[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 142 (Friday, July 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39806-39809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19679]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

July 20, 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, DC 20503 and to 
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, 
DC 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.

Food and Nutrition Service

    Title: National School Lunch Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0584-0006.
    Summary of Collection: In conjunction with the Healthy Meals for 
Children Act of 1996 and the Personal Responsibility and Work 
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the Food and Nutrition Service 
(FNS) proposes amending the information collection requirements for the 
National School Lunch Program. The revision would add recordkeeping 
requirements associated with implementing additional menu planning 
alternatives into the program. Information on menu planning must be 
reported by school food authorities to State agencies. The plans would 
include a written description outlining the intended menu planning 
procedures and how the required elements for alternative menu planning 
will be met.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information will be collected 
to ensure

[[Page 39807]]

that the alternatives implemented by the States and the school food 
authorities adequately meets program requirements and goals. The plans 
will also ensure a comprehensive review and will be available for 
monitoring purposes.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local, or Tribal Government; 
Individuals or households; Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 114,169.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Quarterly; Semi-annually; Monthly; Annually; Other (daily).
    Total Burden Hours: 9,434,462.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Phytosanitary Export Certification.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0052.
    Summary of Collection: The United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) and the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
responsible for preventing plant diseases or insect pests from entering 
the United States, preventing the spread of pests not widely 
distributed in the United States, and eradicating those imported pests 
when eradication is feasible. The Federal Plant Pest Act authorizes the 
Department to carry out this mission. APHIS provides export 
certification services to assure other countries that the plants and 
plant products they are receiving from the United States are free of 
prohibited (or regulated) plant diseases and insect pests. APHIS will 
collect information using several forms to provide export certification 
services.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will use the information 
collected to locate shipments, guide inspection, and issue a 
certificate to meet the requirements of the importing country. Lack of 
the information would make it impossible for APHIS to issue a 
phytosanitary certificate to meet the importing country's requirements.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Farm; 
Individual or households; Not-for-profit institutions; Federal 
Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 3,913.
    Frequencey of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 116,181.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1822-G, Rural Housing Loans, Policies, Procedures and 
Authorizations.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0071.
    Summary of Collection: Section 523 of the Housing Act of 1949 as 
amended (Pub. L. 90-448) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to 
establish the Self-Help Land Development Fund to be used by the 
Secretary as a revolving fund for making loans on such terms and 
conditions and in such amounts as deemed necessary to public or private 
nonprofit organizations for the acquisition and development of the land 
as building sites to be subdivided and sold to families, nonprofit 
organizations and cooperative eligible for assistance. Section 524 
authorizes the Secretary to make loans on such terms and conditions and 
in such amounts as deemed necessary to public or private nonprofit 
organizations for the acquisition and development of land as building 
sites to be subdivided and sold to families, nonprofit organizations, 
public agencies and cooperative eligible for assistance under any 
section of this title, or under any other law which provides financial 
assistance for housing low and moderate income families. Information is 
collected from non-profit organizations and others wishing to receive 
loans to determine eligibility for the loan program.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information required for 
approval of rural housing site loans is used by RHS field personnel to 
verify program eligibility requirements. The information is collected 
at the RHS field office responsible for the processing of the loan 
application being submitted. The information is also used to insure 
that the program is administered in a manner consistent with 
legislative and administrative requirements. The information required 
for approval of site loans is (a) overall housing need in an area; (b) 
demographic data to determine that housing is needed for person of low 
and modest income: (c) eligibility of a public or private nonprofit 
group. The data is necessary to protect the public from projects being 
built in areas of low need by applicants that are unable to administer 
the program properly.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions: State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 6.
    Frequencey of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 36.

The Assistant Secretary for Administration, Office of Outreach

    Title: Small Farmer Outreach, Training, and Technical Assistance.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0163.
    Summary of Collection: The Food, Agriculture, Conservation and 
Trade Act of 1990, title XXV, section 2501 and the Department of 
Agriculture Appropriation Acts provides funding for the ``Small Farmer 
Outreach Training and Technical Assistance Program,'' and the 
``Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and 
Ranchers Program.'' These Acts provide the Office of Outreach with the 
authority to make grants and enter into contracts, cooperative 
agreements, and other agreements with entities to provide outreach, 
training, and technical assistance; to encourage and assist small, 
limited resource and economically/socially disadvantaged farmers and 
ranchers to own and operate farms and ranches; and increase their 
participation and accessibility to agricultural programs. Information 
is collected from organizations who wish to apply for grants. After a 
grant is awarded, additional information regarding the status of each 
project must be supplied to the Office of Outreach.
    Need and Use of the Information: Information is collected from 
organizations applying for training and assistance grants to determine 
eligibility and experience and to evaluate the proposed projects 
against the goals of the outreach program. Once a grant is awarded, the 
Office of Outreach uses project reports and other information to ensure 
that the projects are performing well and achieving the desired goals.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Farms; 
State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 150.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Quarterly; Monthly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 5,888.

Foreign Agricultural Service

    Title: No Form Required--Specialty Sugar--Importer Applies to USDA/
Import Licensing and a Letter (Specialty Certificate) Is Provided.
    OMB Control Number: 0551-0025.
    Summary of Collection: Provisions associated with Presidential 
Proclamation No. 4941 prevented the importation of certain refined 
sugars used for specialized purposes originating in countries which did 
not have quota allocations. This led the Secretary of Agriculture to 
announce a quota system requiring certificates for entering specialty 
sugar. In order to grant licenses, ensure that imported specialty sugar 
does not disrupt the current domestic support program, and maintain 
administrative control over the program, an application with certain 
specific information must be collected from those who wish to 
participate in the program established by the regulation. Accordingly, 
applicants must supply information found in 15

[[Page 39808]]

CFR 2011.205 to be considered eligible for a certificate.
    Need And Use of the Information: Importers are required to supply 
specific information to the Secretary and the Foreign Agricultural 
Service, in order to be granted a certificate to import specialty 
sugar. The information is supplied to U.S. Customs officials in order 
to certify that the sugar being imported is ``specialty sugar.'' 
Without the collection of this information the Certifying Authority 
would not have any basis on which to make a decision on whether a 
certificate should be granted, and would not have the ability to 
monitor sugar imports under the program.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
Individual or households.
    Number of Respondents: 30.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 60.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1930-C, Management and Supervision of Multiple Family 
Housing Borrowers and Grant Recipients.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0033.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is 
authorized under Section 514, 515, 516, and 521 of Title V of the 
Housing Act of 1949, as amended, to provide loans and grants to 
eligible recipients for the development of rural rental housing. Such 
multiple family housing projects are intended to meet the housing needs 
of persons or families having very low to moderate incomes, senior 
citizens, the handicapped or disabled, and domestic farm laborers. RHS 
has the responsibility of assuring the public that the housing project 
financed are managed and operated as mandated by Congress and are 
operated as economically as possible. To do so, RHS must collect 
information from borrowers and housing tenants.
    Need And Use of the Information: RHS collects financial information 
to identify distressed properties, portfolio management trends, and 
potential problems before they become loan delinquencies, unpaid 
operation expenses, or high vacancy rates. In addition, the information 
provided is intended to verify whether or not the borrower is complying 
with the terms and conditions of loan, grant, and/or subsidy 
agreements. This information is used by RHS to monitor the management 
of the projects and to conduct compliance reviews.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
Individual or households; Farms; Not-for-profit institutions; State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 538,200.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Monthly.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,128,740.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Milk and Milk Products.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0020.
    Summary of Collection: U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204, statute 
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 National Agriculture Statistics Service's (NASS) 
primary function is to prepare and issue current official state and 
national estimates of crop and livestock production. Estimates of milk 
production and manufactured dairy products are an integral part of this 
program. Milk and dairy statistics are used by USDA to help administer 
price support programs and by the dairy industry in planning, pricing, 
and projecting supplies of milk and milk products. NASS will collect 
information from a weekly survey to produce unbiased and statistically 
defensible butter, dry whey, and nonfat dry milk prices to incorporate 
into the new price formula following an AMS comparison study with the 
current Basic Formula Price (BFP).
    Need And Use of the Information: NASS will collect information on 
monthly estimates of stocks, shipments, and selling prices for such 
products as butter, cheese, dry whey, and nonfat dry milk. Cheddar 
cheese prices are collected weekly and used by USDA to assist in the 
determination of the fair market value of raw milk. Estimates of number 
of milk cows, milk production per cow, and total milk production are 
used by the dairy industry in planning, pricing, and projecting 
supplies of milk and milk products.
    Description of Respondents: Farm; Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 44,619.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly; Weekly; Monthly; 
Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 21,571.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-NEW
    Summary of Collection: On March 28, 1996, President Clinton signed 
the ``Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act of 1996.'' One of the 
provisions of the Act was the authorization of the section 538 
Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP), adding the program to 
the Housing Act of 1949. The purpose of the GRRHP is to increase the 
supply of affordable rural rental housing through the use of loan 
guarantees that encourage partnerships between the Rural Housing 
Service (RHS), private lenders and public agencies. The Secretary is 
authorized under Section 510 (k) to prescribe regulations to ensure 
that these federally funded loans are made to eligible applicants for 
authorized purposes. RHS will collect information from lenders on the 
eligibility cost, benefits, feasibility, and financial performance of 
the proposed project.
    Need And Use of the Information: RHS will collect information from 
lenders to mange, plan, evaluate, and account for Government resources.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-
profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 50.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 644.39.
    Emergency approval for this information collection has been 
requested by July 15, 1998.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: American Indian Livestock Feed Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: the Agricultural Act of 1970 (7 U.S.C. 
1427a), section 813, gives the Secretary of Agriculture the authority 
to relieve distress caused by a natural disaster using funds from the 
sale of commodities held in reserve. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will 
make assistance available to eligible livestock owners when as a result 
of natural disaster occurring on reservations or other land designated 
for Indian use, significant loss of livestock feed has occurred and a 
livestock feed emergency exists. Information will be collected to 
determine eligibility and process program payments using the following 
three forms: Form CCC-644, Payment Authorization--American Indian 
Livestock Feed Program, on which it will be necessary to identify the 
eligible producer by name, address the identification number. As a 
method to determine the amount of benefits a producer may be entitle to 
receive, he or she will be asked to report the number of head of 
livestock, and his or her shares in that livestock, in addition to the 
type, quantity, cost, date or sale and seller of any livestock feed the 
producer had to purchase during a designated

[[Page 39809]]

feeding period. Form CCC-648, Area Designation and Feed Loss 
Assessment, it will be necessary for a tribal government to provide the 
name, address, and phone number of their tribal government for 
identification purposes, in addition to the name of the tribal contact 
person who could assist FSA if any questions should arise. Form CCC-
453, American Indian Livestock Feed Program Contract to Participant, 
tribal governments will define the region where the natural disaster 
has taken place in order to determine if the region meets the 
requirements of the regulations.
    Need and Use of the Information: FSA will collect information to 
determine if the tribal government recommended disaster region meets 
the criteria set forth and to determine if the conditions, such as 
eligible payees, meet the criteria and also determine the amount of 
benefits the applicant may be entitled to receive.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; State, Local 
or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 45,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Other (when losses 
occur)
    Total Burden Hours: 22,563
    Emergency approval for this information collection has been 
requested by July 31, 1998.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: Tree Assistance Program 7 CFR 783.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: Pub. L. 105-174, the 1998 Supplemental 
Appropriation and Recessions Act of 1998 (the Act), authorizes the 
Secretary of Agriculture to implement a Tree Assistance Program (TAP) 
for losses of eligible trees and vines that were lost due to natural 
disasters during fiscal year 1998. Owners of eligible trees or vines 
applying for the TAP Program must meet the program requirements as set 
forth in 7 CFR part 783. Owners will be reimbursed for practice costs 
which may not exceed 100 percent of the eligible replanting or 
rehabilitation costs and may be based on average costs or the actual 
costs for the eligible replanting or rehabilitation practices, as 
determined by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The intended effect of 
this action is to provide assistance to eligible owners to replace or 
rehabilitate eligible trees and vines damaged by natural disasters 
occurring in fiscal year 1998. To qualify for this program, owners must 
certify that each ``person'', as defined by FSA, who is an owner or co-
owner of eligible trees or vines had an annual qualifying gross revenue 
of less than $2.5 million in the 1997 tax year. FSA will use forms CCC-
434 and CCC-435 to collect information from the owners.
    Need And Use of The Information: FSA uses form CCC-434 to collect 
information on the total number of trees or vines in the individual 
stand, total number of trees or vines lost or damaged, acres in need of 
site preparation, and extent of losses requested for payment. Form CCC-
435 is used by FSA to collect information on the lost or damaged trees 
or vines for which replanting or rehabilitation assistance is 
requested, including species, location, average number planted per 
acre, total acres in an individual stand, and cause and percentage of 
mortality.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit; 
Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 1,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Other (Once).
    Total Burden Hours: 291.
    Emergency approval for this information collection has been 
requested by July 20, 1998.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: Report of Acreage.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0004.
    Summary of Collection: Land and crop information is the basic 
foundation upon which many of Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs 
operate. The report of acreage is conducted on an annual basis and is 
used by FSA's county offices to determine eligibility for benefits that 
are available to producers on the farm. The actual number of producers 
who must supply information varies depending on 1) the type of farming 
operations, and 2) the mix of crops planted (which has a direct 
relationship to the type of program the producer is eligible to 
participate in). In order to establish eligibility annually for these 
programs a minimal amount of land and crop data about a producer's 
farming operation is required. The information is subsequently used to 
ensure compliance with program provisions, to determine actual 
production histories, and when disaster occurs, to verify crop loss. 
Producers must provide the information each year because variables such 
as previous year experiences, weather projections, market demand, new 
farming techniques and personal preferences affect the amount of land 
being farmed, the mix of crops planted, and the projected harvest. FSA 
will collect information verbally from the producers during visit to 
the county offices and also through the use of postcards.
    Need and Use of the Information: FSA will collect information on 
crop planted, planting date, crop's intended use (e.g. fresh or 
processing), type or variety (e.g. sweet cherries or tart cherries), 
practice (irrigated or nonirrigated), acres, location of the crop 
(tract and field), and the producer's percent share in the crop along 
with the names of other producers having an interest in the crop. Once 
the information is collected and eligibility established, the 
information is used throughout the crop year to ensure the producer 
remains complaint with program provisions. Without a certain level of 
information provided each crop year by the producer, a significant 
misues of public funds occurs.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 639,008.
    Frequency of Responses: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 479,255.
Ruth Brown,
Acting Departmental Information Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-19679 Filed 7-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M