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

94701 

Vol. 89, No. 230 

Friday, November 29, 2024 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Notice of Intent To Request Revision 

and Extension of a Currently Approved 

Information Collection 

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intention of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

(NASS) to request revision and 

extension of a currently approved 

information collection, the Cold Storage 

Survey. Revisions to burden hours will 

be needed due to changes in the size of 

the target population, updated data 

collection plan, and the estimated 

average burden minutes to compete 

each questionnaire. The questionnaires 

have had some minor modifications to 

accommodate changes in the products 

stored by the industry, and to make the 

questionnaires easier to complete. The 

target population of cold storage 

operators (both mandatory and 

voluntary samples) will be contacted for 

this data on a monthly basis. The 

capacity survey is conducted once every 

other year of all operations with 

refrigerated storage capacity. Most of 

these surveys are voluntary; the one 

exception is for operations that store 

certain manufactured dairy products 

that are required by Public Law 106–532 

and 107–171 to respond. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by January 28, 2025 to be 

assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by docket number 0535–0001, 

by any of the following methods: 

• Email: ombofficer@nass.usda.gov.

Include docket number above in the 

subject line of the message. 

• E-fax: (855) 838–6382.

• Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD–

ROM submissions to: Richard Hopper, 

NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 

South Building, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

2024. 

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand

deliver to: Richard Hopper, NASS 

Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Room 5336 South Building, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joseph J. Prusacki, Associate 

Administrator, National Agricultural 

Statistics Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 202–720–4333. Copies of 

this information collection and related 

instructions can be obtained without 

charge from Richard Hopper, NASS— 

OMB Clearance Officer, at 202–720– 

2206 or at ombofficer@nass.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Cold Storage Survey. 

OMB Control Number: 0535–0001. 

Expiration Date of Approval: May 31, 

2025. 

Type of Request: To revise and extend 

a currently approved information 

collection for a period of three years. 

Abstract: The primary objective of the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

(NASS) is to collect, prepare, and issue 

State and national estimates of crop and 

livestock production, prices, and 

disposition; as well as economic 

statistics, environmental statistics 

related to agriculture and also to 

conduct the Census of Agriculture. 

The monthly Cold Storage Survey 

provides information on national 

supplies of food commodities in 

refrigerated storage facilities. A biennial 

survey of refrigerated warehouse 

capacity is also conducted to provide a 

benchmark of the capacity available for 

refrigerated storage of the nation’s food 

supply. Information on stocks of food 

commodities that are in refrigerated 

facilitates have a major impact on the 

price, marketing, processing, and 

distribution of agricultural products. 

Authority: These data will be 

collected under authority of 7 U.S.C. 

2204(a). Individually identifiable data 

collected under this authority are 

governed by Section 1770 of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 as amended, 7 

U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to 

afford strict confidentiality to nonaggregated data provided by 

respondents. This notice is submitted in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104–13) 

and Office of Management and Budget 

regulations at 5 CFR part 1320. 

All NASS employees and NASS 

contractors must also fully comply with 

all provisions of the Confidential 

Information Protection and Statistical 

Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2018, Title 

III of Public Law 115–435, codified in 

44 U.S.C. Ch. 35. CIPSEA supports 

NASS’s pledge of confidentiality to all 

respondents and facilitates the agency’s 

efforts to reduce burden by supporting 

statistical activities of collaborative 

agencies through designation of NASS 

agents, subject to the limitations and 

penalties described in CIPSEA. 

Most of these surveys are voluntary; 

the one exception is for operations that 

store certain manufactured dairy 

products that are required by Public 

Law 106–532 and 107–171 to respond. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this information collection is 

based on two individual surveys with 

expected responses of 15–30 minutes. 

The Refrigerated Capacity Survey is 

conducted once every two years, the 

Cold Storage survey is conducted 

monthly. 

Respondents: Refrigerated storage 

facilities. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

1,600. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: With an estimated 

response rate of approximately 85%, we 

estimate the burden to be 5,200 hours. 

Copies of this information collection 

and related instructions can be obtained 

without charge from Richard Hopper, 

NASS Clearance Officer, at (202) 720– 

2206. 

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, through

the use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, technological, or


khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES
94702 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 230 / Friday, November 29, 2024 / Notices 

other forms of information technology 

collection methods. 

All responses to this notice will 

become a matter of public record and be 

summarized in the request for OMB 

approval. 

Signed at Washington, DC, November 5, 

2024. 

Joseph J. Prusacki, 

Associate Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28065 Filed 11–27–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–20–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2024–0052] 

Notice of Request for Approval of an 

Information Collection; Study of 

Human Behavior and Attitudes Linked 

to Human-Deer Transmission of 

SARS–CoV–2 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: New 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 an approval of a new 

information collection associated with a 

study to understand human behavior 

and attitudes linked to human-deer 

transmission of SARS–CoV–2. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before January 28, 

2025. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS– 

2024–0052 in the Search field. Select 

the Documents tab, then select the 

Comment button in the list of 

documents. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2024–0052, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

2C–10.16, 4700 River Road, Unit 25, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at regulations.gov or in 

our reading room, which is located in 

Room 1620 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) 799–7039 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on this human-deer 

transmission of SARS–CoV–2 study, 

contact Dr. Keith Carlisle, Supervisory 

Social Scientist/Human Dimensions 

Unit Leader, National Wildlife Research 

Center, WS, APHIS, 4101 La Porte Ave, 

Fort Collins, CO 80521; (970) 266–6047; 

email: keith.m.carlisle@usda.gov. For 

more information on the information 

collection process, contact Mr. Joseph 

Moxey, APHIS’ Paperwork Reduction 

Act Coordinator; (301) 851–2533; email 

joseph.moxey@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Study of Human Behavior and 

Attitudes Linked to Human-Deer 

Transmission of SARS–CoV–2. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–XXXX. 

Type of Request: Approval of a new 

information collection. 

Abstract: Under the Act of March 2, 

1931 (7 U.S.C. 8351), the Secretary of 

Agriculture is authorized to conduct a 

program of wildlife services with 

respect to injurious animal species and 

take any action the Secretary considers 

necessary in conducting the program. 

Additionally, the Secretary of 

Agriculture is authorized to conduct 

activities to control nuisance mammals 

and birds (except for urban rodent 

control) and those mammals and bird 

species that are reservoirs for zoonotic 

disease. This authority has been 

delegated to the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS’) 

Wildlife Services (WS). Two 

responsibilities of the Deputy 

Administrator of WS are to assist 

Federal, State, local, and foreign 

agencies and individuals with regard to 

wildlife damage and control and 

conduct research to develop wildlife 

damage management methods (7 CFR 

371.6). 

There has been spillover and 

sustained transmission of SARS–CoV–2 

(SCV2) among animal populations, and 

this has raised significant questions 

regarding the potential establishment of 

disease reservoirs among wildlife 

species. SCV2 infection has been 

observed in white-tailed deer (WTD) 

populations across much of the United 

States, suggesting that deer may serve as 

a vector and potential reservoir for the 

disease. While experts suggest humanto-deer transmission is likely, the 

activities or factors that facilitate 

transmission have yet to be identified. 

Experts suggest that human behaviors 

likely contribute to the direct and 

indirect transmission pathways between 

humans and WTD. Previous research 

highlights direct contact (feeding or 

touching) or aerosol transmission 

(interacting in close proximity) as likely 

routes of spillover. However, indirect 

transmission through fomites (use of 

attractants, leaving out feed for wildlife, 

trash/refuse) or environmental 

contamination (waste, septic or 

wastewater overflow) cannot be 

dismissed. 

Little research has been done to 

explore the nuances of human-deer 

interactions relevant to SCV2 

transmission. Understanding the 

perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of 

community groups relevant to SCV2 

spillover and spillback is a pivotal 

aspect of managing and mitigating 

current and future threats. While 

previous research has explored human 

dimensions aspects related to deer 

management, it is often done in the 

context of rural communities or through 

the lens of consumptive use, such as 

hunting. Further exploration of humandeer interactions among a larger 

diversity of stakeholders and within the 

specific context of disease management 

is needed. 

For this study, APHIS has established 

a cooperative agreement with the 

University of Minnesota to administer 

quantitative surveys among members of 

the public in five States (Illinois, 

Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, 

and Tennessee). The survey will collect 

data concerning the values, beliefs, 

attitudes, and behaviors associated with 

humans’ interactions with WTD. This 

information will provide critical data to 

inform future disease surveillance, 

mitigation strategies, and policies aimed 

at curtailing SCV2 transmission between 

humans and WTD. This information 

will be useful for informing future 

disease surveillance and management 

efforts by providing in-depth analysis of 

the social and cognitive drivers of 

human-deer interactions. 

The information collection activity 

associated with this study consists of a 

multi-item questionnaire administered 

to members of the public with primary 

residence in the States of Illinois, 

Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, or 

Tennessee. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of this information 

collection activity 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 


khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES