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

59714 

Vol. 70, No. 197 

Thursday, October 13, 2005 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

October 6, 2005. 

The Department of Agriculture has 

submitted the following information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Comments 

regarding (a) 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; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; (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 should be addressed to: Desk 

Officer for Agriculture, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), 

OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or 

fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental 

Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail 

Stop 7602, Washington, D.C. 20250– 

7602. Comments regarding these 

information collections are best assured 

of having their full effect if received 

within 30 days of this notification. 

Copies of the submission(s) may be 

obtained by calling (202) 720–8958. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number and the agency informs 

potential persons who are to respond to 

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. 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Title: Field Crops Objective Yield. 

OMB Control Number: 0535–0088. 

Summary of Collection: The primary 

function of the National Agricultural 

Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare 

and issue current official State and 

national estimates of crop and livestock 

production. General authority for these 

data collection activities is granted 

under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204. 

This statue specifies the ‘‘The Secretary 

of Agriculture shall procure and 

preserve all information concerning 

agriculture which he can obtain * * * 

by the collection of statistics * * * and 

shall distribute them among 

agriculturists’’. Data is collected 

provides yield estimates for corn, 

cotton, potatoes, soybeans and wheat. 

The yield estimates are extremely 

important because they’re used in 

conjunction with price data to estimate 

production and in making policy 

decisions in agricultural sectors. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

NASS will collect information on 

sample fields of, corn, cotton, soybeans, 

potatoes, and winter, Durum and other 

Spring wheat. The information will be 

use to anticipate loan receipts and 

pricing of loan stocks for grains. 

Description of Respondents: Farms. 

Number of Respondents: 8,555. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Monthly during growing season. 

Total Burden Hours: 3,058. 

Charlene Parker, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 05–20479 Filed 10–12–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–20–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Research Service 

Advisory Committee on Biotechnology 

and 21st Century Agriculture; 

Nominations 

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary, 

Research, Education, and Economics, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Research 

Service is requesting nominations for 

qualified persons to serve as members of 

the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on 

Biotechnology and 21st Century 

Agriculture (AC21). The charge for the 

AC21 is two-fold: to examine the longterm impacts of biotechnology on the 

U.S. food and agriculture system and 

USDA; and to provide guidance to 

USDA on pressing individual issues, 

identified by the Office of the Secretary, 

related to the application of 

biotechnology in agriculture. 

DATES: Written nominations must be 

received by fax or postmarked on or 

before November 14, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: All nomination materials 

should be sent to Michael Schechtman, 

Designated Federal Official, Office of 

the Deputy Secretary, USDA, 202B 

Jamie L. Whitten Federal Building, 14th 

and Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250. Forms may also 

be submitted by fax to (202) 690–4265. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Questions should be addressed to 

Michael Schechtman, Designated 

Federal Official, telephone (202) 720– 

3817; fax (202) 690–4265; e-mail 

mschechtman@ars.usda.gov. To obtain 

form AD–755 ONLY please contact 

Dianne Harmon, Office of Pest 

Management Policy, telephone (202) 

720–4074, fax (202) 720–3191; e-mail 

dharmon@ars.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

AC21 members serve staggered 2-year 

terms, with terms for half of the 

Committee members expiring in any 

given year. Nominations are being 

sought for open Committee seats. The 

terms of 9 members of the AC21 will 

expire in early 2006. The AC21 Charter 

allows for flexibility to appoint up to a 

total of 10 members. Members can be 

reappointed to serve up to 6 consecutive 

years. Equal opportunity practices, in 

line with USDA policies, will be 

followed in all membership 

appointments to the Committee. To 

ensure that the recommendations of the 

Committee have taken into account the 

needs of the diverse groups served by 

USDA, membership shall include, to the 

extent practicable, individuals with 

demonstrated ability to represent 

minorities, women, and persons with 

disabilities. 

Nominees of the AC21 should have 

recognized expertise in one or more of 

the following areas: Recombinant-DNA 

(rDNA) research and applications using 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 197 / Thursday, October 13, 2005 / Notices 59715 

plants; rDNA research and applications 

using animals; rDNA research and 

applications using microbes; food 

science; silviculture and related forest 

science; fisheries science; ecology; 

veterinary medicine; the broad range of 

farming or agricultural practices; weed 

science; plant pathology; biodiversity; 

applicable laws and regulations relevant 

to agricultural biotechnology policy; 

risk assessment; consumer advocacy 

and public attitudes; public health/ 

epidemiology; ethics, including 

bioethics; human medicine; 

biotechnology industry activities and 

structure; intellectual property rights 

systems; and international trade. 

Members will be selected by the 

Secretary of Agriculture in order to 

achieve a balanced representation of 

viewpoints to address effectively USDA 

biotechnology policy issues under 

consideration. Over the next two years, 

it is expected that the AC21 will address 

topics related to biotechnology 

coexistence issues, priorities for 

development of biotechnology-derived 

crops other than major uses of 

commodity crops, transgenic animals, 

and perhaps other topics. 

Nominations for AC21 membership 

must be in writing and provide the 

appropriate background documents 

required by USDA policy, including 

background disclosure form AD–755. 

The AC21 meets in Washington, DC, 

up to four (4) times per year. The 

function of the AC21 is solely advisory. 

Members of the AC21 and its 

subcommittees serve without pay, but 

with reimbursement of travel expenses 

and per diem for attendance at AC21 

and subcommittee functions for those 

AC21 members who require assistance 

in order to attend the meetings. While 

away from home or their regular place 

of business, those members will be 

eligible for travel expenses paid by REE, 

USDA, including per diem in lieu of 

subsistence, at the same rate as a person 

employed intermittently in the 

government service is allowed under 

Section 5703 of Title 5, United States 

Code. 

Submitting Nominations: 

Nominations should be typed and 

include the following: 

1. A brief summary of no more than 

two (2) pages explaining the nominee’s 

suitability to serve on the AC21. 

2. A resume or curriculum vitae. 

3. A completed copy of form AD–755. 

Nominations should be sent to 

Michael Schechtman at the address 

listed above, and be postmarked no later 

than November 14, 2005. 

Dated: October 6, 2005. 

Bernice Slutsky, 

Senior Advisor to the Secretary for 

Biotechnology. 

[FR Doc. 05–20478 Filed 10–12–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–03–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Special Supplemental 

Nutrition Program for Women, Infants 

and Children (WIC) Proposed 

Collection; Comment Request—

Monitoring Trends in the Public Health 

Workforce Survey 

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is 

publishing for public comment a 

summary of a proposed information 

collection. FNS wishes to monitor 

trends in education and training, work 

experience, areas of practice, and 

training needs of the public health and 

community nutrition workforce at the 

State and local government levels. A 

descriptive profile will assist FNS to 

determine the extent to which the 

current and future workforce has the 

necessary training to administer the 

WIC Program, for which FNS is 

responsible. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by December 12, 2005 to be 

assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments and 

requests for copies of this proposed 

collection of information to Patricia N. 

Daniels, Director, Supplemental Food 

Programs Division; Food and Nutrition 

Service; 3101 Park Center Drive; Room 

528; Alexandria, VA 22302–1500. 

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 responses to this notice 

will be summarized and included in the 

request for OMB clearance. All 

comments will thus become public 

documents. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Debra Whitford, Chief, Policy and 

Program Development Branch, 

Supplemental Food Programs Division, 

Food and Nutrition Service, Department 

of Agriculture, (703) 305–2746. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Monitoring Trends in the Public 

Health Nutrition Workforce. 

OMB Number: Not yet assigned. 

Expiration Date: N/A. 

Type of Request: New collection of 

information. 

Abstract: The Department of 

Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and 

Nutrition Service (FNS) wishes to obtain 

information to assess the agency’s 

efforts to recruit and retain public 

health and community nutritionists to 

staff the WIC Program. Goal 2, Objective 

2.2 of the USDA/FNS Corporate 

Priorities focuses on improving agency 

support for Program management. This 

priority addresses management of 

human capital to ensure a high quality 

workforce and work environment that 

attracts and retains employees. Since 

1992, FNS has been involved in an 

initiative targeted at assisting WIC State 

and local agencies in recruiting and 

retaining qualified nutrition staff. 

Recruitment and retention of qualified 

staff is essential to maintaining quality 

nutrition services by providing an 

environment where staff are 

appropriately selected, trained, and 

supported. Opportunities for ongoing 

training, job advancement, challenging 

duties, and competitive salaries are 

important considerations in recruiting 

and retaining qualified nutrition staff. 

Workforce profile data are essential to 

evaluate the impact of the agency’s 

effort to recruit and retain public health 

and community nutritionists. State 

nutrition directors use descriptive 

information about the community 

nutrition workforce in their respective 

States to support recruitment and 

retention efforts, design training 

programs, and advise on licensure and 

certification policy. According to the 

findings from previous workforce 

surveys conducted by the Association of 

State and Territorial Public Health 

Nutrition Directors, 90 percent of the 

public health and community nutrition 

workforce is employed in WIC 

Programs. 

This survey will be implemented as a 

Web-based survey to expedite the 

survey and data collection and analysis