

3. Avian influenza. 

4. USDA regulatory review. 

The meetings will be open to the 

public. However, due to time 

constraints, the public will not be 

allowed to provide oral comments 

pertaining to the discussions during 

either of the meetings. Written 

statements on meeting topics may be 

filed with the Committee before or after 

the meeting by sending them to the 

person listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. Written 

statements may also be filed at the 

meeting. Please refer to Docket No. 


TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2012 / Notices 46375 

APHIS–2012–0044 when submitting 

your statements. 

If you require special 

accommodations, such as a sign 

language interpreter, please call or write 

the individual listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

This notice of meeting is given 

pursuant to section 10 of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 

2). 

Done in Washington, DC, this 30th day of 

July 2012. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–19025 Filed 8–2–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Chippewa National Forest Resource 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Chippewa National 

Forest Resource Advisory Committee 

will meet in Walker, Minnesota. The 

committee is authorized under the 

Secure Rural Schools and Community 

Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110– 

343) (the Act) and operates in 

compliance with the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act. The purpose of the 

committee is to improve collaborative 

relationships and to provide advice and 

recommendations to the Forest Service 

concerning projects and funding 

consistent with the title II of the Act. 

The meeting is open to the public. The 

purpose of the meeting is to review with 

the Chippewa National Forest Resource 

Advisory Committee members their 

roles and responsiblities, review project 

proposals and develop project priorities. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012, 9:00 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

Chase on the Lake, Meeting Room, 502 

Cleveland Blvd. West, Walker, 

Minnesota 56484. Written comments 

should be sent to Chippewa National 

Forest RAC, 200 Ash Avenue NW., Cass 

Lake, MN 56633. Comments may also be 

sent via email to ttisler@fs.fed.us, or via 

facsimile to 218–335–8637. 

All comments, including names and 

addresses when provided, are placed in 

the record and are available for public 

inspection and copying. The public may 

inspect comments received at the 

Chippewa National Forest Supervisors 

Office. Please call ahead to 218–335– 

8600 to facilitate entry into the building 

to view comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Todd Tisler, Forest Ecologist, Chippewa 

National Forest Forest Supervisor’s 

Office, 218–335–8600. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., 

Eastern Standard Time, Monday 

through Friday. Requests for reasonable 

accomodation for access to the facility 

or procedings may be made by 

contacting the person listed FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting is open to the public. The 

following business will be conducted: 

review project proposals and develop 

project priorities. The agenda and any 

applicable documents may be 

previewed at http://www.fs.usda.gov/ 

chippewa. Anyone who would like to 

bring related matters to the attention of 

the committee may file written 

statements with the committee staff 

before or after the meeting. 

Dated: July 27, 2012. 

Darla Lenz, 

Chippewa National Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2012–19010 Filed 8–2–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Notice of Intent to Seek Approval To 

Conduct an Information Collection 

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intention of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

(NASS) to seek approval to conduct a 

new information collection, the 2013 

Residue and Biomass Field Survey. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by October 2, 2012 to be 

assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by docket number 0535– 

NEW, 2013 Residue and Biomass Field 

Survey by any of the following methods: 

• Email: ombofficer@nass.usda.gov. 

Include docket number and title above 

in the subject line of the message. 

• Fax: (202) 720–6396 

• Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD– 

ROM submissions to: David Hancock, 

NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Room 

5336A, Mail Stop 2024, South Building, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–2024. 

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand 

deliver to: David Hancock, NASS 

Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Room 5336, South 

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC 20250–2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joseph T. Reilly, Associate 

Administrator, National Agricultural 

Statistics Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, (202) 720–4333. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Residue and Biomass Field 

Survey. 

OMB Control Number: 0535—NEW. 

Type of Request: Intent to Seek 

Approval to Conduct a new Information 

Collection: The National Agricultural 

Statistics Service (NASS) of the United 

States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) will request approval from the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for the Residue and Biomass 

Field Survey. 

The Residue and Biomass Field 

Survey will use as a sampling universe 

fields in the South Fork watershed in 

central Iowa (Buckeye, IA). This study 

will investigate the effect crop residue 

removal has on soil and water quality. 

With the respondent’s permission, 

measurements of crop residues will be 

compared with remote sensed data to 

measure crop residue cover and soil 

tillage intensity for the entire watershed. 

The survey will be conducted in several 

phases. The farm operator will only be 

involved in part of the survey. With the 

farmers permission the field 

enumerators will return several times 

during the growing season to measure 

and collect samples from the target 

areas. 

The primary objectives of the National 

Agricultural Statistics Service are to 

prepare and issue State and national 

estimates of crop production, livestock 

production, economic statistics, and 

environmental statistics related to 

agriculture and to conduct the Census of 

Agriculture and it’s follow-on surveys. 

This project is conducted as a 

cooperative effort with USDA’s 

Agricultural Research Service (ARS). 

Authority: These data will be collected 

under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204(a). 

Individually identifiable data collected under 

this authority are governed by Section 1770 

of the Food Security Act of 1985 as amended, 

7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford 

strict confidentiality to non-aggregated data 

provided by respondents. This Notice is 

submitted in accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13) and 


TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES