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

34608

Vol. 66, No. 126

Friday, June 29, 2001

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 01–045–1]

Notice of Request for Approval of an

Information Collection

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

initiate a new information collection

activity to support the National Animal

Health Monitoring System’s national

Sheep 2001 study. The objectives of the

study, which will be conducted in 22

States, are to estimate the regional and

national prevalence of specific diseases

of sheep, conduct genomic testing for

genetic factors that may be related to

health conditions in sheep, describe

baseline health and management

practices employed by sheep producers,

evaluate nutritional practices by region,

and describe the frequency of healthrelated management practices.

DATES: We invite you to comment on

this docket. We will consider all

comments that we receive by August 28,

2001.

ADDRESSES: Please send four copies of

your comment (an original and three

copies) to: Docket No. 01–045–1,

Regulatory Analysis and Development,

PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River

Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–

1238.

Please state that your comment refers

to Docket No. 01–045–1.

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.

APHIS documents published in the

Federal Register, and related

information, including the names of

organizations and individuals who have

commented on APHIS dockets, are

available on the Internet at http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/

webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

information on the national Sheep 2001

study, contact Ms. Marj Swanson,

Management Analyst, Centers for

Epidemiology and Animal Health, VS,

APHIS, 555 S. Howes, Fort Collins, CO

80521; (970) 490–7978. For copies of

more detailed information on the

information collection, contact Mrs.

Celeste Sickles, APHISInformation

Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734–

7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title:

National Animal Health Monitoring

System, Sheep 2001.

OMB Number: 0579–XXXX.

Type of Request: Approval of new

information collection.

Abstract: The United States

Department of Agriculture is

responsible for protecting the health of

our Nation’s livestock and poultry

populations by preventing the

introduction and interstate spread of

contagious, infectious, or communicable

diseases of livestock and poultry and for

eradicating such diseases from the

United States when feasible. In

connection with this mission, the

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS) operates the National

Animal Health Monitoring System

(NAHMS), which collects, on a national

basis, statistically valid and

scientifically sound data on the

prevalence and economic importance of

livestock and poultry diseases.

Information from the studies conducted

by NAHMS is disseminated to and used

by livestock and poultry producers,

consumers, animal health officials,

private veterinary practitioners, animal

industry groups, policy makers, public

health officials, media, educational

institutions, and others to improve the

productivity and competitiveness of

U.S. agriculture.

NAHMS’ national studies have

evolved into a collaborative industry

and government initiative to help

improve product quality and to

determine the most effective means of

producing animal and poultry products.

APHIS is the only agency responsible

for collecting national data on animal

and poultry health. Participation in any

NAHMS study is voluntary, and all data

are confidential.

NAHMS will initiate the first national

data collection for sheep through a

national study, Sheep 2001. The study

will take place in the following 22

States, which represent 88.8 percent of

the U.S. sheep population according to

the 1997 Census of Agriculture:

Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho,

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,

Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New

Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania,

South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia,

Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

NAHMS personnel have completed a

needs assessment, which was a

collaborative effort with producers,

industry, extension specialists, Federal

and State personnel, and university

researchers. The information gathered

through this effort was used to

determine the objectives of the study,

i.e.: (1) Estimating the regional and

national prevalence of specific diseases

of sheep, such as Johne’s disease, ovine

progressive pneumonia, intestinal

parasites, and some of the major causes

of ovine abortion, such as Toxoplasma

gondii, Chlamydia, and Campylobacter

(Note: Toxoplasma gondii is one of the

three major causes of sheep abortion in

the United States. There are known risk

factors for infection that could be

measured and serve as

recommendations to producers to avoid

infection risks.); (2) conducting genomic

testing to correlate certain genetic traits

with possible health conditions in

sheep, including measuring possible

risk factors associated with the

occurrence of scrapie infection; (3)

describing baseline management

practices used by sheep producers and

evaluating their potential impact on

selected health problems of sheep and

potential productivity losses; (4)

evaluating nutritional supplementation

practices by sheep producers, variations

in practices by region, and the impact

on sheep health; and (5) describing the

frequency of health-related management

practices, including animal movement

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 126 / Friday, June 29, 2001 / Notices 34609

and identification, feeding practices,

biosecurity procedures, use of

veterinary services, source of health

information, and vaccination and

treatment practices.

We are asking the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) to

approve the information collection

activity for the national Sheep 2001

study.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit

comments from the public (as well as

affected agencies) concerning these

information collection activities. 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

0.82564 hours per response.

Respondents: Industry personnel,

private veterinary practitioners,

company and independent producers,

academicians, State veterinary medical

officers, State public health officials,

and other interested parties involved

with animal health and management

practices in the United States.

Estimated annual number of

respondents: 10,731.

Estimated annual number of

responses per respondent: 1.

Estimated annual number of

responses: 10,731.

Estimated total annual burden on

respondents: 8,860 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 25th day of

June 2001.

Bobby R. Acord,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 01–16401 Filed 6–28–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–U

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service

Notice of Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces that the Foreign

Agricultural Service (FAS) intends to

request an extension for a currently

approved information collection

procedure for Sugar Import Licensing

Programs described in 7 CFR part 1530.

DATES: Comments should be received on

or before August 28, 2001 to be assured

of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver comments to

Richard J. Blabey, Director, Import

Policies and Programs Division, Foreign

Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Stop 1021, 1400

Independence Ave. SW, Washington,

DC 20250–1021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard J. Blabey, at the address above,

or telephone at (202) 720–2916 or e-mail

at Blabey@fas.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: The

Reinforced Sugar Re-Export Program,

The Sugar Containing Products ReExport Program, and the Polyhydric

Alcohol Program.

OMB Number: 0551–0015.

Expiration Date of Approval: August

31, 2001.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: The primary objective of the

Sugar Import Licensing Program is to

permit entry of raw cane sugar exempt

from the sugar tariff-rate quota for reexport in refined form or in a sugar

containing product or for the production

of certain polyhydric alcohols. These

programs are in use by as many as 400

licensees currently eligible to

participate. Under 7 CFR part 1530,

licensees are required to submit the

following: (1) ‘‘Application for a

license’’ information required for

participation as outlined in sections

1530.104; (2) ‘‘Regular reporting’’ of

import, export, transfer, or use for

charges and credits to licenses under

section 1530.109; and (3)

‘‘miscellaneous submission’’ of bonds or

letters of credit under section 1530.107,

appeals to determinations by the

licensing authority under section

1530.12, or requests to the licensing

authority for waivers under section

1530.113. In addition, each participant

must maintain records on all programs

reports as set forth in section 1530.110.

The information collected is used by the

licensing authority to manage, plan,

evaluate and account for program

activities. The reports and records are

required to ensure the proper operation

of these programs.

Estimate of Burden: (1) ‘‘application

for a license’’ would require 20 hours

per response; (2) ‘‘regular reporting’’

would require between 10 and 15

minutes per transaction. The number of

transactions per respondent will vary;

(3) ‘‘miscellaneous submission’’ would

require between 1 or 2 hours per bond

or letter of credit, 2 to 10 hours per

waiver request, and 10 to 100 hours per

appeal.

Respondents: Sugar refiners,

manufacturers of sugar containing

products and producers of polyhydric

alcohol.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

250.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: New/Renew License: 1;

Regular reporting: 75 transactions,

average; Miscellaneous: Bonds/letters of

credit: 50; Waiver requests: 20; Appeals:

0.

Estimated Total Burden Hours on

Respondents: 8,230 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Kimberly Chisley,

the Agency Information Collection

Coordinator, at (202) 720–2568.

Request for Comments: The public is

invited to submit comments and

suggestions to the above address

regarding the accuracy of the burden

estimate, ways to minimize the burden,

including the use of automated

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology, or any other

aspect of this collection of information.

Comments on issues covered by the

Paperwork Reduction Act are most

useful to OMB if received within 30

days of publication of the Notice and

Request for Comments, but should be

submitted no later than 60 days from the

date of this publication to be assured of

consideration. All responses to this

notice will be summarized and included

in the request for OMB approval. All

comments will also be a matter of public

record. Persons with disabilities who