Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 104 / Wednesday, May 30, 2012 / Notices 31829 

Plant Variety Protection Certification 

and Objective Description of Variety.’’ 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by July 30, 2012. All comments 

submitted in response to this notice will 

be included in the record and will be 

made available to the public. Please be 

advised that the identity of the 

individuals or entities submitting the 

comments will be made public on the 

Internet via www.regulations.gov. 

Additional Information or Comments: 

Contact Bernadette Thomas, Information 

Technology Specialist, Plant Variety 

Protection Office (PVPO), Science and 

Technology, AMS, Room 401, National 

Agricultural Library (NAL), 10301 

Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 

20705. Telephone (301) 504–5297 and 

Fax (301) 504–5291. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Regulations Governing the 

Application for Plant Variety Protection 

Certificate and Reporting Requirements 

under the Plant Variety Protection Act. 

OMB Number: 0581–0055. 

Expiration Date of Approval: 

November 30, 2012. 

Type of Request: Extension and 

revision of a currently approved 

information collection. 

Abstract: The Plant Variety Protection 

Act (PVPA) (7 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.) was 

established ‘‘To encourage the 

development of novel varieties of 

sexually reproduced plants and make 

them available to the public, providing 

protection available to those who breed, 

develop, or discover them, and thereby 

promote progress in agriculture in the 

public interest.’’ 

The PVPA is a voluntary user funded 

program which grants intellectual 

property rights protection to breeders of 

new, distinct, uniform, and stable seed 

reproduced and tuber propagated plant 

varieties. To obtain these rights the 

applicant must provide information 

which shows the variety is eligible for 

protection and that it is indeed new, 

distinct, uniform, and stable as the law 

requires. Application forms, descriptive 

forms, and ownership forms are 

furnished to applicants to identify the 

information which is required to be 

furnished by the applicant in order to 

legally issue a certificate of protection 

(ownership). The certificate is based on 

claims of the breeder and cannot be 

issued on the basis of reports in 

publications not submitted by the 

applicant. Regulations implementing 

the PVPA appear at 7 CFR part 92. 

Currently approved forms ST–470, 

Application for Plant Variety Protection 

Certificate, ST–470 A, Origin and 

Breeding History, ST–470 B, Statement 

of Distinctness, Form ST–470 series, 

Objective Description of Variety (Exhibit 

C), Form ST–470–E, Basis of Applicant’s 

Ownership, are the basis by which the 

determination, by experts at PVPO, is 

made as to whether a new, distinct, 

uniform, and stable seed reproduced or 

tuber-propagated variety in fact exists 

and is entitled to protection. 

The revised ST 470 application form 

has been revised to combine Exhibits A, 

B, and E into one form. The information 

received on applications, with certain 

exceptions, is required by law to remain 

confidential until the certificate is 

issued (7 U.S.C. 2426). 

The information collection 

requirements in this request are 

essential to carry out the intent of the 

PVPA, to provide applicants with 

certificates of protection, to provide the 

respondents the type of service they 

request, and to administer the program. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 1.23 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: Businesses or other forprofit, not-for-profit institutions, and 

Federal Government. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

76. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 30. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 2,839. 

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (3) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments may be sent to Bernadette 

Thomas, Information Technology 

Specialist, Plant Variety Protection 

Office, Room 401, NAL Building, 10301 

Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 

20705. All comments received will be 

available for public inspection during 

regular business hours at the same 

address. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

become a matter of public record. 

Dated: May 22, 2012. 

David R. Shipman, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–13066 Filed 5–29–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0028] 

Importation of Fresh Bananas From 

the Philippines Into the Continental 

United States; 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 we have prepared an environmental 

assessment relative to our recent 

proposal to allow the importation of 

fresh bananas from the Philippines into 

the continental United States. The 

environmental assessment documents 

our review and analysis of 

environmental impacts associated with 

the proposed action. 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 29, 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS–2011– 

0028–0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2011–0028, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

The proposed rule, environmental 

assessment, other supporting 

documents, and any comments we 

receive may be viewed at http:// 

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS–2011–0028 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: Ms. 

Meredith Jones, Regulatory 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
31830 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 104 / Wednesday, May 30, 2012 / Notices 

1To view the proposed rule, the environmental 

assessment, and the pest risk assessment, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS–2011–0028. 

Coordination Specialist, PPQ, RPM, 

RCC, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 39, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; (301) 851– 

2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

In a proposed rule 1 titled 

‘‘Importation of Fresh Bananas from the 

Philippines into the Continental United 

States’’ and published in the Federal 

Register on April 16, 2012 (77 FR 

22510–22514, Docket No. APHIS–2011– 

0028), we proposed to amend the 

regulations in 7 CFR part 319 to allow 

the importation of fresh bananas from 

the Philippines into the continental 

United States. We initiated this proposal 

in response to a request from the 

national plant protection organization 

(NPPO) of the Philippines. 

To determine the potential pest risks 

inherent in allowing importation of 

fresh bananas from the Philippines, and 

to determine measures that might be 

effective in mitigating the pest risk, 

APHIS prepared a pest risk assessment 

and a risk management analysis. Based 

on the results of those studies, the 

proposed rule describes a systems 

approach under which bananas from the 

Philippines would have to be produced, 

packed, and transported in order to 

mitigate the potential risks associated 

with the importation. The systems 

approach is considered to be an 

appropriate safeguard to ensure that 

consignments of bananas from the 

Philippines would have a low 

likelihood of containing fruit with the 

potential to cause the introduction of a 

plant pest into the United States. 

APHIS’ review and analysis of the 

potential environmental impacts 

associated with allowing the 

importation of fresh bananas from the 

Philippines into the continental United 

States are documented in detail in an 

environmental assessment entitled 

‘‘Importation of Bananas (Musa spp.) 

from the Philippines into the 

Continental United States’’ (April 2012). 

We are making this environmental 

assessment 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 environmental assessment may 

be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web 

site or in our reading room (see 

ADDRESSES above for a link to 

Regulations.gov and information on the 

location and hours of the reading room). 

You may request paper copies of the 

environmental assessment by calling or 

writing to the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please 

refer to the title of the environmental 

assessment when requesting copies. 

The environmental assessment 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 23rd day of 

May 2012. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–13057 Filed 5–29–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration 

Opportunity for Designation in the 

West Sacramento, CA; Frankfort, IN; 

Indianapolis, IN; and Richmond, VA 

Areas; Request for Comments on the 

Official Agencies Servicing These 

Areas 

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The designations of the 

official agencies listed below will end 

on December 31, 2012. We are asking 

persons or governmental agencies 

interested in providing official services 

in the areas presently served by these 

agencies to submit an application for 

designation. In addition, we are asking 

for comments on the quality of services 

provided by the following designated 

agencies: California-Agri Inspection 

Company, Ltd. (Cal-Agri); Frankfort 

Grain Inspection, Inc. (Frankfort); 

Indianapolis Grain Inspection and 

Weighing Service, Inc. (Indianapolis); 

and Virginia Department of Agriculture 

and Consumer Services (Virginia). 

DATE: Applications and comments must 

be received by June 29, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Submit applications and 

comments concerning this notice using 

any of the following methods: 

• Applying for Designation on the 

Internet: Use FGISOnline (https:// 

fgis.gipsa.usda.gov/ 

default_home_FGIS.aspx) and then click 

on the Delegations/Designations and 

Export Registrations (DDR) link. You 

will need to obtain an FGISOnline 

customer number and USDA 

eAuthentication username and 

password prior to applying. 

• Submit Comments Using the 

Internet: Go to Regulations.gov (http:// 

www.regulations.gov). Instructions for 

submitting and reading comments are 

detailed on the site. 

• Mail, Courier or Hand Delivery: Eric 

J. Jabs, Chief, USDA, GIPSA, FGIS, 

QACD, QADB, 10383 North Ambassador 

Drive, Kansas City, MO 64153. 

• Fax: Eric J. Jabs, 816–872–1258 

• Email: Eric.J.Jabs@usda.gov. 

Read Applications and Comments: 

All applications and comments will be 

available for public inspection at the 

office above during regular business 

hours (7 CFR 1.27(c)). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric 

J. Jabs, 816–659–8408 or 

Eric.J.Jabs@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

79(f) of the United States Grain 

Standards Act (USGSA) authorizes the 

Secretary to designate a qualified 

applicant to provide official services in 

a specified area after determining that 

the applicant is better able than any 

other applicant to provide such official 

services (7 U.S.C. 79(f)). Under section 

79(g) of the USGSA, designations of 

official agencies are effective for three 

years unless terminated by the 

Secretary, but may be renewed 

according to the criteria and procedures 

prescribed in section 79(f) of the 

USGSA. 

Areas Open for Designation 

Cal-Agri 

Pursuant to Section 79(f)(2) of the 

USGSA, the following geographic area, 

in the State of California, is assigned to 

this official agency. Bounded on the 

North by the northern California State 

line east to the eastern California State 

line; Bounded on the East by the eastern 

California State line south to the 

southern San Bernardino County line; 

Bounded on the South by the southern 

San Bernardino and Orange County 

lines west to the western California 

State line; and Bounded on the West by 

the western California State line north 

to the northern California State line. 

California Agri’s assigned geographic 

area does not include the export port 

locations inside California Agri’s area 

which are serviced by GIPSA. 

Frankfort 

Pursuant to Section 79(f)(2) of the Act, 

the following geographic area, in the 

State of Indiana, is assigned to this 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES