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

57589

Vol. 65, No. 186

Monday, September 25, 2000

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

September 19, 2000.

The Department of Agriculture has

submitted the following information

collection requirement(s) to OMB for

review and clearance under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13. Comments

regarding (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; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of 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 should be addressed to: Desk

Officer for Agriculture, Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB), Washington, DC 20503 and to

Departmental Clearance Office, USDA,

OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC

20250–7602. Comments regarding these

information collections are best assured

of having their full effect if received

within 30 days of this notification.

Copies of the submission(s) may be

obtained by calling (202) 720–6746.

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor a collection of information

unless the collection of information

displays a currently valid OMB control

number and the agency informs

potential persons who are to respond to

the collection of information that such

persons are not required to respond to

the collection of information unless it

displays a currently valid OMB control

number.

Rural Utilities Service

Title: RUS Form 444, ‘‘Wholesale

Power Contracts.’’

OMB Control Number: 0572–0089.

Summary of Collection: The Rural

Electrification Act of 1936 (RE Act) as

amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.,

authorizes the Rural Utilities Service

(RUS) to make and guarantee loans that

will enable rural consumers to obtain

electric power. Rural consumers formed

non-profit electric distribution

cooperatives. Subsequently, groups of

these distribution cooperatives banded

together to form Generation and

Transmission cooperatives (G&T’s) that

generate or purchase power and

transmit the power to the distribution

systems. All RUS and G&T borrowers

will enter into a Wholesale Power

Contract with their distribution

members by using RUS Form 444.

Need and Use of the Information:

RUS will collect information to improve

the credit quality and credit worthiness

of loans and loan guarantees to G&T

borrowers to fulfill the purposes of the

RE Act.

Description of Respondents: Not-forprofit institutions; Business or other forprofit.

Number of Respondents: 110.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Quarterly.

Total Burden Hours: 660.

Forest Service

Title: Recreation Fee Permit and

Envelope Registration Card.

OMB Control Number: 0596–0019.

Summary of Collection: The Organic

Administration Act (30 stat. 11), the

Wilderness Act (78 stat. 890), the Wild

and Scenic River Act (82 stat. 906) and

Executive Order 11664, all authorize the

Forest Service (FS) to manage the forests

to benefit both land and people. Every

year million of people visit the National

Forest System. As FS heads into the

next millennium, their challenge is to

meet a soaring demand for higher

quality recreation experiences while

safeguarding the health of the land. FS

will care for the land and serve people

is to determine where people are going

when they visit the national forest and

give them information, which provides

for a safe and enjoyable visit and at the

same time protects the resource. The

Visitors Permit and Visitor Registration

Card are tools that will help FS meet

their objective. At the majority of

locations visited, a permit for use is

required. The FS uses the Visitor’s

Permit (Form 2300–30) and the Visitor

Registration Card (Form 2300–32) to

permit use in these areas.

Need and Use of the Information: FS

will collect the visitor’s name, address,

area to be visited, date of visit, length

of stay, method of travel, number of

people, and number of pack and saddle

stock. The permit and registration card

allows managers to identify areas,

which are being heavily used and is also

used to locate forest visitors if they do

not return from their trip as planned. If

the information were not collected from

visitors it could cause overuse and site

deterioration in some environmentally

sensitive areas.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals or households; Business or

other for-profit; Not-for profit

institutions.

Number of Respondents: 320,000.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Other (per visit).

Total Burden Hours: 26,000.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: Cranberries grown in the states

of MA, RI, CT, NJ, WI, MN, MI, OR, WA,

and Long Island in the State of NY,

Marketing Order No. 929.

OMB Control Number: 0581–0103.

Summary of Collection: Marketing

Order No. 929 (7 CFR Part 929) regulates

the handling of cranberries grown in

certain states and emanates from

enabling legislation (the Agricultural

Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, Secs.

1–19, 48 Stat. 31, as amended; 7 U.S.C.

601–674). The Act was designed to

permit regulation of certain agricultural

commodities for the purpose of

providing orderly marketing conditions

in interstate commerce and improving

returns to growers. The objective of the

marketing agreement and order is to

correlate the supply of cranberries

available for sale in the various trade

channels with the demand in those

outlets.

Need and Use of the Information: The

Cranberry Marketing Committee locally

administers the order and represents

growers. The committee and its staff are

responsible for keeping information on

individual handlers inventories and

receipt confidential. Information

gathered by the committee would only

be reported in the aggregate, along with

57590 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 186 / Monday, September 25, 2000 / Notices

other pertinent cranberry data. AMS

will collect information using various

forms that ensure compliance and help

monitor grower’s allotments. If

information were not collected, it would

eliminate data needed to keep the

cranberry industry and the Secretary

abreast of changes at the State and local

level.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for profit; Farms.

Number of Respondents: 1,285.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: Quarterly

and Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 1,750.

Farm Service Agency

Title: Regulations for Cooperative

Marketing Associations, 7 CFR Part

1425.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0040.

Summary of Collection: The Secretary

of Agriculture and Commodity Credit

Corporation (CCC) have authority to

make Price Support available to

Cooperatives on behalf of their members

through both commodity statutes and

the Commodity Credit Corporation

Charter Act. Various forms are used to

collect information along with the

cooperative eligibility requirements that

form the basis for information

collections. These requirements are

needed to insure price support

programs’ integrity. Cooperative

Marketing Association (CMA) is an

entity through which benefits of

commodity loan and loan deficiency

payment (LDP) programs flow to eligible

producers. The responsibilities of the

CCC are to stabilize, support and protect

farm income and prices to aid in the

orderly marketing of farm commodities.

Commodities authorized for price

support through approved Cooperative

Marketing Associations (CMA’s) include

barley, corn, cotton, crambe, oats,

oilseeds, rice, sorghum and wheat.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information requested is needed to

administer the CCC’s Cooperative

Marketing Association Program. CCC

approves CMA’s participation in the

commodity loan and LDP program, and

monitors them based on eligibility

requirements. This is to ensure that

commodity loan and LDP proceeds go

only to eligible producers. The

consequence of not obtaining this

information could lead to ineligible

producers sharing the benefits of

commodity loans and LDP’s with

eligible producers. In this environment,

pseudo and bogus cooperatives could

take advantage of program benefits such

as interim financing, marketing gains,

and forfeiture provisions.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals or households; Farms;

Business or other for profit.

Number of Respondents: 380.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On Occasion,

Annually; Other (as requested).

Total Burden Hours: 25,946.

Forest Service

Title: Application for Prospecting

Permit.

OMB Control Number: 0596–0089.

Summary of Collection: The

Application for Prospecting Permit,

Form FS–2800–14, was developed by

Region 1, Forest Service (FS) to obtain

better information from applicants

requesting permits to conduct

geophysical activities on National Forest

System lands. These activities are

authorized according to 36 CFR Subpart

E 228.100 and 228.101 for operations on

a lease, 36 CFR 251 Subpart B for

operations off a lease, and 36 CFR

251.15 for operations on reserved

mineral rights. Geophysical operations

are conducted to better understand the

earth’s geology and mineral resources.

Use of the form will ensure that a

complete, concise, site-specific,

description of all proposed geophysical

activity be obtained. It will ensure

timely and effective review and

decision-making in compliance with the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4521–4347).

Need and Use of the Information: FS

collects the name, address, and

company project name of the applicant

and similar information about the

geophysical contractor. The information

is used by FS to ensure a thorough,

accurate, and timely review of the

proposed geophysical activity. If

complete and accurate information is

not collected the environmental analysis

and related NEPA documents may be

incomplete; permit issuance may be

delayed; and, recordkeeping may be

incomplete.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit; Non-for-profit

institutions.

Number of Respondents: 25.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 6.

Food and Nutrition Service

Title: 7 CFR Part 220 School Breakfast

Program.

OMB Control Number: 0584–0012.

Summary of Collection: Section 4 of

the Child Nutrition Act (CNA) of 1966,

as amended, authorizes the School

Breakfast Program (SBP). The Food and

Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the

School Breakfast Program on behalf of

the Secretary of Agriculture so that

needy children may receive their

breakfasts free or at a reduced price. The

requirements for the interim rule

entitled, Identification of Blended Beef,

Pork, Poultry or Seafood Products are

found in section 210.10(h) of the

National School Lunch Program

regulations. The third party disclosure

requires school food authorities to

inform children and their parents of the

use of products or dishes containing

more than 30 parts fully hydrated

vegetable protein products to less than

70 parts beef, pork, poultry or seafood

in food served under the SBP.

Need and Use of the Information:

School food authorities provide

information to State agencies. The State

agencies reprot to FNS. FNS uses the

information submitted to determine the

amount of funds to be reimbursed,

evaluate and adjust program operations,

and to develop projections for future

program operations.

Description of Respondents: State,

Local, or Tribal Government,

Individuals or household, Business or

other for-profit, Not-for-profit

institutions, Federal Government.

Number of Respondents: 82,748.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion;

Quarterly; Monthly; Semi-annually;

Annually; Other.

Total Burden Hours: 4,895,796.

Food and Nutrition Service

Title: National School Lunch Program.

OMB Control Number: 0584–0006.

Summary of Collection: Section 9 of

the National School Lunch Act (NSLA)

gives the Secretary authority to

prescribe the minimum nutritional

requirements for lunches served by

school participating in the school lunch

program. The requirements for the

interim rule entitled, Identification of

Blended Beef, Pork, Poultry or Seafood

Products are found in section 210.10 (h)

of the National School Lunch Program

regulations. The third party disclosure

requires school food authorities to

inform children and their parents of the

use of products or dishes containing

more than 30 parts fully hydrated

vegetable protein products to less than

70 parts beef, pork, poultry or seafood

in food served under the NSLP. The

Food and Nutrition Service will collect

information using forms FNS–66, 640,

and 67.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information will be collected to ensure

that the alternative implemented by the

States and the school food authorities

adequately meets program requirements

and goals. The plan will also ensure a

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 186 / Monday, September 25, 2000 / Notices 57591

comprehensive review and will be

available for monitoring purposes.

Description of Respondents: State,

Local, or Tribal Government,

Individuals or household, Business or

other for-profit, Not-for-profit

institutions, Federal Govenrment.

Number of Respondents: 118,051.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion;

Quarterly; Monthly; Annually; Semiannually; Other.

Total Burden Hours: 9,462,622.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

Title: National Agricultural Pest

Information System.

OMB Control Number: 0579–0010.

Summary of Collection: The United

States Department of Agriculture is

responsible for preventing plant

diseases or insect pests from entering

the United States, preventing the spread

of pests not widely distributed in the

United States, and eradicating those

imported pests when eradication is

feasible. The Plant Quarantine Act and

the Federal Plant Pest Act authorizes the

Department to carry out this mission.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS) has joined forces with

the States to create a program called the

Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey.

The program allows the States and the

Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)

Division to conduct surveys to detect

and measure the presence of imported

plant pests and to input survey data into

a national computer-based system

(called the National Agricultural Plant

Information System). APHIS will collect

information using PPQ Form 391 and a

survey.

Need and Use of the Information:

APHIS will collect information to

predict potential pest situations, to

promptly detect and respond to the

occurrence of new pests, and to record

the location of those pest incursions that

could directly hinder the export of U.S.

farm commodities. If the information

were not collected, it would seriously

affect APHIS ability to timely assist

farmers, State personnel, and others

involved in agriculture to plan pest

control measures, detect new outbreaks,

and to determine the threat posed by

migratory pests.

Description of Respondents:

Government.

Number of Respondents: 150.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting;

On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 1,445.

Economic Research Service

Title: Study of Program Access and

Declining Food Stamp Participation.

OMB Control Number: 0536–NEW.

Summary of Collection: The

Economic Research Service (ERS) of the

Department of Agriculture (USDA) has

the responsibility to provide social and

economic intelligence on consumer,

food marketing, and rural issues,

including: Domestic food assistance

programs; low-income assistance

programs; food security status of the

poor; food consumption determinants

and trends; consumer demand for food

quality, safety, and nutrition; food

market competition and coordination;

and food safety regulations. The Food

Stamp Program (FSP) is the cornerstone

of the Nation’s nutrition safety net for

low-income Americans. The program’s

intent is to eliminate hunger and enable

eligible low-income persons to obtain a

more nutritionally adequate diet by

providing food stamp coupons (or other

forms of payment) redeemable at many

retail food stores. USDA is concerned

about the declines in Food Stamp

Program participation that have

occurred since 1994, and whether or not

the program is reaching all those in

need. In an effort to better understand

the factors affecting Food Stamp

Program participants, the ERS will

launch a study. The evaluation is being

performed pursuant to Public Law 95–

73, which authorizes USDA to

undertake research.

Need and Use of the Information: ERS

will collect information to describe the

policies and practices in local food

stamp offices, particularly those

instituted since welfare reform, that may

affect accessibility to the FSP; to

examine how local policies and

practices affect households’ decisions to

apply for food stamps and their

decisions to continue to receive food

stamps; and to examine the reason

eligible households do not participate in

the FSP.

Description of Respondents: State,

Local, or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 37,278.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Other (one time).

Total Burden Hours: 5,110.5.

Farm Service Agency

Title: Certified Mediation Program.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0165.

Summary of Collection: The Farm

Service Agency (FSA) is amending its

Agricultural Loan Mediation (AMP)

regulations to implement the

requirements of the Federal Crop

Insurance Reform and Department of

Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994

(the 1994 Act). P.L. 103–354, October

13, 1994, amended Section 501 of the

Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 (7 U.S.C.

5101 by striking ‘‘an agricultural loan

mediation program’’ and inserting ‘‘a

mediation program’’. The regulation

provides a mechanism to States to apply

for and obtain matching funds grants

from USDA. The grant funds help states

supplement administrative operating

funds needed to administer their

agricultural mediation programs. FSA

will collect information by mail, phone,

fax, and in person.

Need and Use of the Information: FSA

will collect information to ensure

matching grant funds are used only to

pay for eligible costs necessary for the

operation and administration of the

State mediation programs, consistent

with the statutory purposes of the

program. If information were not

collected, this would result in improper

administration and appropriation of

Federal grant funds.

Description of Respondents: State,

Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 25.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 775.

Nancy B. Sternberg,

Departmental Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–24563 Filed 9–22–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Notice of Change to Title of Position

Authorized to Sign Conveyance

Documents for the Eastern Region

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The former title of Lands and

Minerals Program Leader, Eastern

Region, has been changed to Director,

Lands and Minerals, Eastern Region

(Region 9). The Regional Forester

approved this action on September 15,

2000. This notice serves to advise the

public that under the new title of

Director, Lands and Minerals, the

incumbent has authorization to sign

legal documents on behalf of the United

States. This signing authority applies to

all conveyance documents; that is,

deeds and other legal instruments as

specified in the Forest Service Manual

(FSM) 5400.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions about this notice should be

addressed to Carolyn Williams, Regional

Realty Specialist, Forest Service, USDA,

310 West Wisconsin Avenue,

Milwaukee, WI 53203; phone 414–297–

3696.