Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 6, 2001 / Notices 30403

from the government landowner to

apply the conservation practices. Land

that is federally recognized Tribal, BIA

allotted, or Indian trust land may be

considered for enrollment in SWCA.

Applicants must submit an

application (CCC—1200 form) to CCC to

be considered for participation in

SWCA. Any producer who has eligible

land may obtain and submit an

application for participation in SWCA at

an USDA service center. Producers who

are members of a joint operation shall

file a single application for the joint

operation. A NRCS conservationist will

work with the applicant to collect the

information necessary to evaluate the

application using the ranking criteria.

Conservation Plan Requirement

A conservation plan is required for

the area to be included in the SWCA

cost-share agreement and becomes the

basis for developing the cost share

agreement. The conservation plan must

be acceptable to NRCS; be approved by

the local conservation district; be signed

by the participant, designated

conservationist, and the conservation

district; and clearly identify the

conservation practices that will be cost

shared with SWCA funds and the noncost-shared practices needed in the

conservation plan.

Cost-Share Agreement Requirements

Participants will enter into a costshare agreement to implement eligible

conservation practices. A SWCA cost

share agreement will cover, as a

minimum, the eligible land that

influences, or is influenced by, the

conservation practices being installed,

and be for a duration of 5 to 10 years.

Cost-share agreements will

incorporate all provisions as required by

law or statute, including requirements

to not conduct any practices on the farm

or ranch unit of concern that would

tend to defeat the purposes of the costshare agreement; refund to CCC any

SWCA payments received, with interest,

and forfeit any future payments under

SWCA on the violation of a term or

condition of the cost-share agreement;

refund all SWCA payments received on

the transfer of the right and interest of

the producer in land subject to the costshare agreement, unless the transferee of

the right and interest agrees to assume

all obligations of the cost-share

agreement; and supply information as

required by CCC to determine

compliance with the cost-share

agreement and requirements of SWCA.

The participant and NRCS must certify

that a conservation practice is

completed in accordance with the costshare agreement before CCC will

approve any cost-share payments.

With respect to land under a SWCA

cost-share agreement which is inherited

during the cost share agreement period,

the $50,000 limitation per participant

will not apply to the extent that the

payments from any cost-share

agreements on the inherited land cause

an heir, who was party to a SWCA costshare agreement on other lands prior to

the inheritance, to exceed the limit.

With regard to cost-share agreements

on tribal land, Indian trust land, or BIA

allotted land, payments exceeding the

$50,000 limitation may be made to the

tribal venture if an official of the BIA or

tribal official certifies in writing that no

one participant directly or indirectly

will receive more than the limitation.

Conservation Practice Operation and

Maintenance

The cost-share agreement will provide

for the operation and maintenance of

the conservation practices applied

under the cost-share agreement. The

participant will operate and maintain

the conservation practices for their

intended purposes as agreed-to as part

of the cost-share agreement, and form

CCC—1245, Practice Approval and

Payment Application.

Additional Requirements and

Information

Additional requirements and

information pertaining to SWCA costshare agreements, administrative

requirements, and other matters can be

found on form CCC–1200, Conservation

Program Contract, and the appendix to

form CCC–1200, both of which are

available at local USDA service centers.

Civil Rights

NRCS and CCC have collected civil

rights data on farmers/ranchers

participating in conservation programs.

Based on past participation, it is

estimated that the funding being made

available with this notice will not

negatively or disproportionately affect

minorities, women, or persons with

disabilities who are program

beneficiaries or applicants for program

benefits in NRCS or CCC assisted

programs.

Environmental Evaluation

This assistance, administered by

NRCS, will be funded at a level for 2001

as determined by the Secretary.

Depending on the level of funding, and

based on the participation in existing

soil and water conservation programs, it

is estimated that this assistance could

result in approximately 1000 cost-share

agreements. On each farm or ranch,

during the conservation planning

process, the environmental effects of

any proposed actions are evaluated on

a case-by-case basis. That evaluation is

used to determine whether further

environmental analysis is required.

Accordingly, neither an Environmental

Assessment nor an Environmental

Impact Statement has been prepared for

this notice.

Signed in Washington, D.C., on, May 23,

2001.

Thomas A. Weber,

Deputy Chief for Programs, Natural Resources

Conservation Service.

[FR Doc. 01–14150 Filed 6–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

Public Meetings of Advisory

Committee on Beginning Farmers and

Ranchers

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The Farm Service Agency

(FSA) is issuing this notice to advise the

public that meetings of the Advisory

Committee on Beginning Farmers and

Ranchers (Committee) will be held to

discuss the Secretary’s responses to

recommendations drafted at previous

meetings and to formulate additional

recommendations.

DATES: The public meetings will be held

June 19–20, 2001, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00

p.m. at the Radisson Barcelo Hotel

Washington, 2121 P Street NW.,

Washington, DC, telephone 202–293–

3100. All times noted are Eastern

Standard Time (EST).

ADDRESSES: Mark Falcone, Designated

Federal Official for the Advisory

Committee on Beginning Farmers and

Ranchers, Farm Service Agency, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW., Room

5438–S, STOP 0522, Washington, DC

20250–0522; telephone (202) 720–1632;

FAX (202) 690–1117; e-mail

mark_falcone@wdc.fsa.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark Falcone at (202) 720–1632.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 5

of the Agricultural Credit Improvement

Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102–554) required

the Secretary of Agriculture to establish

the Committee for the purpose of

advising the Secretary on the following:

(1) The development of a program of

coordinated financial assistance to

qualified beginning farmers and

ranchers required by section 309(i) of

30404 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 6, 2001 / Notices

the Consolidated Farm and Rural

Development Act (Federal and State

beginning farmer programs provide joint

financing to beginning farmers and

ranchers); (2) methods of maximizing

the number of new farming and

ranching opportunities created through

the program; (3) methods of encouraging

States to participate in the program; (4)

the administration of the program; and

(5) other methods of creating new

farming or ranching opportunities.

Departmental Regulation 1042–119

dated November 25, 1998, formally

established the Committee and

designated FSA to provide support. The

Committee meets at least once a year

and all meetings are open to the public.

The duration of the Committee is

indefinite.

The initial meetings of the Committee,

held August 31–September 2, 1999, and

April 11–12, 2000, provided an

opportunity for members to exchange

ideas on ways to increase opportunities

for beginning farmers and ranchers

through Federal-State partnerships and

to encourage more State participation.

Members discussed various issues and

drafted numerous recommendations,

which were provided to the Secretary.

During the June meetings, members will

discuss the Secretary’s responses and

will formulate additional

recommendations.

Attendance is open to all interested

persons but limited to space available.

Anyone wishing to make an oral

statement should submit their request in

writing (letter, fax, or e-mail) to Mark

Falcone at the above address.

Statements should be received no later

than June 15, 2001. Requests should

include the name and affiliation of the

individual who will make the

presentation and an outline of the issues

to be addressed. The floor will be open

to oral presentations beginning at 1:00

p.m. EST on June 19, 2001. Comments

will be limited to 5 minutes, and

presenters will be approved on a firstcome, first-served basis.

Persons with disabilities who require

special accommodations to attend or

participate in the meetings should

contact Mark Falcone by June 15, 2001.

Signed in Washington, DC, on June 1,

2001.

James R. Little,

Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.

[FR Doc. 01–14301 Filed 6–4–01; 9:36 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request—Repayment

Demand and Program Disqualification

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

Notice invites the general public and

other public agencies to comment on

proposed information collections. This

Notice of Proposed Information

Collection announces the intent of the

Food and Nutrition Service to extend

the information collection requirements

associated with initiating collection

actions against households who have

received an overissuance in the Food

Stamp Program. In addition, this Notice

announces the Food and Nutrition

Service’s intent to extend the

information collection requirements

associated with intentional Program

violation determinations.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before August 6, 2001

to be assured consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Barbara

Hallman, Chief, State Administration

Branch, Food and Nutrition Service,

USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room

820, Alexandria, Virginia, 22302.

Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507), 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.

All comments will be summarized

and included in the request for Office of

Management and Budget approval of the

information collection. All comments

will become a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

initiating collection action, contact

Susan Beard. For intentional Program

violation (IPV) determination, contact

Greg Fortine. Both may be reached at

(703) 305–2383.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Repayment Demand and

Program Disqualification.

OMB Number: 0584–0492.

Form Number: None.

Expiration Date: August 31, 2001.

Type of Request: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Abstract: Section 13(b) of the Food

Stamp Act of 1977, as amended, (7

U.S.C. 2022(b)) and Food Stamp

Program (FSP) regulations at 7 CFR

273.18 require State agencies to initiate

collection action against households

that have been overissued benefits. To

initiate collection action, State agencies

need to provide an affected household

with written notification informing the

household of the claim and demanding

repayment. This process is automated in

most State agencies. For initiating

collection action on an overissuance, we

are reducing the estimated annual

reporting and recordkeeping burden for

State agencies and households from

148,846 hours to 116,400 hours. The

reason for the decline is to reflect the

lower number of claims that were

established in fiscal year (FY) 2000.

Note that, for recipient claims, this

Federal Register Notice only covers the

reporting and recordkeeping burden for

initiating collection action. The burden

associated with reporting collections

and other claims management

information on the FNS–209 report is

covered under currently approved OMB

number 0584–0069. The burden

associated with referring delinquent

claims and receiving collections through

the Treasury Offset Program is covered

under currently approved OMB number

0584–0446.

FSP regulations at 7 CFR 273.16

require State agencies to investigate any

case of suspected fraud, and, where

applicable, make an IPV determination

either administratively or judicially.

Notifications and activity involved in

the IPV process include:

• The State agency providing written

notification informing an individual

suspected of committing an IPV of an

impending administrative

disqualification hearing or court action.

• An individual opting to accept the

disqualification and waiving the right to

an administrative disqualification

hearing or court action by signing either

a waiver to an administrative

disqualification hearing or a

disqualification consent agreement in

cases of deferred adjudication.

• Once a determination is made

regarding an IPV, the State agency sends