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

18683 

Vol. 74, No. 78 

Friday, April 24, 2009 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Civil Rights 

Request for an Extension to a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice 

announces the Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights’ (OASCR) 

intention to request approval from the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for an extension of the currently 

approved information collection for the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/ 

1994 Tribal Scholars Program. 

As required by Departmental 

Regulation 1350–001, Tribal 

Consultations, (Consultation on 

Regulations) has been met in a 

meaningful and timely manner. The 

partnership between USDA and Tribal 

Colleges and Universities (TCU) is 

defined by a Memorandum of 

Agreement (MOA) signed on February 6, 

2008, between USDA and the American 

Indian Higher Education Consortium 

(AIHEC). This MOA convenes USDA 

Mission Area leadership, TCU 

Presidents and AIHEC to jointly develop 

the USDA/1994 Program Office and its 

programs, to include the Tribal Scholars 

Program. USDA has presented its 

proposals for the Tribal Scholars 

Program to Indian tribal leaders through 

the invitation of the National Congress 

of American Indians in 2008 and to TCU 

president members of the USDA/AIHEC 

Leadership Group, most recently in 

2009 and beginning in 2005. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by June 23, 2009 to be assured 

of consideration. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: 

Contact Lawrence Shorty, Director, 

USDA/1994 Program, OASCR, USDA, 

1400 Independence Ave., SW., 

Washington, DC 20250; phone (202) 

720–1772: fax: (202) 205–3831. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: USDA/1994 Tribal Scholars 

Program. 

OMB Number: 0503–0016. 

Expiration Date of Approval: August 

31, 2009. 

Type of Request: Extension to the 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: The purpose of the USDA/ 

1994 Tribal Scholars Program is to 

strengthen the long-term partnership 

between USDA and the 1994 LandGrant TCUs to increase the number of 

students studying and graduating in the 

food, agriculture, and natural resources 

and other related fields of study, and 

offer career opportunities to increase the 

pool of scientists and professionals to 

annually fill 50,000 jobs in the food, 

agricultural, and natural resources 

system. 

This partnership effort is a joint 

human capital initiative between USDA 

and the Nation’s thirty-two 1994 LandGrant TCUs. This employment program 

offers a combination of work experience 

and academic study leading to career 

positions within USDA through a 

Student Career Experience Program 

(SCEP) designed to integrate classroom 

study with paid work experience. The 

program is conducted in accordance 

with a planned schedule and a working 

agreement between USDA agencies, the 

student, and the Land-Grant Institution. 

Summary of Collection: The USDA/ 

1994 Tribal Scholars Program 

Application will request from 

applicants information such as the 

following: biographical information; 

educational background; an official high 

school or college transcript; declaration 

of major, re ́sume ́, schools attended in 

the last 4 years; advanced or special 

programs; courses or summer courses 

taken; name of the 1994 TCU in which 

the student wishes to enroll; course of 

study the applicant wishes to pursue; 

type of scholarship support the 

applicant is applying for (1-year, 2-year; 

3-year or 4-year scholarship support); 

whether the applicant is currently 

enrolled in or is planning to enroll in an 

Associate Degree (2-year) program with 

no plans to continue to a Bachelor’s 

Degree; whether the applicant intends to 

transfer to a 4-year Bachelor’s Degree 

program and in what course of study; 

whether there is a desire to obtain a 

Master’s or higher degree; activities 

participated in outside of school; 

volunteer services or jobs held during 

last 3 years, including summer 

employment; a 500–800 word essay 

describing how the applicant became 

interested in studying food, agricultural, 

and related natural resources sciences or 

another related discipline in college; 

how USDA will benefit if the applicant 

is selected for the USDA/1994 Tribal 

Scholars Program; what motivated the 

applicant to consider a public service 

career working for USDA; information 

about the applicant’s educational and 

career goals, and how the scholarship 

may assist the applicant to achieve 

educational and career goals. 

The application requests two letters of 

recommendation that comment on the 

applicant’s personal strengths, 

leadership qualities, academic and 

extracurricular achievements, and 

future academic and career goals from 

previous school counselors, teachers, 

principals, or current or previous 

employers for applicants who are 

entering freshmen 0–2 years out of high 

school or entering freshmen who are 

General Educational Development 

earners. 

If selected, student must sign up for 

the SCEP; furnish course registration at 

the start of each school term; provide 

verification of academic status at the 

end of each academic term (grade report 

or transcript); must meet academic 

standards as set forth by the school they 

are attending; maintain satisfactory 

progress in completing academic 

requirements, and demonstrate 

satisfactory performance and conduct. 

Students will be required to complete 

all academic requirements for the target 

position as stipulated by the Office of 

Personnel Management Qualification 

Standards. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

information is needed for identifying 

applicants that match the human capital 

needs of USDA agencies from 1994 

Land-Grant Institutions through SCEP 

and an award of an annually reviewed 

and renewed scholarship at a LandGrant Institution with the objective of 

preparing the student for successful 

placement into the USDA’s permanent 

workforce. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

18684 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 1.2 hours per 

response. 

Type of Respondents: Individuals 

attending or interested in attending 

1994 Land Grant Institutions, teachers, 

principals, and guidance counselors. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

480. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

1440. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 3. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 4320. 

Comments are invited on: (1) 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; (2) 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; (3) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments may be sent to Lawrence 

Shorty, Director, USDA/1994 Program, 

OASCR, USDA, 1400 Independence 

Ave., SW., Mail Stop 9577, Washington, 

DC 20250. All comments received will 

be available for public inspection during 

regular business hours at the same 

address. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

become a matter of public record. 

Lawrence Shorty, 

Director, USDA/1994 Program, Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture. 

[FR Doc. E9–9288 Filed 4–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

April 21, 2009. 

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), 

OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or 

fax (202) 395–5806 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) 720–8958. 

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. 

Natural Resources and Conservation 

Service 

Title: Volunteer Program—Earth 

Team. 

OMB Control Number: 0578–0024. 

Summary of Collection: Volunteers 

have been a valuable human resource to 

the Natural Resources Conservation 

Service (NRCS) since 1985. NRCS is 

authorized by the Federal Personnel 

Manual (FPM) Supplement 296–33, 

Subchapter 22, to recruit, train and 

accept, with regard to Civil Service 

classification law, rules, or regulations, 

the service of individuals to serve 

without compensation. Volunteers may 

assist in any agency program/project 

and may perform any activities which 

agency employees are allowed to do. 

Volunteers must be 14 years of age. 

NRCS will collect information using 

NRCS forms. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

NRCS will collect information on the 

type of skills and type of work the 

volunteers are interested in doing. 

NRCS will also collect information to 

implement and evaluate the 

effectiveness of the volunteer program. 

Without the information, NRCS would 

not know which individuals are 

interested in volunteering. 

Description of Respondents: 

Individuals or households; Business or 

other for-profit; Not-for-profit 

institutions; State, Local, or Tribal 

Government. 

Number of Respondents: 16,100. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Biennially. 

Total Burden Hours: 528. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. E9–9437 Filed 4–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

April 21, 2009. 

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), 

OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or 

fax (202) 395–5806 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) 720–8958. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES