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

26183 

Vol. 87, No. 85 

Tuesday, May 3, 2022 

ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

Small Claims Patent Court Study; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Administrative Conference of 

the United States (ACUS). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO) is engaging 

ACUS to conduct an independent study 

of issues associated with and options for 

designing a small claims patent court. 

ACUS invites public comments on these 

issues as part of its study. 

DATES: Comments must be received no 

later than July 5, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by email at info@acus.gov (with ‘‘Small 

Claims Patent Court Comments’’ in the 

subject line of the message); online by 

clicking ‘‘Submit a comment’’ near the 

bottom of the project web page found at 

https://www.acus.gov/research-projects/ 

us-patent-small-claims-court; or by U.S. 

Mail addressed to Small Claims Patent 

Court Comments, Administrative 

Conference of the United States, Suite 

706 South, 1120 20th Street NW, 

Washington, DC 20036. Commenters 

should not include information, such as 

personal information or confidential 

business information, that they do not 

wish to appear on the ACUS website. 

For the full ACUS public comment 

policy, please visit https://

www.acus.gov/policy/public-commentpolicy. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kazia Nowacki, Attorney Advisor, 

Administrative Conference of the 

United States, 1120 20th Street NW, 

Suite 706 South, Washington, DC 20036; 

Telephone (202) 480–2080; email 

knowacki@acus.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Administrative Conference Act, 5 U.S.C. 

591–596, established the Administrative 

Conference of the United States. The 

Conference studies the efficiency, 

adequacy, and fairness of the 

administrative procedures used by 

Federal agencies and makes 

recommendations to agencies, the 

President, Congress, and the Judicial 

Conference of the United States for 

procedural improvements (5 U.S.C. 

594(1)). For further information about 

the Conference and its activities, see 

www.acus.gov. 

A Small Claims Patent Court 

Since at least the late 1980s, concerns 

have been raised that the high cost of 

patent litigation deters small- and 

medium-sized enterprises, including 

those owned by traditionally 

underrepresented groups, from seeking 

to enforce their patents. Policymakers, 

scholars, and organizations have studied 

whether a small-claims procedure is 

needed for resolving patent disputes. 

They have reached different conclusions 

and proposed different actions. 

The Department of Commerce has 

also considered the possibility of a 

small claims patent court. Most 

recently, in December 2012, the USPTO 

issued a Federal Register notice 

requesting public comment on ‘‘whether 

the United States should develop a 

small claims proceeding for patent 

enforcement’’ (77 FR 74830 (Dec. 18, 

2012)). 

Given ongoing interest in the topic, 

USPTO has engaged ACUS to conduct 

an independent survey and analysis of 

issues associated with and options to 

consider in designing a small claims 

patent court. A report resulting from the 

study will ultimately be submitted to 

Congress and will address, among other 

topics, whether there is a need for a 

small claims patent court, the feasibility 

and potential structure of such a court, 

and the relevant legal, policy, and 

practical considerations in establishing 

a small claims patent court. 

Specific Topics for Public Comment 

ACUS welcomes views, information, 

and data on all aspects of a potential 

small claims patent court or small 

claims patent proceeding and its 

impacts. ACUS is also seeking specific 

feedback on the following topics: 

1. Whether there is need for a small 

claims patent court; 

2. The policy and practical 

considerations in establishing a small 

claims patent court; 

3. The institutional placement, 

structure, and internal organization of a 

potential small claims patent court, 

including whether it should be 

established within the Article III federal 

courts, as or within an Article I court, 

or as an administrative tribunal; 

4. The selection, appointment, 

management, and oversight of officials 

who preside over proceedings in a 

potential small claims patent court; 

5. The subject-matter jurisdiction of a 

potential small claims patent court, 

whether participation in such 

proceedings would be mandatory or 

voluntary, and whether parties can 

remove cases to another administrative 

tribunal or federal court; 

6. The procedures and rules of 

practice for a potential small claims 

patent court, including, as relevant, 

pleadings, discovery, and alternative 

dispute resolution; 

7. The remedies that a potential small 

claims patent court would be able to 

provide; 

8. The legal effect of decisions of a 

potential small claims patent court; and 

9. Opportunities for administrative 

and/or judicial review of small claims 

patent court decisions. 

Dated: April 28, 2022. 

Shawne McGibbon, 

General Counsel. 

[FR Doc. 2022–09489 Filed 5–2–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6110–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2019–0068] 

Notice of Availability of an 

Environmental Assessment and 

Finding of No Significant Impact for 

Release of Lilioceris egena for 

Biological Control of Air Potato in the 

Continental United States 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, Agriculture (USDA). 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service has prepared a final 

environmental assessment (EA) and 

finding of no significant impact relative 

to permitting the release of an insect, 

Lilioceris egena, for the biological 


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26184 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 85 / Tuesday, May 3, 2022 / Notices 

1To view the notice, supporting documents, and 

the comments we received, go to https://

www.regulations.gov and enter APHIS–2019–0068 

in the Search field. 

control of air potato (Dioscorea 

bulbifera) in the continental United 

States. Based on our finding of no 

significant impact, we have determined 

that an environmental impact statement 

need not be prepared. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Colin D. Stewart, Assistant Director, 

Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol 

Permits, Permitting and Compliance 

Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737– 

1237; (301) 851–2237; colin.stewart@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing 

permits for the release of an insect, 

Lilioceris egena, into the continental 

United States for use as a biological 

control agent to reduce the severity of 

air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) 

infestations. 

Air potato is an herbaceous, twining 

vine that can grow 65 feet long or more, 

capable of climbing and out-competing 

native vegetation. Since its introduction 

to Florida in 1905, air potato has 

aggressively spread throughout the 

State; this species is reportedly 

naturalized in Georgia, Alabama, 

Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and 

Hawaii. In 1999, the Florida Department 

of Agricultural and Consumer Services 

added air potato to its list of noxious 

weeds in an attempt to protect the 

State’s native plant species from being 

displaced or hybridized. Presently, the 

air potato is well established in Florida 

and probably throughout the Gulf States 

where it has the potential to severely 

disrupt entire ecosystems. 

On January 8, 2021, we published in 

the Federal Register (86 FR 1477–1478, 

Docket No. APHIS–2019–0068) a 

notice 1 in which we announced the 

availability, for public review and 

comment, of an environmental 

assessment (EA) that examined the 

release of L. egena into the continental 

United States for use as a biological 

control agent to reduce the severity of 

air potato (D. bulbifera) infestations. 

Comments on the notice were required 

to be received on or before February 8, 

2021. We received 14 comments by that 

date, and they are addressed in the EA. 

All of the comments were in favor of the 

proposed release and did not raise any 

substantive issues. 

In this document, we are advising the 

public of our finding of no significant 

impact (FONSI) regarding the release of 

L. egena, into the continental United 

States for use as a biological control 

agent to reduce the severity of air potato 

(D. bulbifera) infestations. The finding, 

which is based on the EA, reflects our 

determination that release of L. egena, 

into the continental United States will 

not have a significant impact on the 

quality of the human environment. 

The EA and FONSI may be viewed on 

the Regulations.gov website (see 

footnote 1). Copies of the EA and FONSI 

are also available for public inspection 

at 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. Persons wishing to inspect 

copies are requested to call ahead on 

(202) 799–7039 to facilitate entry into 

the reading room. In addition, copies 

may be obtained by calling or writing to 

the individual listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

The EA and FONSI have been 

prepared in accordance with: (1) The 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (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). 

Done in Washington, DC, this 27th day of 

April 2022. 

Anthony Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–09467 Filed 5–2–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Information Collection: Annual Wildfire 

Summary Report 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

USDA Forest Service is seeking 

comments from all interested 

individuals and organizations on the 

renewal of a currently approved 

information collection, Annual Wildfire 

Summary Report. 

DATES: Comments must be received in 

writing on or before July 5, 2022 to be 

assured of consideration. Comments 

received after that date will be 

considered to the extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Commenters are encouraged 

to submit comments by email, if 

possible. You may submit comments by 

any of the following methods: 

• Email: timothy.melchert@usda.gov. 

• Mail: Tim Melchert, Fire and 

Aviation Management, National 

Interagency Fire Center, USDA Forest 

Service, 3833 S Development Avenue, 

Boise, ID 83705. 

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Tim 

Melchert, Fire and Aviation 

Management, National Interagency Fire 

Center, USDA Forest Service, 3833 S 

Development Avenue, Boise, ID 83705. 

• Facsimile: 208–387–5375. 

The public may inspect comments 

received at National Interagency Fire 

Center, 3833 S Development Avenue, 

Boise, ID 83705, during normal business 

hours. Visitors are encouraged to call 

ahead to 208–387–5604 to facilitate 

entry to the building. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim 

Melchert, Fire and Aviation Manager, 

National Interagency Fire Center, 208– 

387–5887. Individuals who use TDD 

may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 

at 1–800–877–8339, 24 hours a day, 

every day of the year, including 

holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Annual Wildfire Summary 

Report. 

OMB Number: 0596–0025. 

Expiration Date of Approval: 

December 31, 2022. 

Type of Request: Renewal without 

Revision. 

Abstract: The Cooperative Forestry 

Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101 

(note) Sec. 10) requires the Forest 

Service to collect information about 

wildfire suppression efforts by State and 

local firefighting agencies in support of 

congressional funding requests for the 

Forest Service State and Private Forestry 

Cooperative Fire Program. The program 

provides supplemental funding for State 

and local firefighting agencies. The 

Forest Service works cooperatively with 

State and local firefighting agencies to 

support their fire suppression efforts. 

State fire marshals and State forestry 

officials use form FS–3100–8 (Annual 

Wildfire Summary Report) to report 

information to the Forest Service 

regarding State and local wildfire 

suppression efforts. The Forest Service 

is unable to assess the effectiveness of 

the State and Private Forestry 

Cooperative Fire Program without this 

information. Forest Service managers 

evaluate the information to determine if 

the Cooperative Fire Program funds 

used by State and local fire agencies 


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