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

6828 

Vol. 81, No. 26 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 

1To view the notice, final EA, FONSI, and 

comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#

!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2015-0058. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2015–0058] 

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza; 

Availability of Final Environmental 

Assessment and Finding of No 

Significant Impact 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, 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 and finding 

of no significant impact relative to a 

national approach for the control of 

highly pathogenic avian influenza 

outbreaks within the United States. 

Based on the environmental assessment 

and our review of all public comments 

received, we have concluded that such 

an approach will not have a significant 

impact on the quality of the human 

environment. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Lori Miller, PE, Senior Staff Officer and 

Environmental Engineer, APHIS 

Veterinary Services, 4700 River Road 

Unit 41, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 

851–3512. Copies of the final EA and 

FONSI may be obtained by contacting 

Ms. Michelle Gray, Environmental 

Protection Specialist, ERAS/PPD/

APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 149, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851–3146. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Highly 

pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a 

significant and often fatal zoonotic 

disease of poultry. In December 2014, 

two H5 viruses of HPAI were discovered 

in the United States. These viruses were 

subsequently detected in both migratory 

waterfowl and domestic poultry and 

significantly affected domestic poultry 

production within the United States. 

Two poultry production sectors, 

commercial meat turkeys and laying 

chickens, were heavily impacted by the 

disease, resulting in the loss or 

destruction of over 48 million birds 

between December 2014 and June 2015. 

Disease eradication efforts, northern 

migration of wild waterfowl, and the 

natural disinfecting effect of summer 

heat have largely halted the spread of 

the disease within the United States. 

However, subsequent migrations of 

potentially infected wild waterfowl 

could precipitate a new round of 

outbreaks requiring additional actions 

by the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) to control 

them. 

On September 4, 2015, we published 

in the Federal Register (80 FR 53485, 

Docket No. APHIS–2015–0058) a 

notice 1 in which we announced the 

availability, for public review and 

comment, of an environmental 

assessment (EA), titled ‘‘High 

Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Control 

in Commercial Poultry Operations—A 

National Approach,’’ and finding of no 

significant impact (FONSI) relative to a 

national approach for the control of 

HPAI outbreaks within the United 

States. 

The EA recommends an approach in 

which APHIS uses its centralized 

management of carcass disposal 

activities to ensure consistency in 

responses to HPAI outbreaks throughout 

the United States. Under this approach, 

APHIS provides information and other 

support to State and local authorities to 

help them determine which 

depopulation, disposal, and cleaning 

and disinfection methods are most 

appropriate for the situation. 

We solicited comments for 30 days 

ending October 5, 2015. We received 3 

comments by that date, from national 

animal welfare organizations and a 

member of the public. We carefully 

considered the comments we received 

on the EA and determined that none 

raise issues that APHIS had not already 

considered. Accordingly, APHIS has 

decided to implement this approach and 

concluded that it will not have a 

significant impact on the quality of the 

human environment. The comments we 

received are addressed in an appendix 

to the final EA. 

The final EA and FONSI may be 

viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site 

(see footnote 1). Copies are also 

available for public inspection at USDA, 

Room 1141, South Building, 14th Street 

and Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 

4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 

except holidays. Persons wishing to 

inspect copies are requested to call 

ahead to (202) 799–7039 to facilitate 

entry into the reading room. In addition, 

copies may be obtained by calling or 

writing to the appropriate person 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 3rd day of 

February 2016. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2016–02526 Filed 2–8–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Information Collection Activity; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the 

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites 

comments on this information 

collection for which approval from the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) will be requested. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by April 11, 2016. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas P. Dickson, Acting Director, 

Program Development and Regulatory 

Analysis, USDA Rural Utilities Service, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW., STOP 

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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 9, 2016 / Notices 6829 

1522, Room 5164, South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–1078. FAX: (202) 

720–8435. Email: 

Thomas.Dickson@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget’s (OMB) 

regulation (5 CFR 1320) implementing 

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13) requires 

that interested members of the public 

and affected agencies have an 

opportunity to comment on information 

collection and recordkeeping activities 

(see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). This notice 

identifies an information collection that 

RUS is submitting to OMB for 

extension. 

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. Comments may be sent to: 

Thomas P. Dickson, Director, Program 

Development and Regulatory Analysis, 

Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, STOP 1522, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–1522, FAX: 

(202) 720–8435. 

Title: Request for Release of Lien and/ 

or Approval of Sale, RUS Form 793. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0041. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) makes mortgage loans and loan 

guarantees to electric and 

telecommunications systems to provide 

and improve electric and 

telecommunications service in rural 

areas pursuant to the Rural 

Electrification Act of 1936, as amended 

(7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) (RE Act). All 

current and future capital assets of RUS 

borrowers are ordinarily mortgaged or 

pledged to the Federal Government as 

security for RUS loans. Assets include 

tangible and intangible utility plant, 

non-utility property, construction in 

progress, and materials, supplies, and 

equipment normally used in a 

telecommunications system. The RE Act 

and the various security instruments, 

e.g., the RUS mortgage, limit the rights 

of a RUS borrower to dispose of capital 

assets. 

The RUS Form 793, Request for 

Release of Lien and/or Approval of Sale, 

allows telecommunications program 

borrowers to seek agency permission to 

sell some of its assets. The form collects 

detailed information regarding the 

proposed sale of a portion of the 

borrower’s system. RUS 

telecommunications borrowers fill out 

the form to request RUS approval in 

order to sell capital assets. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 2.75 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: Business or other forprofit; not-for-profit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

40. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 110. 

Copies of this information collection 

can be obtained from Rebecca Hunt, 

Program Development and Regulatory 

Analysis, at (202) 205–3660, FAX (202) 

720–8435 or email: 

rebecca.hunt@wdc.usda.gov. 

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. 

Dated: February 3, 2016. 

Brandon McBride, 

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2016–02523 Filed 2–8–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting 

of the South Dakota Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Commission on Civil Rights. 

ACTION: Announcement of meetings. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, 

pursuant to the provisions of the rules 

and regulations of the U.S. Commission 

on Civil Rights (Commission), and the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA), that a planning meeting of the 

South Dakota Advisory Committee to 

the Commission will convene at 12:00 

p.m. (MST) on Friday, February 26, 

2016, via teleconference. The purpose of 

the meeting is to review and discuss 

current civil rights issues in the state, 

and potential next topics of study by the 

committee. 

Members of the public may listen to 

the discussion by dialing the following 

Conference Call Toll-Free Number: 1– 

888–417–8465; Conference ID: 6984210. 

Please be advised that before being 

placed into the conference call, the 

operator will ask callers to provide their 

names, their organizational affiliations 

(if any), and an email address (if 

available) prior to placing callers into 

the conference room. Callers can expect 

to incur charges for calls they initiate 

over wireless lines, and the Commission 

will not refund any incurred charges. 

Callers will incur no charge for calls 

they initiate over land-line connections 

to the toll-free phone number. 

Persons with hearing impairments 

may also follow the discussion by first 

calling the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 

at 1–800–977–8339 and provide the FRS 

operator with the Conference Call TollFree Number: 1–888–417–8465, 

Conference ID: 6984210. Members of the 

public are invited to submit written 

comments; the comments must be 

received in the regional office by 

Monday, March 28, 2016. Written 

comments may be mailed to the Rocky 

Mountain Regional Office, U.S. 

Commission on Civil Rights, 1961 Stout 

Street, Suite 13–201, Denver, CO 80294, 

faxed to (303) 866–1050, or emailed to 

Evelyn Bohor at ebohor@usccr.gov. 

Persons who desire additional 

information may contact the Rocky 

Mountain Regional Office at (303) 866– 

1040. 

Records and documents discussed 

during the meeting will be available for 

public viewing as they become available 

at http://www.facadatabase.gov/

committee/meetings.aspx?cid=274 and 

clicking on the ‘‘Meeting Details’’ and 

‘‘Documents’’ links. Records generated 

from this meeting may also be inspected 

and reproduced at the Rocky Mountain 

Regional Office, as they become 

available, both before and after the 

meeting. Persons interested in the work 

of this advisory committee are advised 

to go to the Commission’s Web site, 

www.usccr.gov, or to contact the Rocky 

Mountain Regional Office at the above 

phone number, email or street address. 

Agenda 

• Welcome and Introductions 

Richard Braunstein, Chair, South 

Dakota Advisory Committee 

Malee V. Craft, Regional Director, 

Rocky Mountain Regional Office 

(RMRO) 

• Discussion of civil rights issues in 

the state to select topic for future study 

• Next Steps 

DATES: Friday, February 26, 2016, at 

12:00 p.m. (MST) 

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