Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 18 /Wednesday, January 28, 1998 / Notices 4215

is estimated to average five and threequarter (53⁄4) hours per response

(including one-quarter hour for the

CSREES–1234).

Respondents: Non-profit institutions,

individuals, business, Federal

government, and State, local, or Tribal

governments.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Form: 8,900. 6,600 complete the entire

collection; 2,300 complete only the

CSREES–662.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 37,450 hours, broken

down by: 19,800 hours for Form

CSREES–661 (three hours per 6,600

respondents); 6,600 hours for Form

CSREES–55 (one hour per 6,600

respondents); 4,450 hours for Form

CSREES–662 (one-half hour per 8,900

respondents); and 6,600 hours for Form

CSREES–663 (one hour per 6,600

respondents).

Frequency of Responses: Annually.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Suzanne

Plimpton, Policy and Program Liaison

Staff, CSREES, (202) 401–1302. E-mail:

OEP@reeusda.gov.

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 will have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate

of the burden of the proposed collection

of information including the validity of

the methodology and assumptions used;

(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility

and clarity of the information to be

collected; and (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. Comments may be sent to:

Sally J. Rockey, Deputy Administrator,

Competitive Research Grants and

Awards Management, CSREES, USDA,

STOP 2240, 1400 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–

2240, (202) 401–1761. E-mail:

OEP@reeusda.gov. Comments also may

be submitted directly to OMB and

should be addressed to: Desk Officer for

Agriculture, Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs, Office of

Management and Budget, Washington,

D.C. 20502.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for OMB approval. All comments also

will become a matter of public record.

Done at Washington, D.C., this day of 21st

day of January 1998.

B.H. Robinson,

Administrator, Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 98–1979 Filed 1–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

Rural Housing Service

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Notice of Request for Extension of

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCIES: Farm Service Agency, Rural

Housing Service, and Rural BusinessCooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed Collection; comments

request.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the intent of the Farm

Service Agency (FSA), Rural Housing

Service (RHS), and the Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBS) to request an

extension of currently approved

information collections for four

regulations and a form used in support

of the FSA Farm Loan Program (FLP)

(formerly Farmer Programs of the

Farmers Home Administration (FmHA)),

two regulations used in support of the

RHS Multi-family Housing (MFH) and

Community Facilities (CF) loan

programs, and one regulation used in

support of the RBS Direct Business and

Industry loan program. These rules do

not involve the loans of the Commodity

Credit Corporation (CCC) administered

by FSA or the Single Family Housing

(SFH) loans of RHS. This renewal does

not involve any revisions to the program

rules.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received on or before March 30, 1998 to

be assured consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

additional information contact Phillip

Elder, Senior Loan Officer, USDA, Farm

Service Agency, Farm Loan Programs,

Loan Servicing Division, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW., STOP

0523, Washington, DC 20013–0523;

Telephone (202) 690–4012; Electronic

mail: pelder@wdc.fsa.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Form FmHA 1962–1, Agreement

for the Use of Proceeds/Release of

Chattel Security.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0171.

Expiration Date of Approval: March

31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of

Currently Approved Information

Collection.

Abstract: The collection of

information on Form FmHA 1962–1 is

required by a consent decree executed

in relation to Coleman V. Block, 663 F.

Supp 1315 (D.N.D. 1987). The former

Farmers Home Administration (FmHA)

agreed in the consent decree to approve

a borrower’s planned use of proceeds

from the disposition of their chattel

security, record any changes to planned

use, and record the actual disposition of

chattel security for the year of operation.

Also, this form is needed to implement

Section 335(f) of the Consolidated Farm

and Rural Development Act (Act) (7

U.S.C. 1985(f)), which requires release

of normal income security to pay

essential household and farm operating

expenses of the borrower, until the

Agency accelerates the loan. Form

FmHA 1962–1 provides a uniform

method for local Agency loan officers to

approve these actions.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 20 minutes per

response.

Respondents: Individuals or

households, businesses or other for

profit and farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

56,075.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 18,505 hours.

Title: 7 CFR 1806–A, Real Property

Insurance.

OMB Control Number: 0575–0087.

Expiration Date: March 31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of

Currently Approved Information

Collection.

Abstract: This regulation is currently

shared by FSA and the MFH programs

of RHS. This regulation governs the

servicing of property insurance on

buildings and land securing the interest

of RHS or FSA in connection with an

FSA FLP Loan or RHS MFH loan. This

regulation does not apply to the CF and

SFH programs of RHS. The information

collections pertain primarily to the

verification of insurance on property

securing Agency loans. This information

collection is submitted by FSA or RHS

borrowers to Agency offices. It is

necessary to protect the government

from losses due to weather, natural

disasters, or fire and ensure that the

Act’s loan making requirements of

hazard insurance are met by loan

applicants. See §§ 303(c), 312(c), and

321(b) of the Act.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information
4216 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 18 /Wednesday, January 28, 1998 / Notices

is estimated to average 29 minutes per

response.

Respondents: Individuals or

households, businesses or other for

profit and farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

20,391.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 9,944 hours.

Title: 7 CFR 1951–L, Servicing Cases

Where Unauthorized Loan or Other

Assistance Was Received.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0160.

Expiration Date: March 31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of

Currently Approved Information

Collection.

Abstract: FSA encounters cases where

unauthorized assistance was received by

a borrower. This assistance may be a

loan where the recipient did not meet

the eligibility requirements set forth in

statute or program regulations, or both,

or where the borrower qualified for loan

assistance but a lower subsidized

interest rate was charged on the loan,

resulting in the borrower’s receipt of

unauthorized interest subsidy benefits.

The unauthorized assistance may also

be in the form of loan servicing where

a borrower received an excessive writedown or write-off of their debt. The

information collected under this

regulation is provided on a voluntary

basis by the borrower, although failure

to cooperate to correct loan accounts

may result in liquidation of the loan.

The information to be collected will

primarily be financial data such as

amount of income, farm operating

expenses, depreciation, crop yields, etc.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 4 hours per

response.

Respondents: Individuals or

households, businesses or other for

profit and farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

105.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 420 hours.

Title: 7 CFR 1965–A, ‘‘Servicing of

Real Estate Security for Farmer Program

Loans and Certain Note-Only Cases.’’

OMB Control Number: 0560–0158.

Expiration Date: March 31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of

Currently Approved Information

Collection.

Abstract: This regulation promulgates

provisions of sections 331 and 335 of

the Act (7 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1985).

Section 331, of the Act, in part,

authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture

to modify, subordinate and release

terms of security instruments, leases,

contracts, and agreements entered into

by FSA. That section also authorizes

transfers of security property as the

Secretary deems necessary to carry out

the purpose of the loan or protect the

Government’s financial interest. Section

335 of the Act provides servicing

authority for real estate security;

operation or lease of realty, disposition

of property; conveyance of real property

interest of the United States; easements;

and condemnations. The information

collection required by this subpart

relates to a program benefit recipient or

loan borrower requesting action on

security which they own, which was

purchased with FSA loan funds,

improved with FSA loan funds or has

otherwise been mortgaged to the Agency

to secure a government loan. The

information to be collected will

primarily be financial data not already

on file, such as borrower asset values.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average .42 hours per

response.

Respondents: Individuals or

households, businesses or other for

profit and farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

15,263.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 6,465 hours.

Title: 7 CFR part 1951, subpart F—

Analyzing Credit Needs and Graduation

of Borrowers.

OMB Control Number: 0575–0093.

Expiration Date: March 31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of

Currently Approved Information

Collection.

Abstract: This regulation is currently

shared by FSA, RHS, and RBS. Section

333 of the Act and § 502 of the Housing

Act of 1949, as amended, require the

Agencies to graduate their direct loan

borrowers to other credit when they are

able to do so. Graduation is an integral

part of Agency lending, as Government

loans are not meant to be extended

beyond a borrower’s need for subsidized

rates or non-market terms. The notes,

security instruments, or loan agreements

of most borrowers require borrowers to

refinance their Agency loans when other

credit becomes available at reasonable

rates and terms. If a borrower finds

other credit is not available at

reasonable rates and terms, the Agency

will continue to review the borrower for

possible graduation at periodic

intervals. Also, § 333A(f) of the Act (7

U.S.C. 1983a(f)) requires the Agency to

provide a financial prospectus to

lenders who may be interested in

providing guaranteed and nonguaranteed credit to the FSA’s direct

farm loan borrowers. The information to

be collected to carry out these mandates

will primarily be financial data such as

amount of income, farm operating

expenses, asset values, and liabilities.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 2.85 hours per

response.

Respondents: Individuals or

households, businesses or other for

profit and farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

69,781.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 199,020.

Title: 7 CFR part 1941, Subpart A—

Operating Loan Policies, Procedures and

Authorizations.

OMB Control Number: 0560–0162.

Expiration Date: March 31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of

Currently Approved Information

Collection.

Abstract: Section 311 of the Act (7

U.S.C. 1941) requires that an applicant

for an FSA farm operating loan be a

citizen of the United States, possess the

legal capacity to incur the loan

obligation, have training and experience

sufficient to assure reasonable prospects

of success in the proposed farm

operation, be an operator of not larger

than a family farm, be unable to obtain

sufficient credit elsewhere, and not have

received a direct operating loan in 6 or

fewer years. Section 373 of the Act also

generally prohibits the Secretary from

making or guaranteeing a farm loan to

a borrower who has received debt

forgiveness on such a loan. The Debt

Collection Improvement Act (31 U.S.C.

§ 3720B(a)) further generally precludes

an agency from making a loan to a

borrower who to a person who is

delinquent on any Federal debt. Also,

FSA loan approval officials must

determine that adequate security and

repayment ability for the loan are

available, and that funds are used only

for those purposes authorized by law.

Reporting requirements to ensure

compliance with these eligibility

requirements are imposed on the public

by regulations set out in 7 CFR part

1941, subpart A.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average .21 hours per

response.

Respondents: Individuals or

households, businesses or other for

profit and farms.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 18 /Wednesday, January 28, 1998 / Notices 4217

Estimated Number of Respondents:

56,170.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 11,673 hours.

Comments

The Agencies are soliciting comments

on the burden of all of the above

subparts 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. These

comments should be sent to Phillip

Elder, Senior Loan Officer, USDA, FSA,

Farm Loan Programs, Loan Servicing

Division, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW., STOP 0523, Washington, DC

20250–0523.

Copies of the information collections

may be obtained from Mr. Elder at the

above address. Comments regarding

paperwork burden will be summarized

and included in the request for OMB

approval of the information collection.

All comments will also become a matter

of public record.

Signed in Washington, DC, on January 20,

1998.

Bruce R. Weber,

Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.

Jan E. Shadburn,

Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

Dayton J. Watkins,

Administrator, Rural Business—Cooperative

Service.

[FR Doc. 98–2054 Filed 1–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–U

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Committee of Scientists Meeting

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: A meeting of the Committee

of Scientists is scheduled for February

12–13, 1998, in Seattle, Washington.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss

planning issues concerning the National

Forests in the Pacific Northwest

(Washington and Oregon) and Alaska

Regions; to meet with representatives

from federal, state, and tribal

organizations, to share information and

ideas about Committee members’

assignments; to continue discussions on

the scientific principles underlying land

and resource management; and to

conduct any other Committee business

that may arise. The meeting is open to

the public.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for

February 12–13 in Seattle, Washington.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the University Plaza Hotel, 400 NE 45th

Street, Seattle, Washington.

Written comments on improving land

and resource management planning may

be sent to the Committee of Scientists,

P.O. Box 2140, Corvallis, OR 97339.

Also the Committee may be accessed via

the Internet at www.cof.orst.edu./org/

scicomm/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bob Cunningham, Designated Federal

Official to the Committee of Scientists,

telephone: 202–205–2494.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

February 12, the Committee of Scientists

meeting will begin at 8 a.m. and end at

7 p.m. On February 13, the meeting will

begin at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m.

Citizens may address the Committee,

February 12, beginning at 4 p.m., to

present ideas on how to improve

National Forest System land and

resource management planning. Citizens

who wish to speak must register at the

meeting before 4 p.m. Each speaker will

be limited to a maximum of 5 minutes.

Persons may also submit written

suggestions to the Committee at the

meeting or by mail at the addresses

listed under the Addresses heading.

The Committee of Scientists is

chartered to provide scientific and

technical advice to the Secretary of

Agriculture and the Chief of the Forest

Service on improvements that can be

made to the National Forest System land

and resource management planning

process (62 FR 43691); August 15,

1997). Notice of the names of the

appointed Committee members was

published December 16, 1997 (62 FR

65795). Agendas and locations for future

meetings will be published as separate

notices in the Federal Register.

Dated: January 22, 1998.

Robert C. Joslin,

Deputy Chief for National Forest System.

[FR Doc. 98–2044 Filed 1–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Willamette Provincial Interagency

Executive Committee (PIEC), Advisory

Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Willamette PAC

Committee will meet on Thursday,

February 19, 1998, at the Courtyard By

Marriott, 3443 Hutton Street,

Springfield, Oregon 97477; phone (541)

726–2121. The PAC Committee meeting

is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. to

approximately 3:00 p.m. The tentative

agenda includes: (1) Riparian Reserves,

(2) Update on Province LateSuccessional Reserve Assessment, (3)

Update from Interagency Advisory

Committee Staff, (4) Decision on

response to 1997 Monitoring results,

and (5) Public Forum.

The public forum is tentatively

scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. Time

allotted for individual presentations

will be limited to 3 minutes. Written

comments are encouraged. Written

comments may be submitted prior to the

meeting by sending them to Designated

Federal Official Neal Forrester at the

address given below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

more information regarding this

meeting, contact Designated Federal

Official Neal Forrester, Willamette

National Forest, 211 East Seventh

Avenue, Eugene, Oregon 97401; (541)

465–6924.

Dated: January 22, 1998.

Herbert L. Wick,

Natural Resources Staff Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–2001 Filed 1–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business—Cooperative Service

Maximum Portion of Guarantee

Authority Available for Fiscal Year

1998

AGENCY: Rural Business—Cooperative

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: As set forth in the final rule

under 7 CFR part 4279, subpart B, each

fiscal year the Agency shall establish a

limit on the maximum portion of

guarantee authority available for that

fiscal year that may be used to guarantee

loans with a guarantee fee of 1 percent

or guaranteed loans with a guarantee

percentage exceeding 80 percent.