Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices 27049

ACTION: Notice of availability of

proposed changes in Section IV of the

FOTG of the NTCS in Kentucky for

review and comment.

SUMMARY: It is the intention of the NRCS

in Kentucky to issue revised

conservation practice standards:

Composting Facility (Code 317), Grassed

Waterway (Code 412), Heavy Use Area

Protection (Code 561), Obstruction

Removal (Code 500), and Waste

Management System (Code 312).

DATES: Comments will be received until

June 15, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Inquire in writing to David G. Sawyer,

State Conservationist, Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS), 771

Corporate Drive, Suite 110, Lexington,

KY 40503–5479. Copies of the practice

standards are made available upon

written request.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: Section 343

of the Federal Agriculture Improvement

and Reform Act of 1996 states that

revisions made after enactment of the

law to NRCS State Technical Guides

used to carry out highly erodible land

and wetland provisions of the law shall

be made available for public review and

comment. For the next 30 days the

NRCS in Kentucky will receive

comments relative to the proposed

changes. Following that period a

determination will be made by the

NRCS in Kentucky regarding deposition

of those comments and a final

determination of change will be made.

Dated: April 13, 1998.

William N. Craddock,

Acting State Conservationist, Natural

Resources Conservation Service, Lexington,

KY.

[FR Doc. 98–10827 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–M

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR

SEVERELY DISABLED

Procurement List; Proposed Additions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled.

ACTION: Proposed Additions to

Procurement List.

SUMMARY: The Committee has received

proposal(s) to add to the Procurement

List a commodity and services to be

furnished by nonprofit agencies

employing persons who are blind or

have other severe disabilities.

COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR

BEFORE: June 15, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase

From People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled, Crystal Gateway 3, Suite 310,

1215 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, Virginia 22202–4302.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Beverly Milkman (703) 603–7740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice is published pursuant to 41

U.S.C. 47(a)(2) and 41 CFR 51–2.3. Its

purpose is to provide interested persons

an opportunity to submit comments on

the possible impact of the proposed

actions.

If the Committee approves the

proposed additions, all entities of the

Federal Government (except as

otherwise indicated) will be required to

procure the commodity and services

listed below from nonprofit agencies

employing persons who are blind or

have other severe disabilities.

I certify that the following action will

not have a significant impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The major factors considered for this

certification were:

1. The action will not result in any

additional reporting, recordkeeping or

other compliance requirements for small

entities other than the small

organizations that will furnish the

commodity and services to the

Government.

2. The action does not appear to have

a severe economic impact on current

contractors for the commodity and

services.

3. The action will result in

authorizing small entities to furnish the

commodity and services to the

Government.

4. There are no known regulatory

alternatives which would accomplish

the objectives of the Javits-WagnerO’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46–48c) in

connection with the commodity and

services proposed for addition to the

Procurement List. Comments on this

certification are invited. Commenters

should identify the statement(s)

underlying the certification on which

they are providing additional

information.

The following commodity and

services have been proposed for

addition to Procurement List for

production by the nonprofit agencies

listed:

Commodity

Mop Sponge Scrub Brush

M.R. 1012

NPA: Signature Works, Inc.,

Hazlehurst, Mississippi.

Services

Base Supply Center

Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida,

NPA: Industries for the Blind, Inc.,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Car Wash Service

U.S. Border Patrol, 1111 N. Imperial

Avenue, El Centro, California

U.S. Border Patrol, 1150 Birch Street,

Calexico, California

NPA: Association for Retarded

Citizens—Imperial Valley El Centro,

California

Furnishings Management Services

Dover Air Force Base, Delaware,

NPA: The Chimes, Inc., Baltimore,

Maryland.

Janitorial/Custodial

PFC Harold P. Lynch USAR Center,

Plattsburgh, New York, Canton

USAR Center, Canton, New York

NPA: Citizen Advocates, Inc., Malone,

New York.

Refuse Collection and Disposal

Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey,

NPA: The First Occupational Center

of New Jersey, Orange, New Jersey.

Beverly L. Milkman,

Executive Director.

[FR Doc. 98–13035 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6353–01–P

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Hearing on Schools and Religions

AGENCY: Commission on Civil Rights.

ACTION: Notice of hearing.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given

pursuant to the provisions of the Civil

Rights Commission Amendments Act of

1994, Section 3, Pub. L. 103–419, 108

Stat. 4338, as amended, and 45 CFR

Section 702.3, that a public hearing

before the U.S. Commission on Civil

Rights will commence on Friday, June

12, 1998, beginning at 9:00 a.m., in the

United States Court of International

Trade Center, located at 1 Federal Plaza,

New York, NY 10007.

The purpose of the hearing is to

collect information within the

jurisdiction of the Commission, under

45 CFR Section 702.2, to examine the

operation of the Equal Access Act and

similar laws and the adherence by the

public schools to these laws and the

Constitution in regard to religious

freedom. The Commission is authorized

to hold hearings and to issue subpoenas

for the production of documents and the

attendance of witnesses pursuant to 45

CFR Section 701.2(c). The Commission

is an independent bipartisan,

factfinding agency authorized to study,

collect, and disseminate information,

and to appraise the laws and policies of

the Federal Government, and to study

and collect information with respect to
27050 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices

discrimination or denials of equal

protection of the laws under the

Constitution because of race, color,

religion, sex, age, disability, or national

origin, or in the administration of

justice.

Hearing impaired persons who will

attend the hearing and require the

services of a sign language interpreter,

should contact Betty Edmiston,

Administrative Services and

Clearinghouse Division at (202) 376–

8105 (TDD (202) 376–8116), at least five

(5) working days before the scheduled

date of the hearing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Barbara Brooks, Press and

Communications, (202) 367–8312.

Dated: May 11, 1998.

Stephanie Y. Moore,

General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 98–12939 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

Permits for Incidental Taking of

Endangered or Threatened Species;

Proposed Collection

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, Pub.

L. 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before July 14, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5327, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington

DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to Karen Salvini—F/PR3,

Office of Protected Resources, Room

13623, National Marine Fisheries

Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver

Spring, MD 20910–3226 (301–713–1401

ext.130).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Endangered Species Act of 1973

(ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq.) imposed

prohibitions against the taking of

endangered species. In 1982, Congress

revised the ESA to allow permits

authorizing the taking of endangered

species incidental to otherwise lawful

activities. The corresponding

regulations established procedures for

persons to apply for such a permit. In

addition, the regulations set forth

specific reporting requirements for such

permit holders.

The regulations contain three sets of

information collections: (l) Applications

for incidental take permits, (2)

applications for certificates of inclusion,

and (3) reporting requirements for

permits issued. Certificates of inclusion

are only required if a general permit is

issued to a representative of a group of

potential permit applicants, rather than

requiring each entity to apply for and

receive a permit. There are currently no

general incidental take permits, and no

certificates of inclusion, and none are

expected in the next three years.

The required information is used to

evaluate the impacts of the proposed

activity on endangered species, to make

the determinations required by the ESA

prior to issuing a permit, and to

establish appropriate permit conditions.

In order to issue a permit as required by

ESA section 10(a)(2)(B), NMFS must

determine that (i) the taking will be

incidental; (ii) the applicant will, to the

maximum extent practicable, minimize

and mitigate the impacts of such taking;

(iii) the applicant will ensure that

adequate funding for the plan will be

provided; (iv) the taking will not

appreciably reduce the likelihood of the

survival and recovery of the species in

the wild; and (v) any additional

measures required by NMFS as being

necessary or appropriate for the

purposes of the conservation plan will

be met.

When a species is listed as threatened,

section 4(d) of the ESA requires the

Secretary to issue whatever regulations

are deemed necessary or advisable to

provide for conservation of the species.

In many cases those regulations reflect

blanket application of the section 9 take

prohibition. However, in an interim rule

for protection of listed coho salmon

NMFS recognized certain exceptions to

that prohibition, including one for

restoration actions taken in accord with

approved watershed action plans in

Oregon or California. While watershed

plans are prepared for other purposes in

coordination with or fulfillment of

various state programs, a watershed

group wishing to take advantage of the

exception for restoration activities

(rather than obtaining a section 10

permit) would have to submit the plan

for NMFS review.

II. Method of Collection

Permit applicants must submit an

application to NMFS, including all

appropriate information listed on the

instructions. These instructions are a

user-friendly version of the

requirements at 50 CFR 222.22(b) for

applications for incidental take permits.

Once issued, the permit requires that

permit holders submit an annual report

on activities. These reports must

include information on: The activity

causing incidental take, any endangered

species taken (species, dates, location,

and condition of animal), and the status

of implementing a conservation plan to

offset the impact to the species.

For watershed plans, a watershed

council or other local group would

submit its watershed plan to NMFS (and

the state) for review against state

guidance which meets the standards of

50 CFR 222.22(c). If the plan is found

consistent with the state guidance, the

group would not need to apply for a

section 10 permit for any incidental take

that might be associated with a

restoration action called for in the plan.

No annual or other reporting is

associated with the restoration activity

exception.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0648–0230.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: State, local, or tribal

government; business or other for-profit;

individuals; not-for-profit institutions.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 21

(11 permit-related, 10 for watershed

plans).

Estimated Time Per Response: 80

hours for a permit application, 10 hours

for a watershed plan, 8 hours for a

permit report, and 30 minutes for a

Certificate of Inclusion application.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 1,068.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to

Public: $0 (no capital expenditures).

IV. Request for 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 shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be