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

30467

Vol. 63, No. 107

Thursday, June 4, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

May 29, 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 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.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

Title: Fruits, Nut, and Specialty

Corps.

OMB Control Number: 0535–0039.

Summary of Collection: U.S. Code

title 7, Section 2204, specifies that ‘‘The

Secretary of Agriculture shall procure

and preserve all information concerning

agriculture which he can obtain by the

collection of statistics * * * and shall

distribute them among agriculturists.

The primary function of the National

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is

to prepare and issue current official

state and national estimates of crop and

livestock production. Estimates of fruit,

tree nuts, and specialty crops are an

integral part of this program. These

estimates support the NASS strategic

plan to annually cover 99 percent of all

agricultural receipts. Information is

collected on a voluntary basis from

growers, processors, and handlers

through surveys.

Need and Use of the Information:

Data reported on fruit, nut, and Hawaii

tropical crops are used by NASS to

estimate acreage, yield, production,

utilization, and crop value in states with

significant commercial production.

These estimates are essential to farmers,

processors, and handlers in making

production and marketing decisions.

Estimates from these inquiries are used

by market order administrators in their

determination of expected supplies of

crop under federal and state market

orders as well as competitive fruits and

nuts.

Description of Respondents: Farms;

Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 40,968.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion; Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 14,137.

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service

Title: Grant Application Forms for the

Small Business Innovation Research

Grants Program.

OMB Control Number: 0524–0025.

Summary of Collection: In 1982, the

Small Business Innovation Research

(SBIR) Grants Program was authorized

by Public Law 97–219, and in 1992,

reauthorized through October 1, 2000,

by Public Law 102–564. This legislation

requires each Federal agency with a

research and research and development

budget in excess of $100 million to

establish an SBIR program. The

objectives of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA), Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service (CSREES) SBIR Program are to

stimulate technological innovation in

the private sector, strengthen the role of

small businesses in meeting Federal

research and development needs,

increase private sector

commercialization of innovations

derived from USDA-supported research

and developments efforts, and foster

and encourage participation by womenowned and socially and economically

disadvantaged small business firms in

technological innovation. USDA

conducts its SBIR Program through the

use of grants awards and these grants

are administered by the Grants

Management Branch, CSREES. Each

year, USDA issues an SBIR Program

Solicitation requesting Phase I

proposals. These proposals are

evaluated by peer review panels and

awarded on a competitive basis. The

SBIR Program Solicitation requests that

applicants submit proposals following

the format outlined in the SBA Policy

Directive.

Need and Use of the Information:

CSREES uses forms CSREES–667,

‘‘Proposal Cover Sheet’’ and CSREES–

688, ‘‘Project Summary’’, to collected

recordkeeping data, required

certifications, and information used to

respond to inquiries from Congress,

other Government agencies, and the

grantee community concerning grant

projects supported by the USDA SBIR

Program.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 480.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 1,920.

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Title: Rural Abandoned Mine

Program.

OMB Control Number: 0578–0019.

Summary of Collection: Section 406 of

the Surface Mining Control and

Reclamation Act of 1977 (Pub. L. 95–87,

91 Stat. 460, as amended, 30 U.S.C.

1236) directs the Secretary of

Agriculture and the Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS) to

formulate and carry out a Rural

Abandoned Mine Program (RAMP)
30468 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 107 /Thursday, June 4, 1998 / Notices

during the 1977–2000 calendar years.

This program authorizes federal

technical and financial long term cost

sharing assistance for conservation

treatment with eligible land users. The

financial assistance is based on a

conservation plan for reclamation which

is made a part of an agreement or

contract for a 5 to 10 year period of

time. Under the terms of the agreement,

the participant agrees to apply, or

arrange to apply, the conservation

treatment specified in the conservation

plan. In return for this agreement,

federal cost-share payments are made to

the land user, or third party, upon

successful application of the

conservation treatment. Forms are used

to collect information from program

applicants and to establish legal

contracts for program participants.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information collected on RAMP forms is

obtained from RAMP participants

manually for use by NRCS. The

information is used by NRCS to review

landowner applications for assistance,

evaluate and record progress on

applying conservation practices, and to

monitor compliance with the RAMP

provisions.

Description of Respondents: Farms;

Individuals or households; State, Local

or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 400.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting.

Total Burden Hours: 223.

Farm Service Agency

Title: 7 CFR Part 1421—General

Regulations Governing Loans for 1996

and Subsequent Corps.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0087.

Summary of Collection: The Farm

Service Agency is authorized by the

Federal Agriculture Improvement and

Reform Act of 1996 (the 1996 Act), to

make commodity loans for certain

commodities to eligible producers.

Producers requesting Commodity Credit

Corporation (CCC) commodity loans

must meet eligibility requirements

which are basic to all commodity loan

programs. These requirements are

needed to insure the integrity of the

loan program and that only eligible

producers receive the benefits of the

loan program. FSA will collect

information on commodity type,

quantity of commodity, storage,

location, liens on the commodity, etc.,

through the use of a variety of forms.

Need and Use of the Information: FSA

County Committees are responsible for

administration of the CCC loan program.

The committees use the information

collected on the forms to determine

eligibility of participants to receive loan

benefits. Information is also used to

determine cases of noncompliance with

the regulations governing the loan

program. Furnishing this data is

voluntary. However, without it,

assistance under the CCC loan program

cannot be provided.

Description of Respondents: Farm.

Number of Respondents: 364,240.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion; Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 438,732.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: Report Forms Under Milk

Marketing Order Programs (From Milk

Handlers and Milk Marketing

Cooperative).

OMB Control Number: 0581–0032.

Summary of Collection: Agricultural

Marketing Service (AMS) oversees the

administration of Federal Milk

Marketing Orders authorized by the

Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act

of 1937, as amended. The Federal Milk

Marketing Order regulations require that

handlers of milk report in detail the

receipt and utilization of milk and milk

products handled at each of their plants

that are regulated by a Federal Order.

The Report of Receipts and Utilization

and the Producer Payroll Report are

completed by regulated milk handlers

and milk marketing cooperative and are

the principal reporting forms needed to

administer the 31 Federal milk

marketing orders.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information will be collected through

the use of several forms and reports by

the market administrator. The forms are

used to establish the quality of milk

received by handlers, the pooling status

of the handlers, the class-use of the milk

used by the handler and the butterfat

content and amounts of other

components of the milk. The data also

allows AMS to administer the classified

pricing system and related requirements

of each Federal order.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 772.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion;

Quarterly; Semi-annually; Monthly;

Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 23,858.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: 7 CFR Part 70, Regulations for

Voluntary Grading of Poultry Products

and Rabbit Products.

OMB Control Number: 0581–0127.

Summary of Collection: The

Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (60

Stat. 1087–1091, as amended; 7 U.S.C.

1621–1627) (AMA) directs and

authorizes the Department to develop

standards of quality, grades, grading

programs, and services to enable a more

orderly marketing of agricultural

products so trading may be facilitated

and so consumers may be able to obtain

products graded and identified under

USDA programs. The Agricultural

Marketing Service (AMS) carries out

regulations which provide a voluntary

program for grading poultry and rabbit

products. Because this is a voluntary

program, respondents need to request or

apply for the specific services they

wish, and in doing so, they provide

information. Since the AMA requires

that the cost of the service be assessed

and collected, there is no alternative but

to provide voluntary programs on a fee

for service basis and to collect the

information needed to establish the cost.

Need and Use of the Information:

Since the Agricultural Marketing

Service does not know what the

respondents’ wishes or needs are until

asked, there is no other choice but to

have the respondents request or ask for

the specific services or benefits they

wish. AMS only requests the

information necessary to efficiently

make arrangement for the types of

service requested, assure service is

provided, and to administer the

program.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit; Federal Government;

State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 399.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion; Semi-annually; Monthly;

Annually; Other (Daily).

Total Burden Hours: 1,889.

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service

Title: Application Kit.

OMB Control Number: 0524–0022.

Summary of Collection: The United

States Department of Agriculture

(USDA), Cooperative State Research

Education, and Extension Service

(CSREES) administers several

competitive, peer-reviewed research,

education, and extension programs,

under which awards of a high-priority

nature are made. These programs are

authorized pursuant to the authorities

contained in the National Agricultural

Research, Extension, and Teaching

Policy Act of 1977, as amended (7

U.S.C. 3101), the Smith-Lever Act, and

various, other legislative authorities.

Before grants can be awarded, certain

information is required from applicants

as part of an overall package. In addition

to a project summary, proposal

narrative, and other pertinent technical

aspects of the proposed project,

supporting documentation of an

administrative and budgetary nature

also must be provided. Because the
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 107 /Thursday, June 4, 1998 / Notices 30469

proposals submitted are competitive in

nature and necessitate review by peer

panelists, it is particularly important

that applicants provide the information

in a standardized fashion to ensure

equitable treatment for all.

Need and Use of the Information:

CSREES will collect information on

USDA data, program summary and

narrative, credentials and budget, for the

research, education, and extension

program. The information will be used

to respond to inquiries from Congress,

other governmental agencies, and the

grantee community.

Description of Respondents: Not-forprofit institutions; Business or other forprofit; Individuals or households;

Federal Government; State, Local, or

Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 8,900.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 136,450.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

Title: Porcine Reproductive and

Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).

OMB Control Number: 0579–0125.

Summary of Collection: Collection

and dissemination of animal health data

and information is mandated by 7

U.S.C. 391, the Animal Industry Act of

1884, which established the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS). The

mission of APHIS, Veterinary Service is

to protect and improve the health,

quality and marketability of our

Nation’s animals and animal products

by preventing, controlling, and

monitoring animal diseases. During the

past 2 years a severe form of Porcine

Reproductive and Respiratory

Syndrome (PRRS) has appeared in the

United States. APHIS will collect

information on acute PRRS through a

survey and other forms to establish the

extent of the disease and gather more

specific herd data.

Need and Use of the Information:

Because of the recent increase in cases

of the acute PRRS, it is imperative that

data on management practices and

environmental conditions, along with

blood and tissue samples continue to be

collected and analyzed. Analysis can

identify the transmission mechanism

and provide a means to prevent disease

spread to other herds and states. The

collection of information will be used to

identify management risk factors that

exist in higher proportion in affected

herds than in noninfected herds, once

all the data is collected, analyzed and

put into databases.

Description of Respondents: Farms;

Business or other for-profit; State, Local

or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 107.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 449.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

Title: Importation of Grapefruit,

Lemons, and Oranges from Argentina—

Docket No. 97–110–1.

OMB Control Number: 0579–New.

Summary of Collection: The Federal

Plant Pest Act authorizes the

Department of Agriculture and the

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS) to prevent plant

diseases or insect pests from entering

the United States, preventing the spread

of pest not widely distributed in the

United States, and eradicating those

imported pests when eradication is

feasible. Section 150bb of the Federal

Plant Pest Act (7 USC 150aa–150jj)

provides that no plant pest can be

moved from a foreign country into or

through the United States, or interstate,

unless the movement is authorized

under a permit issued by the Secretary

of Agriculture and the movement is

carried out in accordance with the

conditions the Secretary may prescribe

to prevent the dissemination of plant

pests into the United States. APHIS will

use a number of forms, including

permits and foreign phytosanitary

certificates to collect information to

ensure that grapefruits, lemons, and

oranges from Argentina meet the

necessary conditions and requirements

for importation into the United States

and do not pose a threat of introducing

or spreading plant diseases or insect

pests that could cause significant harm

to American agriculture.

Need and Use of the Information:

APHIS will collect information from

permit applications to determine if the

fruit being imported from Argentina

meets the requirements. This

information will also enable APHIS to

evaluate potential risks associated with

the proposed movement of grapefruits

lemons, and oranges into the United

States. APHIS will use the information

to determine whether a permit can be

issued, and also to develop riskmitigating conditions for the proposed

movement.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other for-profit; farms; State, Local or

Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 470.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion.

Total Burden hours: 715.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: Export Fruit Acts.

OMB Control Number: 0581–0143.

Summary of Collection: Fresh apples,

pears, and grapes grown in the United

States shipped to any foreign

destination must meet certain minimum

quality and other requirements

established by regulations issued under

the Export Apple and Pear Act [7 CFR

Part 33] and the Export Grape and Plum

Act [7 CFR Part 35], hereinafter referred

to as the Acts. The regulations issued

under the Acts [33.11 for apples and

pears, and 35.12 for grapes] requires that

the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) and the Agricultural Marketing

Service (AMS) officially inspect and

certify that each shipment of fresh

apples, pears, and grapes is in

compliance with all pertinent regulatory

requirements effective under the Acts.

AMS will collect information from

persons who ship fresh apples, pears,

and grapes grown in the United States

to foreign destinations from inspections

certificates and phytosanitary

inspection certificates.

Need and Use of the Information:

AMS marketing specialists will collect

information from certificates relating to

the shipment, including the quantity

shipped, date shipped, vessel

identification, and intended foreign

destination of fruit. The marketing

specialists also obtain the names and

addresses of freight forwarders and

export carriers from port authorities at

the ports they plan to contact. The

marketing specialists contact those

export carriers which exported apples,

pears and grapes during the past season,

and review their fruit shipment files to

determine if they have filed the

inspection certificates as required, and

that the fruit met the requisite

requirements.

Description of Respondents: Business

or other-for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 115.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 2,204.

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Title: American Heritage Rivers

Initiative.

OMB Control Number: 0578–New.

Summary of Collection: The Natural

Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

and the team of Federal agency

representatives responsible for

developing a symposium for all 126

applicants to the American Heritage

Rivers (AHR) Initiative, would like to

assure that they meet the specific needs

of the applicants. NRCS will collect
30470 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 107 /Thursday, June 4, 1998 / Notices

information using a one page

questionnaire that will ask applicants to

provide input so that the symposium

will better meet their specific needs in

order to implement their AHR plans.

More specifically, they will be asked to

select the preferred dates for the

symposium (weekend or weekday

dates). This will allow President Clinton

to announce the dates of the symposium

in mid-June, when he announces the ten

AHR nominations to receive designation

this year.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information that NRCS collects from the

AHR applicants that choose to respond,

will be used only by the symposium

planning team. Based on the applicants

responses the team will then develop an

agenda that includes topics of specific

interest, tools and information that will

help them complete their AHR plans.

Description of Respondents: Not-forprofit institutions; Business or other-forprofit; State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Number of Respondents: 126.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 31.5.

Emergency approval for this

information collection has been

requested by June 1, 1998.

Rural Housing Service

Title: 7 CFR 1944–L, Tenant

Grievance and Appeals Procedure.

OMB Control Number: 0575–0046.

Summary of Collection: The Rural

Housing Service (RHS) is authorized,

under Sections 514, 515, and 521 of the

Housing Act of 1949, to provide loans

and grants to eligible recipients of the

development of rural rental/cooperative

and labor housing. Such multiple family

housing projects are intended to meet

the housing needs of persons or families

who have moderate, low- and very-low

incomes, senior citizens, the

handicapped and domestic farm

laborers. RHS is responsible for assuring

the public that the housing projects

financed are managed and operated as

mandated by Congress. For this reason,

the Agency implemented a grievance

and appeals procedure on October 27,

1980, for tenants, members and

applicants for occupancy in multiple

family housing financed by RHS. The

procedure requires certain information

to be collected whenever a tenant

wishes to appeal adverse actions by

owners/managers of multi-family

housing project financed by RHS.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information collected is used to notify

tenants of the reasons for the adverse

actions and to ascertain the viewpoint of

the tenant. The information is used in

the course of trying to resolve the

grievance. The consequence of not

collecting the information is that

tenants, members or applicants would

not be able to exercise their rights

provided by the Tenant Grievance

Appeals procedure.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals or households; Business or

other for-profit; State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Number of Respondents: 360.

Frequency of Respondents:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 83.

Food and Nutrition Service

Title: Servicing Cases Where

Unauthorized Loan or Other Financial

Assistance Was Received—Community

and Business Programs, 7 CFR 1951–O.

OMB Control Number: 0575–0103.

Summary of Collection: On occasion,

the Rural Housing Service (RHS), Rural

Business-Cooperative Service (RBS),

Rural Utilities Service (RUS), and the

Farm Service Agency (FSA) encounter

cases where unauthorized assistance

was received by a borrower or grantee

for which there was no regulatory

authorization or for which the recipient

was not eligible. In situations where

unauthorized assistance may have been

given, the Agencies must collect certain

financial information to assist in the

determination that the assistance

received was unauthorized.

Need and Use of the Information: The

information submitted by borrowers or

grantees is evaluated by local Rural

Development and FSA employees. The

information is used to review the case

to confirm whether unauthorized

assistance was received and to make

necessary account adjustments.

Description of Respondents: Not-forprofit institutions; State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Number of Respondents: 14.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 12.

Farm Service Agency

Title: Dairy Production Disaster

Assistance Program—7 CFR 1439.

OMB Control Number: 0560–New.

Summary of Collection: Under P.L.

105–174, Disaster Assistance

Supplemental, the Commodity Credit

Corporation Fund has been amended to

appropriate $6,800,000 to implement a

Dairy Production Disaster Assistance

Program. The program will provide

payments to dairy producers for losses

of milk that had been produced but not

marketed or for diminished production

due to natural disasters designated

pursuant to a Presidential or Secretarial

declaration requested from November

27, 1997 through May 1, 1998. The Farm

Service Agency will collect information

from dairy producers applying for

assistance.

Need and Use of the Information: FSA

will collect information on business

records from producers to verify that

their milk or dairy production losses did

occur. The business record collection

will be used by the FSA County Office

personnel to determine the eligibility

and amount of assistance in accordance

with the published regulation. FSA

considers the information collection to

be essential to make prudent eligibility

and assistance determinations and to

maintain the credibility of such a

program being administered after the

losses occurred.

Description of Respondents: Farms.

Number of Respondents: 25,000.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting:

On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 50,000.

Emergency approval for this

information collection has been

requested by June 8, 1998.

Nancy Sternberg,

Departmental Information Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–14857 Filed 6–3–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request—The Impacts of

Time Limits on Unemployed AbleBodied Adults Without Dependents

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the intention of the

Food and Nutrition Service to request

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) approval of data collection for

the study, The Impacts of Time Limits

on Unemployed Able-Bodied Adults

Without Dependents.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by August 3, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send comments and

requests for copies of this information

collection to: Alberta Frost, Director,

Office of Analysis and Evaluation, Food

and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive,

Alexandria, VA 22302.

Comments are invited on: (a) whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance