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

12153

Vol. 62, No. 50

Friday, March 14, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Consumer Service

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; Food Stamp

Program Identification Card

Requirements

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice invites the general public and

other public agencies to comment on

proposed information collections. This

notice announces the Food and

Consumer Service’s (FCS) intention to

request OMB review of the agency’s

proposal to continue requiring State

agencies, in accordance with the Food

Stamp Act of 1977 (the Act) and

regulations issued pursuant to the Act,

to issue a Food Stamp Program (FSP)

identification card to each household

certified eligible to receive and use food

stamps.

Section 7(a) of the Act requires that

food stamp benefits be issued only to

households which have been duly

certified as eligible to participate in the

Food Stamp Program. Further, under

section 7(b) food stamp benefits issued

to eligible households shall be used by

them to purchase food in authorized

retail food stores. Part 274.10(a) of the

FSP regulations requires that an eligible

household member or authorized

representative show the household ID

card as proof of household identity and

eligibility to receive food stamp

benefits. Part 278.2(h) of the FSP

regulations provides that if a food

retailer has cause to believe that a

person presenting food stamps has no

right to use the food stamps, the food

retailer should request the person to

show the food stamp ID card of the

household to establish the right of that

person to use the food stamps. Part

278.2(i) of the FSP regulations provides

that an authorized meal delivery service

require the recipient of a delivered meal

to show the specially marked food

stamp ID card establishing the

recipient’s right to use food stamps for

the service the first time food stamps are

offered as payment. Thereafter, the

delivery service may request that the

specially marked food stamp ID card be

shown at any time the delivery service

has cause to question the continued

eligibility of the person to use food

stamps for delivered meals.

Section 11(e) paragraphs (15) and (19)

of the Act and Part 274.10(b) of the

regulations require State agencies to

issue photographic identification cards

(photo ID cards) in project areas or

portions thereof with more than 100,000

participants, and in those project areas

with less than 100,000 participants that

have been identified by the

Department’s Inspector General as

needing photo ID cards, to reduce the

number of unauthorized issuances of

benefits. Neither the Act or FSP

regulations require issuance and use of

Photo ID cards in project areas where all

issuances of benefits are delivered by

direct mail or an electronic Benefit

Transfer (EBT) system. State agencies

may request voluntary use of photo ID

cards in any project area with less than

100,000 participants and not required to

use photo ID cards. However, State

agencies are rapidly implementing EBT

systems project area by project area and

in groups of project areas. This effort is

continuing to reduce the use of photo ID

cards.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before May 13, 1997.

ADDRESSES: 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 has 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; (d) 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 James I.

Porter, Assistant Branch Chief, State

Administration Branch, Food Stamp

Program, Food and Consumer Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101

Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA

22302.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) approval. All comments

will also become a matter of public

record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information

regarding this information collection

should be directed to James Porter, (703)

305–2385.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Food Stamp Program

Identification Card Requirements.

OMB Number: 0584–0124.

Form Number: None.

Expiration Date: 4/30/97.

Type of Request: Extension of the

expiration date of a currently approved

information collection without any

change in the substance or in the

method of collection.

Abstract: The FSP regulations require

that photo ID cards be controlled

documents by the use of serial numbers.

State agencies are required to include on

all ID cards, the name of the household

member who is authorized to receive

the household’s issuance, a photograph

of the household member, other

appropriate information, and laminate

the photo ID card at the time of

household certification to participate.

Also, blank serial numbered photo ID

cards must be maintained in secure

storage. Households are required to

present their photo ID cards to receive

benefits and the issuance agents are

required to annotate the card serial

number on the authorization to

participate documents. In addition,

households may be required to present

their cards for identity when food

stamps are presented to an authorized

food retailer or meal service to purchase

food.

Affected Public: State and local

governments, and food stamps

households.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

9,195,545.

Number of Responses Per

Respondent: 25.590.
12154 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 50 / Friday, March 14, 1997 / Notices

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

1,012,998.

Dated: March 4, 1997.

William E. Ludwig,

Administrator, Food and Consumer Service.

[FR Doc. 97–6519 Filed 3–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–30–M

Forest Service

Extension of Currently Approved

Information Collection for Interpretive

Services Program

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the

Forest Service announces its intent to

request an extension of a currently

approved information collection. The

Cooperative Funds and Deposits Act of

1975 (16 U.S.C. 565a through 565a–3)

authorizes the Forest Service to enter

into cooperative agreements with

interpretive associations to provide

interpretive services and educational

literature for visitors on National Forest

System lands. As part of the cooperative

agreement, the Forest Service requires

that the interpretive associations submit

to the agency, annually, information

regarding the types of interpretive

services and educational literature

provided. This collected information is

used to compile the national report,

‘‘National Interpretative Associations

Annual Report,’’ for the Chief of the

Forest Service. The agency will use the

collected information to evaluate

cooperative agreements between the

Forest Service and interpretive

associations and to ensure effective

management of the agency’s interpretive

services program. Information is

requested using the Forest Service

2300–5 Annual Report Interpretive

Associations Form.

DATES: Comments must be received in

writing on or before May 13, 1997.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be

addressed to: Director, Recreation,

Heritage, and Wilderness Resources

(MAIL STOP 1125), Forest Service,

USDA, P.O. Box 96090, Washington,

D.C. 20090–6090.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Calnan, Recreation, Heritage,

and Wilderness Resources Staff, at (202)

205–1228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description of Information Collection

The following describes the

information collection to be extended:

Title: FS–2300–5 Annual Report

Interpretive Associations.

OMB Number: 0596–0097.

Expiration Date of Approval: June 30,

1997.

Type of Request: Extension of a

previously approved information

collection.

Abstract: For over 20 years, the Forest

Service has entered into cooperative

agreements with interpretive

associations under the authority of the

Cooperative Funds and Deposits Act of

1975 (16 U.S.C. 565a–1 through 565a–3)

to provide interpretive services and

educational materials to the public.

Fifty-eight interpretive associations

have signed cooperative agreements

with the Forest Service for fiscal year

1997 on 122 National Forests.

Interpretive associations develop and

publish educational materials about

National Forest System land resources

and programs, with the assistance of

Forest Service employees. The

associations also conduct field

seminars, operate concession

campgrounds under special use permits,

and raise funds for projects and

programs on National Forest System

lands. Each year interpretive

associations donate funds, employee

staff time, and materials worth over $1

million in support of the agency’s

interpretive services program.

Forest Service policy requires that

interpretive associations provide to the

Regional Forester and Forest Supervisor

an annual narrative, accomplishment

report, and financial statement by

March 1 each year. The Forest Service

compiles the reports submitted to the

Regional Foresters into a national

report, ‘‘National Interpretative

Associations Annual Report,’’ for the

Chief of the Forest Service. The reports

to the Regional Foresters also are used

to compile an annual ‘‘Directory of

Interpretive Associations.’’ The

Directory is used by other Federal

agencies and entities wishing to do

business with interpretive associations

that have entered into cooperative

agreements with the Forest Service. The

Forest Service will use FS–2300–5

Annual Report Interpretive Associations

Form to collect the information for the

reports. The Form is divided into five

parts.

Part I asks for the name, address and

telephone number of the association; the

name of the Forest Service Region with

which the association has entered into

an agreement; the name(s) of the

national forests with which the

association is affiliated; the names of

any other Forest Service Regions within

which the association operates; and the

names of any other agencies the

association serves. For example, the

Northwest Interpretive Association

operates in Forest Service Regions 1, 5,

and 6, and serves the Forest Service,

National Park Service, Bureau of Land

Management, and Department of the

Army, Corps of Engineers.

Part II asks for the interpretive

association’s gross receipts for the fiscal

year. Gross receipts are the sum of the

following line items: (a) sales of printed

materials, such as books and pamphlets;

(b) sales of audio-visual aids, such as

video tapes, slides, and posters; (c) sales

of theme-related objects or products,

such as stuffed animals with a

companion book for children; (d) sales

of visitor convenience items, such as

food, film, and stamps; (e) receipts from

presentations, such as guided tours

through National Forest System lands,

or special movies or videos, such as the

Chugach National Forest, Alaska video,

‘‘Prince William Sound—Where an

Ocean of Time Meets a Land of

Change;’’ and (f) receipts from

membership dues, donations, gifts,

interest income, and other as specified.

Part III asks for the total amount in

dollars of benefits provided by the

interpretive association to the Forest

Service during the fiscal year. The total

dollar benefits equate to the sum of the

costs to the association of the following

line items: (a) the cost of signs provided

by the interpretive association, such as

interpretive signs on the Shallow Flats

Wetland Trail in Kentucky; (b) the cost

of designing, fabricating, and installing

new exhibits, such as the exhibit at the

Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at

Silver Lake, Washington; (c) the cost of

providing equipment necessary to

accomplishing the interpretive services

mission, such as the purchase of a

computer to monitor earthquake activity

in the Eastern Sierra, California; (d) the

cost of equipment, supplies, and travel

necessary to conduct research activities,

such as field trips to the Mount Evans

Byway in Colorado to produce an audio

tape tour, guide book, and Jr. Ranger

book about the area; (e) the cost of

providing free publications to the

public; (f) the cost of improving

recreational facilities, such as cleaning

campgrounds and picnic sites, clearing

and maintaining trails, or repairing and

rehabilitating structures like the historic

Ice House and the McKenzie house at

the Custer Townsite in South Dakota; (g)

the cost of improvements to wildlife

habitat or of range, forest, or watershed

projects, such as the eagle habitat study

program in California; (h) the cost of

special events, such as a visitor facility

dedication; (i) the cost of training and

educational programs, such as

developing a curriculum guide for