40322 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 131 / Monday, July 9, 2012 / Notices 

this information there would be no basis 

on which to award funds. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit; Farms; State, Local or 

Tribal Government. 

Number of Respondents: 18. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Quarterly. 

Total Burden Hours: 728. 

Charlene Parker, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2012–16609 Filed 7–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XT–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2012–0052] 

Oral Rabies Vaccine Trial; 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 the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service has prepared an 

environmental assessment relative to an 

oral rabies vaccination field trial in New 

Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, 

and West Virginia. The environmental 

assessment analyzes the use of an 

experimental rabies vaccine in field 

safety and immunogenicity trials in 

portions of New Hampshire, New York, 

Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia. The 

proposed field trial is necessary to 

evaluate a wildlife rabies vaccine that 

will produce sufficient levels of 

population immunity in raccoons and 

striped skunks. We are making the 

environmental assessment available to 

the public for review and comment. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before August 8, 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0052-

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2012–0052, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

The environmental assessment and 

any comments we receive may be 

viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0052 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. 

This notice and the environmental 

assessment are also posted on the 

APHIS Web site at http://www.aphis.

usda.gov/regulations/ws/ws_nepa_

environmental_documents.shtml. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mr. Richard Chipman, Acting Rabies 

Program Coordinator, Wildlife Services, 

APHIS, 59 Chennell Drive, Suite 7, 

Concord, NH 03301; (603) 223–9623. To 

obtain copies of the environmental 

assessment, contact Ms. Beth Kabert, 

Environmental Coordinator, Wildlife 

Services, 140–C Locust Grove Road, 

Pittstown, NJ 08867; (908) 735–5654, fax 

(908) 735–0821, email: beth.e.kabert@

aphis.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Wildlife Services (WS) program 

in the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) cooperates 

with Federal agencies, State and local 

governments, and private individuals to 

research and implement the best 

methods of managing conflicts between 

wildlife and human health and safety, 

agriculture, property, and natural 

resources. Wildlife-borne diseases that 

can affect domestic animals and humans 

are among the types of conflicts that 

APHIS–WS addresses. Wildlife is the 

dominant reservoir of rabies in the 

United States. 

One of the activities undertaken by 

APHIS–WS to address rabies is an Oral 

Rabies Vaccination (ORV) program 

involving the distribution of baits 

containing vaccinia-rabies glycoprotein 

(V–RG) vaccine to stop the spread of 

specific raccoon (eastern States), coyote 

(Texas), and gray fox (Texas, New 

Mexico, and Arizona) rabies virus 

variants to new areas. While this 

vaccine has proven to be orally effective 

in raccoons, coyotes, and foxes, it does 

not produce detectable levels of 

population immunity in striped skunks. 

Because skunks infected with raccoon 

rabies likely serve as a source of 

perpetuating and maintaining this rabies 

virus variant (i.e., raccoon rabies), they 

may compromise the effectiveness of 

our ORV program. 

APHIS–WS is the lead agency 

regarding a proposed action that will 

test the safety and immunogenicity of a 

new human adenovirus type 5-rabies 

glycoprotein recombinant virus 

(AdRG1.3) rabies vaccine in an effort to 

find a rabies vaccine that will be safe 

and immunogenic in a variety of animal 

species including raccoons, skunks, 

foxes, and coyotes. The proposed field 

trial would take place within 

approximately 10,483 square miles of 

portions of New Hampshire, New York, 

Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia, 

including portions of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture Forest 

Service National Forest System lands, 

excluding Wilderness Areas. The 

proposed field trial is a collaborative 

effort among APHIS–WS; the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention; the 

vaccine manufacturer (Artemis Inc.); the 

appropriate agriculture, health, and 

wildlife agencies for the states of New 

Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, 

and West Virginia; the Ontario Ministry 

of Natural Resources; and the Quebec 

Ministry of Natural Resources and 

Wildlife. 

APHIS’ review and analysis of the 

proposed action are documented in 

detail in an environmental assessment 

(EA) titled ‘‘Field Trial of an 

Experimental Rabies Vaccine, Human 

Adenovirus Type 5 Vector in New 

Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, 

and West Virginia’’ (May 2012). The EA 

analyzes a number of environmental 

issues or concerns with the oral rabies 

vaccine and activities associated with 

ORV field trials, such as capture and 

handling animals for monitoring and 

surveillance purposes. The EA also 

analyzes alternatives to the proposed 

action, including no action 

(continuation of the current program, 

which involves field trials in West 

Virginia only) and no ORV field trials. 

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 (see ADDRESSES above for 

instructions for accessing 

Regulations.gov and information on the 

location and hours of the reading room). 

In addition, paper 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 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 131 / Monday, July 9, 2012 / Notices 40323 

(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA 

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 

372). 

Done in Washington, DC, this 29th day of 

June 2012. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–16799 Filed 7–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Notice of Intent To Request Revision 

and Extension of a Currently Approved 

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 request revision and 

extension of a currently approved 

information collection, the Mink 

Survey. Revision to burden hours will 

be needed due to changes in the size of 

the target population and/or 

questionnaire length. The target 

population will be pulled from positive 

historical data, trade magazines, or 

grower’s association’s lists. The 

questionnaire that NASS is planning to 

use is the same as what was used in 

previous years. Any changes to the 

questionnaire would result from 

requests by industry data users. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by September 7, 2012 to be 

assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by docket number 0535–0212, 

by any of the following methods: 

• Email: ombofficer@nass.usda.gov. 

Include docket number 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 5336 

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: Mink Survey. 

OMB Control Number: 0535–0212. 

Expiration Date of Approval: October 

31, 2012. 

Type of Request: Intent to Seek 

Approval to Revise and Extend an 

Information Collection for 3 years. 

Abstract: The primary objective of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

is to prepare and issue State and 

national estimates of crop and livestock 

production, prices, and disposition. The 

Mink Survey collects data on the 

number of mink pelts produced, the 

number of females bred, and the number 

of mink farms. Mink estimates are used 

by the federal government to calculate 

total value of sales and total cash 

receipts, by State governments to 

administer fur farm programs and health 

regulations, and by universities in 

research projects. The current expiration 

date for this docket is October 31, 2012. 

NASS intends to request that the Mink 

Survey be approved for another 3 years. 

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, (44 U.S.C. 3501, et 

seq.) and Office of Management and Budget 

regulations at 5 CFR part 1320. 

NASS also complies with OMB 

Implementation Guidance, 

‘‘Implementation Guidance for Title V 

of the E-Government Act, Confidential 

Information Protection and Statistical 

Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA),’’ 72 FR 

33362, Jun. 15, 2007. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 10 minutes per 

response. NASS plans to mail out 

publicity materials with the 

questionnaires to inform producers of 

the importance of this survey. NASS 

will also use multiple mailings, 

followed up with phone and personal 

enumeration to increase response rates 

and to minimize data collection costs. 

Respondents: Farmers and ranchers. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

350. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 90 hours. 

Copies of this information collection 

and related instructions can be obtained 

without charge from David Hancock, 

NASS Clearance Officer, at 

ombofficer@nass.usda.gov or at (202) 

690–2388. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(a) 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; 

(b) 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; 

(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, through 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, technological, or 

other forms of information technology 

collection methods. 

All responses to this notice will 

become a matter of public record and be 

summarized in the request for OMB 

approval. 

Signed at Washington, DC, June 19, 2012. 

Joseph T. Reilly, 

Associate Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2012–16673 Filed 7–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–20–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Notice of Invitation for Nominations to 

the Advisory Committee on Agriculture 

Statistics 

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics 

Service (NASS), USDA. 

ACTION: Solicitation of Nominations to 

the Advisory Committee on Agriculture 

Statistics. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. App. 2, this notice announces an 

invitation from the Office of the 

Secretary of Agriculture for nominations 

to the Advisory Committee on 

Agriculture Statistics. 

On June 5, 2012, the Secretary of 

Agriculture renewed the Advisory 

Committee charter for a two-year term to 

expire on June 5, 2014. The purpose of 

the Committee is to advise the Secretary 

of Agriculture on the scope, timing, 

content, etc., of the periodic censuses 

and surveys of agriculture, other related 

surveys, and the types of information to 

obtain from respondents concerning 

agriculture. The Committee also 

prepares recommendations regarding 

the content of agriculture reports and 

presents the views and needs for data of 

major suppliers and users of agriculture 

statistics. 

DATES: Written nominations must be 

received on or before July 27, 2012. 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES