33208 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Notices 

1To view the final rule, go to 

www.regulations.gov and enter APHIS–2018–0034 

in the Search field. 

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 Conservation 

Service 

Title: Long Term Contracting. 

OMB Control Number: 0578–0013. 

Summary of Collection: The Long 

Term Contracting regulations at 7 CFR 

part 630, and the Conservation program 

regulations at 7 CFR 624, 625, 701 set 

forth the basic policies, program 

provisions, and eligibility requirements 

for owners and operators to enter into 

and carry out long-term conservation 

program contracts with technical 

assistance under the various program. 

These programs are administered by the 

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

(NRCS). These programs authorize 

federal technical and financial longterm cost sharing assistance for 

conservation treatment with eligible 

land users and entities. Under the terms 

of the agreement, the participant agrees 

to apply, or arrange to apply, the 

conservation treatment specified in the 

conservation plan. In return for this 

agreement, Federal financial assistance 

payments are made to the land user, or 

third party, upon successful application 

of the conservation treatment. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

NRCS will collect information using 

several NRCS forms. The forms are 

needed to administer NRCS long-term 

contracting programs as authorized. 

NRCS uses the information to ensure the 

proper utilization of program funds. 

Description of Respondents: 

Individuals or households; Farms; Notfor-profit institutions; State, Local or 

Tribal Government. 

Number of Respondents: 5,560. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting; 

Annually, Other (As required). 

Total Burden Hours: 3,085. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13258 Filed 6–23–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2019–0084] 

Agrivida, Inc.; Availability of a Draft 

Plant Pest Risk Assessment, Draft 

Environmental Assessment, 

Preliminary Determination, and 

Preliminary Finding of No Significant 

Impact for Determination of 

Nonregulated Status of Maize 

Developed Using Genetic Engineering 

for the Production of Phytase Enzyme 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service has prepared a 

preliminary determination of status, 

draft plant pest risk assessment, draft 

environmental assessment, and 

preliminary finding of no significant 

impact regarding a request from 

Agrivida, Inc., seeking a determination 

of nonregulated status for PY203 maize 

that has been developed using genetic 

engineering for the production of 

phytase enzyme. We are making these 

documents available for public review 

and comment. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before July 26, 

2021. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS– 

2019–0084 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–2019–0084, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

The preliminary determination of 

status, draft environmental assessment, 

draft plant pest risk assessment, 

preliminary determination, preliminary 

finding of no significant impact, and 

any comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at www.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. 

Supporting documents for this 

petition are also available on the APHIS 

website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 

aphis/ourfocus/biotechnology/permitsnotifications-petitions/petitions/ 

petition-status. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Cindy Eck, Biotechnology Regulatory 

Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 

147, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 

851–3892, email: cynthia.a.eck@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

authority of the plant pest provisions of 

the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 

et seq.), the regulations in 7 CFR part 

340, ‘‘Movement of Organisms Modified 

or Produced Through Genetic 

Engineering,’’ regulate, among other 

things, the importation, interstate 

movement, or release into the 

environment of organisms modified or 

produced through genetic engineering 

that are plant pests or pose a plausible 

plant pest risk. 

The petition for nonregulated status 

described in this notice is being 

evaluated under the version of the 

regulations effective at the time that it 

was received. The Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

issued a final rule, published in the 

Federal Register on May 18, 2020 (85 

FR 29790–29838, Docket No. APHIS– 

2018–0034),1 revising 7 CFR part 340; 

however, the final rule is being 

implemented in phases. The new 

Regulatory Status Review (RSR) process, 

which replaces the petition for 

determination of nonregulated status 

process, became effective on April 5, 

2021 for corn, soybean, cotton, potato, 

tomato, and alfalfa. The RSR process is 

effective for all crops as of October 1, 

2021. However, ‘‘[u]ntil RSR is available 

for a particular crop. . .APHIS will 

continue to receive petitions for 

determination of nonregulated status for 

the crop in accordance with the [legacy] 

regulations at 7 CFR 340.6.’’ (85 FR 

29815). This petition for a 

determination of nonregulated status is 

being evaluated in accordance with the 

regulations at 7 CFR 340.6 (2020) as it 

was received by APHIS on June 25, 

2019. 

Agrivida, Inc. (Agrivida) has 

submitted a petition (APHIS Petition 

Number 19–176–01p) to APHIS seeking 

a determination of nonregulated status 

under 7 CFR part 340, for PY203 maize 

that has been developed using genetic 

engineering for the production of 

phytase enzyme. The petition states that 

such maize is unlikely to pose a plant 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Notices 33209 

2On March 6, 2012, APHIS published in the 

Federal Register (77 FR 13258–13260, Docket No. 

APHIS–2011–0129) a notice describing our public 

review process for soliciting public comments and 

information when considering petitions for 

determinations of nonregulated status for organisms 

developed using genetic engineering. To view the 

notice, go to www.regulations.gov and enter APHIS– 

2011–0129 in the Search field. 

3To view the notice, its supporting documents, 

and the comments that we received, go to 

www.regulations.gov and enter APHIS–2019–0084 

in the Search field. 

4Maize is the botanical term used globally for the 

cereal plant Zea mays. In the United States maize 

is commonly referred to as corn. Both terms are 

used interchangeably in this document. 

pest risk and, therefore, should not be 

regulated under APHIS’ regulations in 7 

CFR part 340. 

According to our process 2 for 

soliciting public comment when 

considering petitions for determination 

of nonregulated status of organisms 

developed using genetic engineering, 

APHIS accepts written comments 

regarding a petition once APHIS deems 

the petition complete. On April 16, 

2020, APHIS announced in the Federal 

Register 3 (85 FR 21170–21171, Docket 

No. APHIS–2019–0084) the availability 

of the Agrivida petition for public 

comment. APHIS solicited comments on 

the petition for 60 days ending June 15, 

2020. 

APHIS received 13 comments during 

the comment period. They were from 

the agricultural, academic, and private 

sectors. Eleven comments were in 

support of Agrivida’s petition, while 

two expressed objections to crops 

developed or modified through genetic 

engineering in general. 

After public comments are received 

on a completed petition, APHIS 

evaluates those comments and then 

provides a second opportunity for 

public involvement in our decisionmaking process. According to our public 

review process (see footnote 2), the 

second opportunity for public 

involvement follows one of two 

approaches, as described below. 

If APHIS decides, based on its review 

of the petition and its evaluation and 

analysis of comments received during 

the 60-day public comment period on 

the petition, that the petition involves 

an organism that raises no substantive 

new issues, APHIS will follow 

Approach 1 for public involvement. 

Under Approach 1, APHIS prepares and 

announces in the Federal Register the 

availability of APHIS’ preliminary 

regulatory determination along with its 

draft EA, preliminary finding of no 

significant impact (FONSI), and its draft 

plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) for a 

30-day public review period. APHIS 

will evaluate any information received 

related to the petition and its supporting 

documents during the 30-day public 

review period. If APHIS determines that 

no substantive information has been 

received that would warrant APHIS 

altering its preliminary regulatory 

determination or FONSI, or 

substantially change the analysis of 

impacts in the EA, our preliminary 

regulatory determination will become 

final and effective upon notification of 

the public through an announcement on 

our website. No further Federal Register 

notice will be published announcing the 

final regulatory determination. 

Under Approach 2, if APHIS decides, 

based on its review of the petition and 

its evaluation and analysis of comments 

received during the 60-day public 

comment period on the petition, that the 

petition involves an organism that raises 

substantive new issues, APHIS first 

solicits written comments from the 

public on a draft EA and draft PPRA for 

a 30-day comment period through the 

publication of a Federal Register notice. 

Then, after reviewing and evaluating the 

comments on the draft EA and draft 

PPRA and other information, APHIS 

will revise the draft PPRA as necessary. 

It will then prepare a final EA, and 

based on the final EA, a National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

decision document (either a FONSI or a 

notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement). 

For this petition, we will be following 

Approach 1. 

As part of our decision-making 

process regarding an organism’s 

regulatory status, APHIS prepared a 

PPRA to assess the plant pest risk of the 

organism, and an EA to evaluate 

potential impacts on the human 

environment. This will provide the 

Agency and the public with a review 

and analysis of any potential 

environmental impacts that may result 

if the petition request is approved. 

APHIS’ draft PPRA compared the pest 

risk posed by the Maize Event PY203 

with that of the unmodified variety from 

which it was derived. The draft PPRA 

concluded that PY203 maize is unlikely 

to pose an increased plant pest risk 

compared to the unmodified corn.4

The draft EA evaluated potential 

impacts that may result from the 

commercial production of PY203 maize, 

to include potential impacts on 

conventional and organic corn 

production; the acreage and area 

required for U.S. corn production; 

agronomic practices and inputs; the 

physical environment; biological 

resources; human health and worker 

safety; animal health and welfare; and 

socioeconomic impacts. No significant 

impacts were identified with the 

production and marketing of PY203 

maize. 

The draft EA was prepared in 

accordance with (1) NEPA, as amended 

(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (2) regulations 

of the Council on Environmental 

Quality for implementing the 

procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 

parts 1500–1508), (3) USDA regulations 

implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), 

and (4) APHIS’ NEPA Implementing 

Procedures (7 CFR part 372). 

We are making available for a 30-day 

review period our preliminary 

determination, draft EA, preliminary 

FONSI, and draft PPRA. The 

preliminary determination, draft EA, 

preliminary FONSI, and draft PPRA are 

available as indicated under ADDRESSES

and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

above. Copies of these documents may 

also be obtained from the person listed 

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

After the 30-day review period closes, 

APHIS will review and evaluate any 

information received during the 30-day 

review period. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781– 

7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 

371.3. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 15th day of 

June 2021. 

Michael Watson, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13341 Filed 6–23–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation 

[Docket No. FCIC–21–0006] 

Notice of Request for Renewal and 

Revision of the Currently Approved 

Information Collection 

AGENCY: Federal Crop Insurance 

Corporation, USDA. 

ACTION: Renewal and revision of the 

currently approved information 

collection. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Risk 

Management Agency (RMA) are 

requesting comments from all interested 

individuals and organizations on a 

revision of a currently approved 

paperwork package associated with the 

Acreage and Crop Reporting 

Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI). 

DATES: Written comments on this notice 

will be accepted until close of business 

August 23, 2021. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES