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

18867

Vol. 63, No. 73

Thursday, April 16, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

April 10, 1998.

The Department of Agriculture has

submitted the following information

collection requirement(s) to OMB for

review and clearance under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13. Comments

regarding: (a) Whether the 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 burden 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

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology should be addressed to: Desk

Officer for Agriculture, Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB), Washington, D.C. 20503 and to

Departmental Information Clearance

Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602,

Washington, D.C. 20250–7602.

Comments regarding these information

collections are best assured of having

their full effect if received within 30

days of this notification. Copies of the

submission(s) may be obtained by

calling (202) 720–6746.

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor a collection of information

unless the collection of information

displays a currently valid OMB control

number and the agency informs

potential persons who are to respond to

the collection of information that such

persons are not required to respond to

the collection of information unless it

displays a currently valid OMB control

number.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

Title: National Poultry Improvement

Plan.

OMB Control Number: 0579–0007.

Summary of Collection: The Animal

and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS) is revising the regulations

related to the National Poultry

Improvement Plan (NPIP) to allow for

the participation of ostrich breeding

flocks. Allowing ostrich breeders and

flock owners to voluntarily participate

in this program would promote

objectives aimed at preventing and

controlling egg-transmitted, hatcherydisseminated poultry diseases. The

information collection requirements

would remain the same, however, the

number of respondents would increase

to reflect the potential participation of

the ostrich breeders and flock owners.

Need and Use of the Information:

Information is collected from various

types of poultry breeders and flock

owners to determine the number of eggs

hatched and sold as well as to report

outbreaks of disease. This information

allows APHIS officials to track, control,

and prevent many types of poultry

diseases.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit; State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Number of Respondents: 9,001.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion;

Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 7,449.

Food and Nutrition Service

Title: Evaluation of Cooperative

Agreement Nutrition Education

Networks.

OMB Control Number: 0584–NEW.

Summary of Collection: The Food and

Nutrition Service (FNS) under the

authority of the Food Stamp Act

awarded cooperative agreements to 22

states to set up networks to develop selfsustaining organizations that, in turn,

would prepare plans to implement

nutrition education for food stamp

families on a statewide basis. FNS is

now conducting a process evaluation of

the networks to examine the procedures

and tasks involved in implementing the

networks. A one time collection of

information from representative

individuals involved in the networks

through in-person and telephone

interviews will be conducted to support

this evaluation.

Need and use of the Information: The

collection of information is designed to

answer several questions: (1) How

effective were the processes employed

by cooperators in reaching the goals of

the project? (2) What lessons can be

learned about effective development of

nutrition education networks? and, (3)

What can FNS do to foster the

development of statewide nutrition

education networks? Upon completion

of the information collection activity,

the results of the survey will be used by

FNS management to make decisions

about ongoing improvements to

procedures that support the state

nutrition education activities directed at

food stamp families, and to learn and

disseminate lessons to state and local

programs about innovative and effective

methods to deliver nutrition education

to food stamp families.

Description of Respondents: Not-forprofit institutions; Federal Government;

State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 139.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Other (one time).

Total Burden Hours: 138.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

Title: Imported Fire Ant.

OMB Control Number: 0579–0102.

Summary of Collection: The Plant

Protection and Quarantine Service

(PPQ) of USDA’s Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has

the responsibility of enforcing

quarantines that are designed to prevent

Imported Fire Ants from invading areas

of the United States that are not yet

infested. Information is collected

through a variety of forms and

certificates to ensure that nursery stock

are free of infestation and to regulate

movement of specific articles that might

carry Imported Fire Ants from infested

areas to non-infested areas.

Need and Use of the Information:

APHIS requires a variety of forms and

certifications be provided by nursery

owners to ensure that plant stock is

visually inspected for Imported Fire

Ants and to document what treatments

were performed if Imported Fire Ants

were detected. Additionally, nursery

owners must provide information on the

movement of regulated items from

quarantined areas. APHIS officials used
18868 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices

this information to ensure compliance

with the Federal and State Imported

Fire Ant regulations. Without the

collection of this information, APHIS

would not be able to prevent Imported

Fire Ants from moving beyond the

quarantine zone.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit; Farms; Federal

Government; State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Number of Respondents: 2,704.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: Other (twice

monthly).

Total Burden Hours: 3,278.

Farm Service Agency

Title: CCC Conservation Contract.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0174.

Summary of Collection: The Farm

Service Agency (FSA), in conjunction

with the Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS), is charged

with administering the Environmental

Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the

Farmland Protection Program (FPP), and

the Conservation Farm Option (CFO)

Program. These programs provide

farmers and ranchers with flexible

opportunities to work with the federal

government to address natural resource

concerns by implementing innovative

and environmentally-sound solutions.

Information must be collected from

potential participants who wish to

apply for these programs. Additional

information is required from individuals

once they have been accepted into the

program to ensure compliance and to

issue, as appropriate, cost share and

land retirement payments.

Need and Use of the Information:

Information will be collected from

producers and ranchers who wish to

voluntarily participate in either the

EQIP, FPP, or CFO programs. The

application information will allow

agency management to select program

participants which will help best

achieve program objectives related to

maximizing environmental benefits,

minimizing land retirement, and

continuing agricultural production

levels. Ongoing recordkeeping and

reporting requirements will be

necessary to ensure compliance with

program provisions.

Description of Respondents: Farms;

Individuals or households; Not-forprofit institutions; State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Number of Respondents: 91,000.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: Other (When

applying).

Total Burden Hours: 384,830.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

Title: 9 CFR 85 Psuedorabies.

OMB Control Number: 0579–0070.

Summary of Collection: The Animal

and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS), on behalf of the Secretary of

Agriculture, is charged with taking

actions deemed necessary to prevent the

introduction or dissemination of any

contagious infections or communicable

disease of animals or poultry from one

State or Territory of the United States to

another. APHIS implements regulations

that control and stop the escalating

spread of pseudorabies, which is a

herpes virus disease that affects many

species of animal, but primarily swine.

Regulating the interstate movement of

swine requires the use of certain

information gathering activities such as

permits, certificates, and owner-shipper

statements to ascertain the health status

of the swine.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information collected is used by APHIS

to monitor the health status of swine

being moved, the number of swine being

moved in a particular shipment, the

shipment’s point of origin, the

shipment’s destination, and the reason

for the interstate movement. This

information also provides APHIS

officials with critical information

concerning a shipment’s history, which

in turn enables the agency to engage in

swift, successful trace back

investigations when infected swine are

discovered.

Description of Respondents: Farms;

Federal Government; State, Local or

Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 30,050.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion; Quarterly.

Total Burden Hours: 5,092.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

Title: Brucellosis Program

Cooperative Agreements—Title 9, CFR

Parts 50, 51, 53, 54, 71, 76, and 78.

OMB Control Number: 0579–0047.

Summary of Collection: The Animal

and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS), on behalf of the Secretary of

Agriculture, is charged with taking

actions deemed necessary to prevent the

introduction or dissemination of any

contagious infections or communicable

disease of animals or poultry from one

State or Territory of the United States to

another. APHIS implements regulations

controlling interstate movement of

affected animals in conjunction with the

State-Federal Brucellosis Eradication

Program. Brucellosis is a contagious

disease affecting animals which is

characterized by abortion and impaired

fertility. APHIS is required to collect

epidemiologic data from State

authorities in an effort to locate and

eradicate the Brucellosis disease.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information collected is used by APHIS

to search for infected herds, maintain

identification of livestock, monitor

deficiencies in identification of animals

for movement, and monitor program

deficiencies in suspicious and infected.

The information is also used to

determine brucellosis infected area

status and aid herd owners by speeding

up the detection and elimination of

serious disease conditions in their

herds.

Description of Respondents: Farms;

State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 7,278.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 52,019.

Economic Research Service

Title: Characteristics of Participants in

USDA’s Single Family Direct Loan

Housing Program.

OMB Control Number: 0536–NEW.

Summary of Collection: The U.S.

Department of Agriculture’s Economic

Research Service (ERS) has the

responsibility for providing social and

economic intelligence on changing rural

housing needs in the United States.

Information is required to establish a

detailed data base on the characteristics

of USDA’s Section 502 Direct Loan

Program participants to help assess the

impact of this housing-assistance

program on rural residents and their

communities.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information will be collected by ERS

through a written survey. The

information collected in the survey will

help to fill a serious gap in ERS’

understanding of the nature of housing

needs in rural areas and will provide

USDA and other policy makers with

sound information to help evaluate

current programs and develop more

effective rural housing policies.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals or households.

Number of Respondents: 3,000.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 990.

Grain Inspection, Packers and

Stockyards Administration

Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping

Requirements.

OMB Control Number: 0580–0013.

Summary of Collection: The Grain

Inspection Packers & Stockyards

Administration (GIPSA) is mandated to
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices 18869

provide, upon request, inspection,

certification, and identification services

related to assessing the class, quality,

quantity, and condition of agricultural

products shipped or received in

interstate and foreign commerce.

Applicants requesting GIPSA services

must specify the kind and level of

service desired, the identification of the

product, the location, the amount, and

other pertinent information in order that

official personnel can efficiently

respond to their needs.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information collected is used by GIPSA

employees to guide them in the

performance of their duties.

Additionally, producers, elevator

operators, and/or merchandisers who

obtain official inspection, testing, and

weighing services are required to keep

records related to the grain or

commodity for 3 years. Personnel who

provide official inspection, testing, and

weighing services are required to

maintain records related to the lot of

grain or related commodity for a period

of 5 years. This information is used for

the purpose of investigating suspected

violations.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit; Federal Government;

State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 3,200.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion;

Weekly; Semi-annually, Monthly;

Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 468,024.

Nancy Sternberg,

Departmental Information Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–10048 Filed 4–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

Notice Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Farm Service

Agency’s (FSA) intention to request an

extension for a currently approved

information collection. This information

collection is critical to reach minority

and female farm producers, to ensure as

many eligible voters as possible receive

FSA county committee election ballots.

This action is in response to the report

issued by the Civil Rights Action Team.

DATE: Comments on this notice must be

received by June 15, 1998 to be assured

consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Contact Karl V. Choice, Assistant to the

Director, USDA, FSA, OAS, STOP 0540,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–0540; telephone

(202) 720–8782; e-mail

karlchoice@wdc.usda.gov.; or facsimile

(202) 690–3354.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Request for a FSA County

Committee Ballot and Declaration of

Eligibility to Vote.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0181.

Expiration Date of Approval: April 30,

1998.

Type of Request: Extension of

currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: The Soil Conservation and

Domestic Allotment Act of 1938, as

amended, authorizes the establishment

of FSA county committees by the

Secretary of Agriculture. In February

1997, the USDA Civil Rights Action

Team focused upon underrepresentation of minorities and females

on county committees. This underrepresentation could mean that minority

and female producers hear less about

programs and lack specific information

on available services. In an effort to

increase representation by members of

groups who are under-represented, an

effort is begin made to obtain the names

and addresses of unregistered, eligible

voters. Once an eligible voter’s name

and address is obtained, he/she will

become a registered voter and will be

sent a ballot in order to vote in

applicable county committee elections.

Estimate of Respondent Burden:

Public reporting burden for this

collection of information is estimated to

average 5 minutes per response.

Respondents: Individual minority and

female owners, operators, share

croppers, and tenants of farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

5,000.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours on Respondents: $4,160 (416

hours times $10 per hour).

Proposed topics comments include:

(a) Whether the 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 burden including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; or (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond. Comments

must be sent to the Desk Officer for

Agriculture, Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs, Office of

Management and Budget, Washington,

D.C. 20503; and to Karl V. Choice,

Assistant to the Director, USDA-FSAOAS, STOP 0540, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–

0540; telephone (202) 720–8782; e-mail

karlchoice@wdc.fsa.usda.gov. Copies of

the information collection may be

obtained from Karl Choice at the above

address.

OMB is required to make a decision

concerning the collection of information

contained in these proposed regulations

between 30 and 60 days after

publication of this document in the

Federal Register. Therefore, a comment

to OMB is best assured of having full

effect if OMB receives it within 30 days

of publication.

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.

Signed at Washington, DC, on April 9,

1998.

Bruce R. Weber,

Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.

[FR Doc. 98–10049 Filed 4–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Klamath Provincial Advisory

Committee (PAC)

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Klamath Provincial

Advisory Committee will meet on April

29 and 30, 1998 at the Mt. Shasta Resort

Siskiyou Room, 1000 Siskiyou Lake

Blvd., Mt. Shasta, California. On April

29, the meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m.

and adjourn at 5:00 p.m. The meeting on

April 30 will resume at 8:00 a.m. and

adjourn at 2:00 p.m. Agenda items to be

covered include: (1) DFO comments; (2)

salvage recommendations; (3)

subcommittee reports; (4) road

management issues; (5) followup to the

Joint 3PAC/SCERT meeting; and (6)

public comment periods. All PAC

meetings are open to the public.

Interested citizens are encouraged to

attend.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Connie Hendryx, USDA, Klamath

National Forest, at 1312 Fairlane Road,