10222 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 10, 2009 / Notices 

comment refers to Docket No. APHIS– 

2009–0001. 

Reading Room: You may read any 

comments that we receive on this 

docket in our reading room. The reading 

room is located in room 1141 of the 

USDA South Building, 14th Street and 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC. Normal reading room 

hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except holidays. To be 

sure someone is there to help you, 

please call (202) 690–2817 before 

coming. 

Other Information: Additional 

information about APHIS and its 

programs is available on the Internet at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the National Animal 

Health Reporting System, contact Ms. 

Sandra Warnken, Program and 

Management Analyst, Centers for 

Epidemiology and Animal Health, VS, 

APHIS, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building B 

MS 2E6, Fort Collins, CO 80526; (970) 

494–7193 For copies of more detailed 

information on the information 

collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, 

APHIS Information Collection 

Coordinator, at (301) 851–2908. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: National Animal Health 

Reporting System. 

OMB Number: 0579–0299. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: Under the Animal Health 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), 

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) is authorized, among 

other things, to prohibit or restrict the 

importation and interstate movement of 

animals and other articles to prevent the 

introduction and interstate spread of 

livestock diseases and to eradicate such 

diseases from the United States when 

feasible. In connection with this 

mission, APHIS operates the National 

Animal Health Reporting System 

(NAHRS), which collects, on a national 

basis, data monthly from State 

veterinarians on the presence or absence 

of diseases of interest to the World 

Organization for Animal Health (OIE). 

As a member country of OIE, the 

United States must submit reports to the 

OIE on the status of certain diseases in 

specific livestock, poultry, and 

aquaculture species. Reportable diseases 

are diseases that have the potential for 

rapid spread, irrespective of national 

borders, that are of serious socioeconomic or public health consequence, 

and that are of major importance in the 

international trade of animals and 

animal products. The potential benefits 

to trade of accurate reporting on the 

health status of the U.S. commercial 

livestock, poultry, and aquaculture 

industries, include expansion of those 

industries into new export markets, and 

preservation of existing markets through 

increased confidence in quality and 

disease freedom. This data collection is 

unique in terms of the type, quantity, 

and frequency; no other entity is 

collecting and reporting data to the OIE 

on the health status of U.S. livestock, 

poultry, and aquaculture. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of this information 

collection activity for an additional 3 

years. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments from the public (as well as 

affected agencies) concerning our 

information collection. These comments 

will help us: 

(1) Evaluate 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; 

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the burden of the 

information collection, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; 

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

(4) Minimize the burden of the 

information collection on those who are 

to respond, through use, as appropriate, 

of automated, electronic, mechanical, 

and other collection technologies, e.g., 

permitting electronic submission of 

responses. 

Estimate of Burden: The public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 4 

hours per response. 

Respondents: State veterinarians. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Respondents: 50. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses per Respondent: 12. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses: 600. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 2,400 hours. (Due to 

averaging, the total annual burden hours 

may not equal the product of the annual 

number of responses multiplied by the 

reporting burden per response.) 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of 

March 2009. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–5030 Filed 3–9–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2008–0137] 

Notice of Request for Approval of an 

Information Collection; Plant 

Protection and Quarantine; Official 

Control Program 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Approval of an information 

collection; comment request. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s intention to 

request approval of an information 

collection associated with Federal 

recognition of a State’s plant pest 

control or eradication program as an 

official control program. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before May 11, 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ 

component/ 

main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS2008–0137 to submit or view comments 

and to view supporting and related 

materials available electronically. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send two copies of your comment 

to Docket No. APHIS–2008–0137, 

Regulatory Analysis and Development, 

PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 

River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1238. Please state that your 

comment refers to Docket No. APHIS– 

2008–0137. 

Reading Room: You may read any 

comments that we receive on this 

docket in our reading room. The reading 

room is located in room 1141 of the 

USDA South Building, 14th Street and 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC. Normal reading room 

hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except holidays. To be 

sure someone is there to help you, 

please call (202) 690–2817 before 

coming. 

Other Information: Additional 

information about APHIS and its 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 10, 2009 / Notices 10223 

programs is available on the Internet at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the Official Control 

Program, contact Ms. Diane L. Schuble, 

National Coordinator for Official 

Control Programs, Emergency and 

Domestic Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 

River Road Unit 26, Riverdale, MD 

20737; (301) 734–8723. For copies of 

more detailed information on the 

information collection, contact Mrs. 

Celeste Sickles, APHIS’ Information 

Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851– 

2908. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Plant Protection and 

Quarantine; Official Control Program. 

OMB Number: 0579–XXXX. 

Type of Request: Approval of an 

information collection. 

Abstract: As authorized by the Plant 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), 

the Secretary of Agriculture may 

prohibit or restrict the importation, 

entry, exportation, or movement in 

interstate commerce of any plant, plant 

product, biological control organism, 

noxious weed, means of conveyance, or 

other article if the Secretary determines 

that the prohibition or restriction is 

necessary to prevent a plant pest or 

noxious weed from being introduced 

into or disseminated within the United 

States. This authority has been 

delegated to the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS). 

As part of this mission, APHIS’ Plant 

Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) 

program responds to introductions of 

plant pests to eradicate, suppress, or 

contain them through various programs 

to prevent the interstate spread of plant 

pests. APHIS’ plant pest control and 

eradication programs qualify as ‘‘official 

control programs,’’ as defined by the 

International Plant Protection 

Convention (IPPC), recognized by the 

World Trade Organization as the 

standard-setting body for international 

plant quarantine issues. ‘‘Official 

control’’ is defined as ‘‘the active 

enforcement of mandatory 

phytosanitary regulations and the 

application of mandatory phytosanitary 

procedures with the objective of 

eradication or containment of 

quarantine pests or for the management 

of regulated non-quarantine pests.’’ As a 

contracting party to the IPPC, the United 

States has agreed to observe IPPC 

principles as they relate to international 

trade. 

APHIS is aware that individual States 

enforce phytosanitary regulations and 

procedures within their borders to 

address pests of concern, and that those 

pests are not always also the subject of 

an APHIS response program or activity. 

To strengthen APHIS’ safeguarding 

system to protect agriculture and to 

facilitate agriculture trade through 

effective management of phytosanitary 

measures, APHIS plans to begin a 

process to allow a State to request 

Federal recognition of that State’s 

phytosanitary measures or activities as 

an ‘‘official control program’’ to restrict 

the spread of plant pests. Federal 

recognition of a State’s pest control 

activities will justify actions by Federal 

inspectors at ports of entry to help 

exclude pests under an official control 

program in a destination State. This 

process involves the use of information 

collection activities, including the 

submission by States of a protocol for 

quarantine pests of concern and a 

protocol for regulated non-quarantine 

pests. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of these information 

collection activities for 3 years. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments from the public (as well as 

affected agencies) concerning our 

information collection. These comments 

will help us: 

(1) Evaluate 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; 

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the burden of the collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

(4) Minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, through use, as 

appropriate, of automated, electronic, 

mechanical, and other collection 

technologies; e.g., permitting electronic 

submission of responses. 

Estimate of burden: The public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 80 

hours per response. 

Respondents: State plant health 

regulatory officials. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 53. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 25. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 1,325. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 106,000 hours. (Due to 

averaging, the total annual burden hours 

may not equal the product of the annual 

number of responses multiplied by the 

reporting burden per response.) 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of 

March 2009. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–5034 Filed 3–9–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2008–0143] 

Availability of an Environmental 

Assessment for a Biological Control 

Agent for Russian Thistle 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service has prepared an 

environmental assessment relative to 

the control of Russian thistle, Salsola 

tragus. The environmental assessment 

considers the effects of, and alternatives 

to, the release of a nonindigenous blister 

mite, Aceria salsolae, for the biological 

control of Russian thistle in the 

continental United States. We are 

making the environmental assessment 

available to the public for review and 

comment. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before April 9, 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

fdmspublic/component/ 

main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS– 

2008–0143 to submit or view comments 

and to view supporting and related 

materials available electronically. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send two copies of your comment 

to Docket No. APHIS–2008–0143, 

Regulatory Analysis and Development, 

PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 

River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1238. Please state that your 

comment refers to Docket No. APHIS– 

2008–0143. 

Reading Room: You may read any 

comments that we receive on the 

environmental assessment in our 

reading room. The reading room is 

located in room 1141 of the USDA