Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 61 / Monday, March 31, 1997 / Notices 15155

• The Agency’s public health

mandate requires that it address

foodborne illness hazards within each

segment of the food production chain

and implement or encourage preventive

strategies that improve the whole

system.

As part of this farm-to-table strategy,

FSIS is interested in supporting a series

of pilot demonstration projects which

may assist food animal producers,

markets, the slaughter and processing

industry, and the Agency in meeting

food safety challenges in a preventive

HACCP framework. These projects are

intended to develop and foster

voluntary food safety measures that can

reasonably be taken on the farm,

through marketing channels, and during

preslaughter preparation to decrease

public health hazards in animals

presented for slaughter.

Therefore, the Agency has announced

in the Commerce Business Daily a series

of solicitations for bid on proposals to

gain information concerning animal

production practices as they pertain to

food safety. Briefly, these solicitations

are as follows:

Proposals 1–4—Pathogen Reduction in

Four Species

FSIS is interested in funding pilot

projects that use risk assessment

strategies to demonstrate the

application, feasibility, and

effectiveness of current technologies for

controlling contaminants and that

emphasize pre-slaughter pathogen

reduction. Multi-disciplinary teams in

multiple geographical locations are

required. Projects must demonstrate

multi-geographical and multi-seasonal

applicability.

There are four project/species areas of

interest: pork, poultry, non-fed beef, and

sheep. For poultry, there is information

available on intervention methods used

to reduce pathogens in/on poultry

during production and transportation to

slaughter. A possible approach would

be to demonstrate whether or not multifaceted (two or more) risk reduction

practices carried out pre-slaughter could

reliably reduce carcass contamination.

With regard to pork, non-fed beef, and

sheep, the Agency is interested in

learning the relationship of current

production practices to the incidence of

pathogens in slaughter facilities. Using

animal identification techniques to

improve information-sharing between

production and slaughter/processing

entities is required for non-fed beef and

encouraged for pork and sheep.

Proposal 5—Training for Food Animal

Producers

FSIS is also interested in learning

which training methodologies will work

best to maximize the effectiveness of

future food safety initiatives directed at

food animal producers, particularly

small producers. The purpose of these

programs is to improve the ability of

food animal producers to maintain

sustainable operations as they address

requirements of slaughter

establishments implementing

preventive HACCP systems and other

food safety responsibilities.

Proposal 6—Survey of Small Producer

HACCP Needs

FSIS is interested in supporting a

survey of small producers and small and

very small slaughter establishments.

The purpose of the survey is to

determine the needs of producers who

supply slaughter establishments as these

establishments consider developing

pathogen reduction and HACCP

systems. Proposals should address

multiple geographic locations with a

focus on disadvantaged areas and

various slaughter classes. The

evaluation must include access to and

use of veterinary services, knowledge

and implementation of commodity food

safety/quality assurance programs, and

recordkeeping practices for animal drug

use.

Done at Washington, DC, on March 24,

1997.

Thomas J. Billy,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–7996 Filed 3–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–DR–P

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Changes in the State Technical Guides

in Oregon

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service (formerly the Soil

Conservation Service), USDA.

ACTION: Notice of change.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 343 of

Subtitle E of the Federal Agricultural

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996

(FAIRA) that requires the Secretary of

Agriculture to provide public notice and

comment under Section 553 of Title,

United States Code, with regard to any

future technical guides that are used to

carry out Subtitles A, B, and C of Title

XII of the Food Security Action of 1985

(16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.), the Natural

Resources Conservation Service, United

States Department of Agriculture, gives

notice of revisions to all conservation

practices in Section IV of the State

technical guides in Oregon. The

distribution of these revisions and an

updated index of conservation practices

standards and specifications will be via

Oregon Bulletin OR 450–7–2 dated

March 14, 1997.

These revisions to conservation

practices in Section IV of State technical

guides are subject to these provisions

since one or more used or could be used

as part of a conservation management

system to comply with the Highly

Erodible Land Conservation or Wetland

Conservation requirements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Roy M. Carlson, Jr., Leader—Technology

Development, USDA–NRCS, 101 SW

Main, Suite 1300, Portland, OR 97204–

3221. FAX (503) 414–3277 or Internet:

rcarlson@or.nrcs.usda.gov.

A copy of the new index and any of

the revised items can be obtained from

Roy Carlson. These items will also be

available at each of the NRCS field

offices in Oregon beginning March 31,

1997. Comments can be sent to Roy

Carlson at the NRCS state office in

Portland, Oregon.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In Oregon,

‘‘technical guides’’ refers to the Field

Office Technical Guide maintained at

each NRCS field Office in Oregon. The

previous revisions to conservation

practices in technical guides in Oregon

were issued in June 1994. The former

Oregon ‘‘Index of Conservation Practice

Standards and Specifications’’ was

dated June 1994. The revised

conservation practices and revised

index will be dated March 1997 and

include all of the conservation practices

and standards and conservation practice

specifications. Revisions include word

changes, reformatting sections of

practice standards to be consistent with

new national guidelines, name changes,

renumbering, additions, deletions and

redating.

Dated: March 25, 1997.

Leonard Jordan,

Asst. State Conservationist, Natural

Resources Conservation Service.

[FR Doc. 97–8023 Filed 3–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–M

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Notice of Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection; Comments

requested.
15156 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 61 / Monday, March 31, 1997 / Notices

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13) and Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR

part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29,

1995), this notice announces the Rural

Business-Cooperative Service’s (RBS)

intention to request an extension for a

currently approved information

collection or recordkeeping

requirements contained in the FederalState Research on Cooperatives

Program, as found in 7 CFR Part 4285.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received on or before May 30, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas Stafford, Director, Cooperative

Marketing Division, Cooperative

Services, RBS, USDA, Stop 3252, Room

4204, 1400 Independence Ave. SW,

Washington, DC 20080–3252, telephone

(202) 690–0368. (This is not a toll free

number.) E-mail:

tstaff@rurdev.usda.gov. The Federal

Information Relay service on 1–800–

877–8339 may be used by TDD users.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Federal-State Research on

Cooperatives Program.

OMB Number: 0570–0005.

Expiration Date of Approval: June 30,

1997.

Type of Request: Intent to extend the

currently approved information

collection and record keeping

requirements.

Abstract: The Federal-State Research

on Cooperatives (FSROC) Program, is

authorized under Section 204(b) of the

Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7

U.S.C. 1621 et seq). The FSROC Program

is a matching fund program designed to

assist State Department of Agriculture

and State Agricultural Experiment

Stations in conducting research related

to cooperatives. The program is not

currently funded, but existing

agreements are in place and future

funding is anticipated.

The FSROC Program is conducted

using cooperative agreements which

include a need for reporting information

on the project proposals. In addition,

the accepted proposals are required to

keep financial records of the project

funds and to make program and

financial progress reports on a quarterly

basis.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

for this collection information is

estimated to average 3.48 hours per

response with a variation of from 10

minutes to 36 hours.

Respondents: State departments of

Agriculture, State Agricultural

Experiment Stations, and other related

State agencies.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

20.

Estimated Number of Responses Per

Respondent: 14.25.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 1712 Hours.

Copies of this information collection

and record keeping can be obtained

from Sam Spencer, Regulations and

Paperwork Management Division, at

(202) 720–9588.

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, 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 forms of

information technology. Comments may

be sent to Sam Spencer, Regulations and

Paperwork Management Division, U. S.

Department of Agriculture, Rural

Development, STOP 0743, Washington,

DC 20250–0743. All responses to this

notice will be summarized and included

in the request for OMB approval. All

comments will also become a matter of

public record.

Dated: March 21, 1997.

Dayton J. Watkins,

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative

Service.

[FR Doc. 97–7997 Filed 3–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–U

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Minority Business Development

Agency

Business Development Center

Applications: Chicago I and Chicago II

AGENCY: Minority Business

Development Agency, Commerce.

ACTION: Cancellation.

SUMMARY: The Minority Business

Development Agency (MBDA) is

cancelling the announcement to solicit

competitive applications under its

Minority Business Development Center

(MBDC) Program to operate the Chicago

I and Chicago II MBDCs. This

solicitation was originally published in

the Federal Register, Tuesday, June 18,

1996, Vol. 61, No. 118, page 30856.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance,

11.800 Minority Business Development

Center)

Dated: March 25, 1997.

Frances B. Douglas,

Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer,

Minority Business Development Agency.

[FR Doc. 97–8022 Filed 3–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–21–M

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Program Evaluation Survey

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: The Department of

Commerce, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and

respondent burden, invites the general

public and other Federal agencies to

take this opportunity to comment on

proposed and/or continuing information

collections, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before May 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5327, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20230. Phone number:

(202) 482–3272.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument and instructions should be

directed to: Elizabeth Bury,

Manufacturing Extension Partnership,

Building 301, Room C–100, National

Institute of Standards and Technology,

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899; phone:

(301) 975–3944, and fax: (301) 926–

3787.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Abstract

This submission under the Paperwork

Reduction Act represents a request for

extension of a currently approved

collection by the Department of

Commerce’s National Institute of

Standards and Technology. The

information collection activity

referenced is being conducted in

partnership with the Department’s

Bureau of the Census.

The Manufacturing Extension

Partnership (MEP) is a nationwide