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

50925 

Vol. 73, No. 169 

Friday, August 29, 2008 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

August 25, 2008. 

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, DC 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. 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

Title: Phytosanitary Export 

Certification. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–0052. 

Summary of Collection: The Animal & 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

among other things provides export 

certification services to assure other 

countries that the plants and plant 

products they are receiving from the 

United States are free of plant pests 

specified by the receiving country. The 

Federal Plant Pest Act authorizes the 

Department to carry out this mission. 

APHIS will collect information using 

several forms. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

APHIS will use the information 

collected to locate shipments, guide 

inspection, and issue a certificate to 

meet the requirements of the importing 

country. Failure to provide this 

information would have an impact on 

many U.S. exporters who would no 

longer be able to engage in the business 

of exporting plants and plant products 

overseas. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit; State, Local or Tribal 

Government. 

Number of Respondents: 14,900. 

Frequency of Responses: 

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 1,775,880. 

Animal Plant and Health Inspection 

Service 

Title: Foreign Animal Disease 

(Emerging Disease Investigation (FAD/ 

ED) Database). 

OMB Control Number: 0579–0071. 

Summary of Collection: Title 7, U.S.C. 

8301, The Animal Health Protection 

Act, authorizes the Secretary to prevent, 

control, and eliminate contagious, 

infectious, and communicable diseases. 

Through the Foreign Animal Disease 

Surveillance Program, the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

compiles essential epidemiological and 

diagnostic data that are used to define 

foreign animal diseases (FAD) and their 

risk factors. The data is compiled 

through the Veterinary Services 

Emergency Management Response 

System, a Web-based database for 

reporting investigations of suspected 

FAD occurrences. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

APHIS collects information such as the 

purpose of the diagnostician’s visit to 

the site, the name and address of the 

owner/manager, the type of operation 

being investigated, the number of and 

type of animals on the premises, 

whether any animals have been moved 

to or from the premises and when this 

movement occurred, number of sick or 

dead animals, the results of physical 

examinations of the affected animals, 

the results of postmortem examinations, 

and the number and kinds of samples 

taken, and the name of the suspected 

disease. This information assists APHIS 

personnel in detecting and eradicating 

foreign animal disease incursions. 

Without the information, APHIS has no 

way to detect and monitor foreign 

animal disease outbreaks in the United 

States. 

Description of Respondents: Farms; 

State, Local or Tribal Government. 

Number Of Respondents: 2,640. 

Frequency Of Responses: Reporting: 

On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 2,640. 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

Title: ISA—Payment of Indemnity. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–0192. 

Summary of Collection: Federal 

regulation contained in 9 CFR 

Subchapter B governs cooperative 

programs to control and eradicate 

communicable diseases of livestock 

from the United States. Infectious 

Salmon Anemia (ISA) poses a 

substantial threat to the economic 

viability and sustainability of salmon 

aquaculture in the United States and 

abroad. ISA is the clinical disease 

resulting from infection with the ISA 

virus; signs include hemorrhaging, 

anemia, and lethargy. The Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

will collect information using VS Form 

1–22 ISA Program Enrollment Form and 

VS Form 1–23 All Species Appraisal & 

Indemnity Claim Form. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

Each program participant must sign an 

ISA Program Enrollment Form in which 

they agree to participate fully in USDA’s 

and the State of Maine’s ISA Program. 

APHIS will collect the owner’s name 

and address, the number of fish for 

which the owner is seeking payment, 

and the appraised value of each fish. 

The owner must also certify as to 

whether the fish are subject to a 

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50926 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 169 / Friday, August 29, 2008 / Notices 

mortgage. Without the information it 

would be impossible for APHIS to 

launch its program to contain and 

prevent ISA outbreaks in the United 

States. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 2. 

Frequency of Responses: 

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 644. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. E8–20059 Filed 8–28–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

August 25, 2008. 

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, DC 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. 

Farm Service Agency 

Title: Report of Acreage. 

OMB Control Number: 0560–0004. 

Summary of Collection: 7 U.S.C. 

7333(b)(3) specifically requires, for 

crops and commodities covered by the 

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance 

Program (NAP), annual reports of 

acreage planted and prevented from 

being planted, as required by the 

Secretary, by the designated acreage 

reporting data for the crop and location 

as established by the Secretary. The 

report of acreage is conducted on an 

annual basis and is used by the Farm 

Service Agency (FSA) county offices to 

determine eligibility for benefits that are 

available to producers on the farm. 

Respondents must provide the 

information each year because variables 

such as previous year experience, 

weather occurrences and projections, 

market demand, new farming 

techniques and personal preferences 

affect the amount of land being farmed, 

the mix of crops planted, and the 

projected harvest. Prior year information 

is not sufficient on its own. Therefore, 

respondents must supply current data 

on a program year basis by the final 

reporting date established for their 

country to qualify for NAP assistance. 

Need and Use of the Information: FSA 

will collect information verbally from 

the producers during visits to the 

county offices. FSA will collect one or 

more of the following data elements, as 

required: Crop planted, planting date, 

crop’s intended use, type or variety, 

practice (irrigated or non-irrigated), 

acres, location of the crop (tract and 

field), and the producer’s percent share 

in the crop along with the names of 

other producers having an interest in 

the crop. Once the information is 

collected and eligibility established, the 

information is used throughout the crop 

year to ensure the producer remains 

compliant with program provisions. If 

information is not reported, FSA has no 

basis to calculate APH, losses could not 

be determined, and information for crop 

insurance expansion could not be 

provided to RMA. 

Description of Respondents: 

Individuals or households. 

Number of Respondents: 291,500. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Annually. 

Total Burden Hours: 619,438. 

Farm Service Agency 

Title: Offer Forms. 

OMB Control Number: 0560–0177. 

Summary of Collection: The 

Agricultural Trade Development and 

Assistance Act of 1954, as amended, 

(Title II, Pub. L. 480), Section 416(b) of 

the Agricultural Act of 1949, as 

amended (Section 416(b)), and the Food 

for Progress Act of 1985, as amended 

(for Food for Progress) authorizes 

International Procurement Division to 

procure, sell, and transport agricultural 

commodities, and obtain discharge/ 

delivery survey information. 

Contractors, vendors, and steamship 

companies submit competitive offers for 

agricultural commodities and services. 

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will 

collect information using several forms. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

information collected will enable 

Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO) 

to evaluate offers impartially, purchase 

or sell commodities, and obtain services 

to meet domestic and export program 

needs. Without the information KCCO 

could not meet program requirements. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 949. 

Frequency of Responses: 

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 

Quarterly; Weekly; Semi-annually; 

Monthly; Annually; Other (Bi-weekly & 

Bi-monthly). 

Total Burden Hours: 3,405. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. E8–20060 Filed 8–28–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Cooperative State Research, 

Education, and Extension Service 

Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders 

Regarding the Establishment of the 

Agriculture and Food Research 

Initiative (AFRI) 

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, 

Education, and Extension Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and 

request for stakeholder input. 

SUMMARY: The Cooperative State 

Research, Education, and Extension 

Service (CSREES) is creating a new 

research, education, and extension 

program called the Agriculture and 

Food Research Initiative (AFRI). By this 

notice, CSREES is designated to act on 

behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture in 

soliciting public comment from 

interested persons regarding the 

implementing regulation to be 

developed for this new program as 

required under section 7406 of the 

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