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

39806

Vol. 63, No. 142

Friday, July 24, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary

Notice and Request for Comments

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Chapter 35, Title 44 United States Code,

this notice announces the Department of

Agriculture’s intention to request an

extension on the currently approved

information collection in support of

debt collection.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by September 22, 1998, to be

assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS

CONTACT: Richard M. Guyer, Director,

Fiscal Policy Division, Office of the

Chief Financial Officer, USDA, Room

3022 South, 1400 Independence Avenue

S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250 or FAX

(202) 690–1529, telephone: (202) 690–

0291, E-mail: DGuyer@cfo.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Debt

Collection Act of 1982, Public Law 97–

365, 96 Stat. 1749, as amended by

Public Law 98–167, 97 Stat. 1104 and

the Debt Collection Improvement Act of

1996, Public Law 104–134 requires that

any monies that are payable or may

become payable from the United States

under contracts and other written

agreements to any persons or a legal

entity not any agency or subdivision of

a State or local government may be

subject to administrative offset for the

collection of a delinquent debt the

person or a legal entity owes to the

United States.

Title: Debt Collection.

OMB Number: 0505–0007.

Expiration Date of Approval:

September 30, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension on

currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: 31 U.S.C. 3716 of the Debt

Collection Act authorizes the collection

of debts by administrative offset and the

Debt Collection Improvement Act of

1996, expanded the application of

administratrive offset to every instance

except where a statute explicitly

prohibits the use of adminsitrarive offset

for collection purposes. Protection is

provided to debtors by requiring that an

individual debtor be given notice of a

debt. The notice provides information to

delinquent debtors targeted for

administrative offset who want

additional information; desire to enter

into repayment agreements; or desire to

request a review of agencies’

determination to offset. Creditor

agencies use the collected information

to respond to and/or take appropriate

action. If the relevant information is not

collected, the creditor agencies cannot

comply with the due process provision

of the Debt Collection Act and the Debt

Collection Improvement Act. Collection

of information only affects delinquent

debtors.

Estimate of Burden: A public

reporting and record keeping burden for

this collection of information is

estimated to average 1 hour per

response.

Respondents: Delinquent Debtors.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

20,725.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 2.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 41,450 hours.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for Office of Management and Budget

approval. All comments will also

become a matter of public record.

Dated: July 20, 1998.

Allan S. Johnson,

Acting Chief Financial Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–19858 Filed 7–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–KS–P

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
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 142 / Friday, July 24, 1998 / Notices 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-forprofit 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-forprofit 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
39808 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 142 / Friday, July 24, 1998 / Notices

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
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 142 / Friday, July 24, 1998 / Notices 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 coowner 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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Lake Tahoe Basin Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice, establishment, and

request for nominations.

SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture

is establishing an advisory committee,

chartered under the Federal Advisory

committee Act, to provide advice to the

Secretary of Agriculture on

implementing the terms of the Federal

Interagency Partnership on the Lake

Tahoe Region. Nominations of persons

to serve on the Committee are invited.

DATES: Nominations for membership on

the Committee must be received in

writing by August 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send nominations with

telephone numbers for membership on

the Committee to: FACA Nomination,

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit,

870 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake

Tahoe, California 96150.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Juan Palma, Forest Supervisor, Lake

Tahoe Basin Management Unit,

telephone (530) 573–2641.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(5 U.S.C. App.), notice is hereby given

that the Secretary of Agriculture intends

to establish a Lake Tahoe Basin Federal

Advisory Committee. The purpose of

the Committee is to provide advice to