### 47272 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2013 / Notices

1 On March 6, 2012, APHIS published in the Federal Register (77 FR 13258–13260, Docket No. APHIS–2011–0129) a notice describing our public review process for soliciting public comments and information when considering petitions for determinations of nonregulated status for GE organisms. To view the notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2011-0129.

2 To view the notice, the petition, and the comments we received, go to http://www. regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-

0020. Dated: July 23, 2013.
Edward B. Knipling,
Administrator, Agricultural Research Service.

[FR Doc. 2013–18845 Filed 8–2–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–03–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Agricultural Research Service**

**Notice of Intent to Grant Exclusive**

**License**

**AGENCY :**  Agricultural Research Service,

USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice of intent.

**SUMMARY :**  Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, intends to grant to Central Washington Grain Growers, Inc. of Waterville, Washington, an exclusive license to the pea variety named ‘‘Lynx’’.

**DATES :**  Comments must be received on or before September 4, 2013.

ADDRESS: Send comments to: USDA, ARS, Office of Technology Transfer, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Rm. 4–1174, Beltsville, Maryland 20705–5131.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  June Blalock of the Office of Technology Transfer at the Beltsville address given above; telephone: 301–504–5989.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  The Federal Government’s rights in this plant variety are assigned to the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture. It is in the public interest to so license this plant variety as Central Washington Grain Growers, Inc. of Waterville, Washington has submitted a complete and sufficient application for a license. The prospective exclusive license will be royalty-bearing and will comply with
the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless, within thirty (30) days from the date of this published Notice, the Agricultural
Research Service receives written evidence and argument which establishes that the grant of the license
would not be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37

CFR 404.7.

Robert Griesbach,
Deputy Assistant Administrator.

[FR Doc. 2013–18847 Filed 8–2–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–03–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE** 

**Animal and Plant Health Inspection**
**Service**

**[Docket No. APHIS–2012–0020]**

**Monsanto Co.; Availability of Plant**
**Pest Risk Assessment and**
**Environmental Assessment for Determination of Nonregulated Status**  **of Soybean Genetically Engineered for**
**Increased Yield**

**AGENCY :**  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  We are advising the public
that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is making available for public comment our plant pest risk
assessment and our draft environmental assessment regarding a request from the Monsanto Company seeking a determination of nonregulated status of soybean designated as MON 87712, which has been genetically engineered for increased yield. We are soliciting comments on whether this genetically engineered soybean is likely to pose a plant pest risk.

**DATES :**  We will consider all comments that we receive on or before September

4, 2013.

**ADDRESSES :**  You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ #!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0020.

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2012–0020, 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-2012-0020 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.

Supporting documents are also
available on the APHIS Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ biotechnology/petitions

_table

_ pending.shtml under APHIS Petition Number 11–202–01p.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Dr. Rebecca Stankiewicz Gabel, Chief, Biotechnology Environmental Analysis Branch, Environmental Risk Analysis Programs, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 851–3927, email: rebecca.l.stankiewiczgabel@aphis.usda.gov. To obtain copies of the supporting documents for this petition, contact Ms. Cindy Eck at (301) 851–3892, email: cynthia.a.eck@aphis.usda.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Background

Under the authority of the plant pest provisions of the Plant Protection Act (7

U.S.C. 7701 et seq. ), the regulations in 7 CFR part 340, ‘‘Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered or Produced Through Genetic Engineering
Which Are Plant Pests or Which There Is Reason to Believe Are Plant Pests,’’ regulate, among other things, the introduction (importation, interstate movement, or release into the environment) of organisms and products altered or produced through genetic engineering that are plant pests or that there is reason to believe are plant pests. Such genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products are considered ‘‘regulated articles.’’

The regulations in § 340.6(a) provide that any person may submit a petition
to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) seeking a
determination that an article should not be regulated under 7 CFR part 340. APHIS has received a petition (APHIS Petition Number 11–202–01p) from the Monsanto Company (Monsanto) of St. Louis, MO, seeking a determination of nonregulated status of soybean ( Glycine

max) designated as event MON 87712, which has been genetically engineered for increased yield. The petition stated that this soybean is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and, therefore, should not be a regulated article under APHIS’ regulations in 7 CFR part 340.

According to our process 1 for soliciting public comment when considering petitions for determinations of nonregulated status of GE organisms, APHIS accepts written comments regarding a petition once APHIS deems it complete. In a notice 2 published in
the Federal Register on July 13, 2012,


### 47273 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2013 / Notices

(77 FR 41354–41355, Docket No. APHIS–2012–0020), APHIS announced the availability of the Monsanto petition for public comment. APHIS solicited comments on the petition for 60 days ending on September 11, 2012, in order to help identify potential environmental
and interrelated economic issues and impacts that APHIS may determine
should be considered in our evaluation of the petition.

APHIS received 66 comments on the petition: Several of these comments
included electronic attachments consisting of a consolidated document of many identical or nearly identical letters, for a total of 4,665 comments. Issues raised during the comment period include effects on plant and animal diversity, soybean supply and prices, and organic soy production; gene flow; and food and feed impacts. APHIS has evaluated the issues raised during the comment period and, where appropriate, has provided a discussion
of these issues in our environmental assessment (EA).

After public comments are received on a completed petition, APHIS
evaluates those comments and then provides a second opportunity for public involvement in our decisionmaking process. According to our public review process (see footnote 1), the second opportunity for public
involvement follows one of two approaches, as described below.

If APHIS decides, based on its review of the petition and its evaluation and analysis of comments received during the 60-day public comment period on the petition, that the petition involves a GE organism that raises no substantive new issues, APHIS will follow Approach 1 for public involvement. Under Approach 1, APHIS announces in
the Federal Register the availability of APHIS’ preliminary regulatory determination along with its EA, preliminary finding of no significant impact (FONSI), and its plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) for a 30-day public review period. APHIS will evaluate any
information received related to the petition and its supporting documents during the 30-day public review period.

If APHIS decides, based on its review of the petition and its evaluation and analysis of comments received during the 60-day public comment period on the petition, that the petition involves a GE organism that raises substantive new issues, APHIS will follow Approach 2. Under Approach 2, APHIS first solicits written comments from the public on a draft EA and PPRA for a 30-day comment period through the publication of a Federal Register notice. Then, after reviewing and evaluating the comments on the draft EA and PPRA and other information, APHIS will revise the PPRA as necessary and prepare a final EA and, based on the final EA, a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decision document (either a FONSI or a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement). For this petition, we are using Approach 2.

APHIS has prepared a PPRA to determine if soybean event MON 87712 is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk. In section 403 of the Plant Protection Act, ‘‘plant pest’’ is defined as any living stage of any of the following that can directly or indirectly injure, cause damage to, or cause disease in any plant or plant product: A protozoan, a nonhuman animal, a parasitic plant, a bacterium, a fungus, a virus or viroid, an infectious agent or other pathogen, or any article similar to or allied with any of the foregoing.

APHIS has also prepared a draft EA in which we present two alternatives based on our analysis of data submitted by Monsanto, a review of other scientific data, field tests conducted under APHIS oversight, and comments received on the petition. APHIS is considering the following alternatives: (1) Take no action, i.e., APHIS would not change the regulatory status of soybean event MON
87712 and it would continue to be a regulated article, or (2) make a determination of nonregulated status of soybean event MON 87712.

The EA was prepared in accordance with (1) 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).

In accordance with our process for soliciting public input when considering petitions for determinations of nonregulated status for GE organisms, we are publishing this notice to inform the public that APHIS will accept
written comments on our PPRA and draft EA regarding the petition for a determination of nonregulated status from interested or affected persons for a period of 30 days from the date of this notice. The petition is available for public review, and copies are available
as indicated under **ADDRESSES** and **FOR**

**FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT** above.

After the comment period closes,
APHIS will review all written comments received during the comment period and any other relevant information. After reviewing and evaluating the
comments on the draft EA and PPRA and other information, APHIS will revise the PPRA as necessary and prepare a final EA. Based on the final EA, APHIS will prepare a NEPA decision document (either a FONSI or a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement). If a FONSI is reached, APHIS will furnish a response to the petitioner, either approving or denying the petition. APHIS will also publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the regulatory status of the GE organism and the availability of APHIS’ final EA, PPRA, FONSI, and our regulatory
determination.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781– 7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and

371.3.

Done in Washington, DC, this 31st day of July 2013.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 2013–18876 Filed 8–2–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–34–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Farm Service Agency**

**Information Collection; Inventory Property Management** 

**AGENCY :**  Farm Service Agency, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice; request for comments.

**SUMMARY :**  In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking
comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with a revision of a currently approved information collection that supports Inventory Property Management. The information is used to evaluate applicant requests to purchase inventory property, determine eligibility to lease or purchase inventory property, and ensure the payment of the lease amount or purchase amount associated with the acquisition of inventory property. The revision to the
information addresses the increase in
the total amount of burden hours expected related to inventory property requests. The increase is due to an approximately 13 percent increase in the number of inventory properties being held by FSA since the previous approval request, and thus a higher number of responses. No additional forms, response actions or time increases were added as part of the

revision.

**DATES :**  We will consider comments that we receive by October 4, 2013.