Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 198 / Thursday, October 12, 2000 / Notices 60611

Dated: October 4, 2000.

Barry L. Carpenter,

Deputy Administrator, Livestock and Seed

Program.

[FR Doc. 00–26107 Filed 10–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Docket No. LS–00–08]

Notice of Request for Extension and

Revision of Currently Approved

Information Collection

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice

announces the Agricultural Marketing

Service’s (AMS) intention to request an

extension for and revision to a currently

approved information collection for the

Federal Seed Act Labeling and

Enforcement.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by December 11, 2000 to be

assured of consideration.

Additional Information or Comments:

Richard C. Payne, Chief, Seed

Regulatory and Testing Branch (SRTB),

Livestock and Seed Program, AMS,

Room 209, Building 306, BARC–E.,

Beltsville, Maryland 20705–2325,

telephone (301) 504–9430, Fax (301)

504–8098.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Federal Seed Act Program.

OMB Number: 0581–0026.

Expiration Date of Approval: July 30,

2001.

Type of Request: Extension and

revision of currently approved

information collection.

Abstract: This information collection

and recordkeeping requirements are

necessary to conduct the FSA (7 U.S.C.

1551, et seq.) program with respect to

certain testing, labeling, and

recordkeeping requirements of

agricultural and vegetable seeds in

interstate commerce.

The FSA, Title II, is a truth-in-labeling

law that regulates agricultural and

vegetable planting seed in interstate

commerce. Seed subject to the FSA

must be labeled with certain quality

information and it requires information

to be truthful. The Act prohibits the

interstate shipment of falsely advertised

seed and seed containing noxious-weed

seeds that are prohibited from sale in

the State into which the seed is being

shipped.

Besides providing farmers and other

seed buyers with information necessary

to make an informed choice and protect

the buyer from buying mislabeled seed,

the FSA promotes fair competition

within the seed industry. It also

encourages uniformity in labeling,

aiding the movement of seed between

the States. Because seed moving in

interstate commerce must be labeled

according to the FSA, most State laws

have seed labeling requirements similar

to those of the FSA, causing more

uniformity of State laws.

Although anyone can submit a

complaint to the SRTB, the FSA is

primarily enforced through cooperative

agreements with the States. State seed

inspectors inspect and sample seed

where it is being sold. They send a

sample of the seed and a copy of the

labeling to the State seed laboratory

where the sample is tested and the

analysis compared with the label. When

violations are found, State personnel

may take corrective action such as

issuing a stop sale order to keep the

seed from being sold until it is correctly

labeled or otherwise disposed of. They

may also take action against the shipper

or labeler of the seed. The action a State

may take against a shipper in another

State is limited. Therefore, violations

involving interstate shipments may be

turned over to AMS for Federal action.

AMS investigates the complaints. The

investigation normally involves check

testing the State’s official sample and

possibly the shipper’s file sample at the

Testing Section. The shipper’s records

are checked to establish that there was

a violation of the FSA, responsibility for

the violation, and the cause of the

mislabeling, if possible. The

investigation will help the shipper find

and correct the problem causing the

violation and help AMS to determine

the appropriate regulatory action.

No unique forms are required for this

information collection. The FSA

requires seed in interstate commerce to

be tested and labeled. Once in a State,

seed must comply with the testing and

labeling requirements of the State seed

law. The same test and labeling required

by the FSA nearly always satisfies the

State’s testing and labeling

requirements. Also the receiving, sales,

cleaning, testing, and labeling records

required by the FSA, are records that the

shipper would normally keep in good

business practice.

The information obtained under this

information collection is the minimum

information necessary to effectively

carry out the enforcement of the FSA.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 2.08 hours per

response.

Respondents: Interstate shippers and

labelers of seed.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

2,997.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 5.90.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 37,215 hours.

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether

the proposed collections 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 Richard C.

Payne, Chief, Seed Regulatory and

Testing Branch, LS, AMS, USDA, Room

209, Building 306, BARC–E., Beltsville,

Maryland 20705–2325 or by E-mail to

richard.payne2@usda.gov. 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: October 4, 2000.

Barry L. Carpenter,

Deputy Administrator, Livestock and Seed

Program.

[FR Doc. 00–26108 Filed 10–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation and

Farm Service Agency

Hurricane Damage Assistance for 1999

Crop

AGENCIES: Commodity Credit

Corporation and Farm Service Agency,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice of relief available to

reduce the amount of loan indebtedness

on certain 1999-crop loans.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

intent of the Secretary of Agriculture,

60612 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 198 / Thursday, October 12, 2000 / Notices

pursuant to new legislation, to release

up to $81 million of loan indebtedness

for certain 1999 crop loans made in

North Carolina by the Commodity

Credit Corporation where the collateral

was destroyed or damaged by

Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd or Irene. To

assure all are given a chance to be

heard, this notice sets out the statute

and invites all persons who believe that

they may be entitled to relief under the

terms of the statute as well as all other

interested persons to comment or

suggest how eligibility for relief should

be determined and how such relief

should be administered.

DATES: Comments with respect to this

notice must be received by October 27,

2000 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be filed

by the date set in this notice with Larry

W. Mitchell, Deputy Administrator for

Farm Programs, STOP 0510, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–0510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas R. Burgess, telephone (202)

720–0156.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

2101 of Chapter 5 of the Fiscal Year

2001 Military Construction

Appropriations (Pub. L. 106–246)

provides in connection with North

Carolina hurricane loses for up to $81

million for relief in connection with the

1999 crop year loans made by the

Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).

The entire Section reads as follows:

Sec. 2101. With respect to any 1999 crop

year loan made by the Commodity Credit

Corporation to a cooperative marketing

association established under the laws of

North Carolina, and to any person or entity

in North Carolina obtaining a 1999 crop

upland cotton marketing assistance loan, the

Corporation shall reduce the amount of such

outstanding loan indebtedness in an amount

up to 75 percent of the amount of the loan

applicable to any collateral (in the case of

cooperative marketing associations of upland

cotton producers and upland cotton

producers, not to exceed $5,000,000 for

benefits to such associations and such

producers for up to 75 percent of the loss

incurred by such associations and such

producers with respect to upland cotton that

had been placed under loan) that was

produced in a county in which either the

Secretary of Agriculture or the President of

the United States declared a major disaster or

emergency due to the occurrence of

Hurricane Dennis, Floyd, or Irene if the

Corporation determines that such collateral

suffered any quality loss as a result of said

hurricane: Provided, That if a person or

entity obtains a benefit under this section

with respect to a quantity of a commodity, no

marketing loan gain or loan deficiency

payment shall be made available under the

Federal Agricultural Improvement and

Reform Act of 1996 with respect to such

quantity: Provided further, That no more than

$81,000,000 of the funds of the Corporation

shall be available to carry out this section:

Provided further, That the entire amount

shall be available only to the extent an

official budget request for $81,000,000, that

includes designation of the entire amount of

the request as an emergency requirement as

defined in the Balanced Budget and

Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as

amended, is transmitted by the President to

the Congress: Provided further, That the

entire amount is designated by the Congress

as an emergency requirement pursuant to

section 251(b)(2)(A) of such Act.

This notice is intended to provide an

opportunity for any person who believes

that they are entitled to relief to provide

comments on how the statutes eligibility

provisions should be construed. Such

comments should be addressed to Larry

W. Mitchell, Deputy Administrator for

Farm Programs, STOP 0510, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–0510.

Following such comment, the Deputy

Administrator will take such action as

may be warranted taking into account,

the comments and any other new

information as may be relevant,

including new legislation as may related

to the use of such funds.

Signed at Washington, D.C., on October 4,

2000.

Keith Kelly,

Administrator, Farm Service Agency and

Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 00–26106 Filed 10–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Southwestern Region, Arizona, New

Mexico, West Texas and Oklahoma;

Proposed 115KV Transmission Line

Project on the Tres Piedras Ranger

District, Carson National Forest, Taos

County, NM

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: Based on a request made by

the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, the

Carson National Forest is preparing an

environmental impact statement (EIS) to

analyze the effects of a proposal to

authorize Kit Carson Cooperative to

construct, operate and maintain a new

115 KV electric transmission line and

fiber optic system on National Forest

Lands from the existing Ojo to Taos 115

KV line to Ojo Caliente, New Mexico.

The proposal also includes

construction, operation and

maintenance of a substation in Ojo

Caliente.

The proposal has several parts, most

of which pertain directly to National

Forest lands and for which the USDA

Forest Service will make the decision.

Other portions pertain to Bureau of

Land Management administered lands

including the proposed substation

location, for which the responsible line

officer in the Bureau of Land

Management will be the deciding

official. If any alternative should be

selected that might include private

holdings, Kit Carson Electric

Cooperative will negotiate for approval.

The purpose of the project is to improve

existing service by reducing voltage

fluctuations and the number of outages.

It is also to provide fiber optic

capabilities to a number of small

communities in the area.

DATES: The proposed action is currently

available for review and comment. It is

estimated that the draft environmental

impact statement (DEIS) will be

completed and distributed for

comments by the end of January, 2000.

A 45 day comment period will follow.

The final environmental impact

statement and a record of decision is

estimated to be released by the end of

July 2001.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed

action and DEIS will be available upon

request from the Carson Forest

Supervisor’s Office, 208 Cruz Alta Road,

Taos, NM 87571, Attn: Power Line

Analysis Team. Comments related to the

DEIS can be sent to the same address.

Responsible Official: The Forest

Supervisor, Carson National Forest, is

the responsible official and will decide

whether or not the project will be

implemented on Forest Service lands. If

so, the Forest Supervisor will decide

where, how and when they will be

implemented.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Power Line Team Leader, Carson Forest

Supervisor’s Office, (505) 758–6200.

40 CFR 1501.7

Dated: September 27, 2000.

Gilbert Vigil,

Forest Supervisor, Carson National Forest.

[FR Doc. 00–26097 Filed 10–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–U

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

The Department of Commerce (DOC)

has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for