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

6690 

Vol. 73, No. 24 

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2007–0140] 

Notice of Request for Revision and 

Extension of Approval of an 

Information Collection; SelfCertification Medical Statement 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Revision and extension of 

approval of an 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 

request a revision and extension of 

approval of an information collection 

for self-certification medical statements. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before April 7, 

2008. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ 

component/ 

main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS2007-0140 to submit or view comments 

and to view supporting and related 

materials available electronically. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send two copies of your comment 

to Docket No. APHIS–2007–0140, 

Regulatory Analysis and Development, 

PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 

River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1238. Please state that your 

comment refers to Docket No. APHIS– 

2007–0140. 

Reading Room: 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. 

Other Information: Additional 

information about APHIS and its 

programs is available on the Internet at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on self-certification medical 

statements, contact Ms. Lynn 

Doetschman, Human Resources 

Specialist, Human Resources Division, 

MRPBS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 

21, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734– 

4996. For copies of more detailed 

information on the information 

collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, 

APHIS’ Information Collection 

Coordinator, at (301) 734–7477. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Self-Certification Medical 

Statement. 

OMB Number: 0579–0196. 

Type of Request: Revision and 

extension of approval of an information 

collection. 

Abstract: The Marketing and 

Regulatory Programs (MRP) agencies of 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

facilitate the domestic and international 

marketing of U.S. agricultural products 

and protect the health of domestic 

animal and plant resources. The MRP 

agencies are the Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS), the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and 

the Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). 

Resource management and 

administrative services, including 

human resource management, for the 

three MRP agencies are provided by the 

MRP Business Services unit of APHIS, 

which is the lead agency in providing 

administrative support for MRP. 

In accordance with 5 CFR part 339, 

Federal agencies are authorized to 

obtain medical information from 

applicants for positions that have 

approved medical standards. Medical 

standards may be established for 

positions for which the duties are 

arduous or hazardous or require a 

certain level of health status or fitness. 

Certain positions in MRP agencies 

have medical standards. An example of 

such a position is the agricultural 

commodity grader position in AMS. 

Each year, AMS hires a number of 

agricultural commodity graders. These 

employees work under dusty 

conditions, around moving machinery 

and slippery surfaces, and in areas with 

high noise levels. They have direct 

contact with meat and dairy products, 

fresh and processed fruits and 

vegetables, and poultry products 

intended for human consumption or 

cotton and tobacco products intended 

for human use. 

The MRP agencies require a selfcertification medical statement (SCMP) 

(MRP–5) from applicants for these 

positions regarding their fitness for the 

positions. AMS is expanding the 

categories of employees who will be 

required to complete an SCMP. The 

MRP agencies need this information to 

determine whether the applicants can 

perform the duties of the positions. 

Inability to collect this information 

would adversely affect the MRP 

agencies’ ability to recruit and hire 

qualified individuals and carry out their 

missions. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of this information 

collection activity for 3 years. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments from the public (as well as 

affected agencies) concerning our 

information collection. 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 

0.1666 hours per response. 

Respondents: Applicants for MRP 

positions with approved medical 

standards. 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 24 / Tuesday, February 5, 2008 / Notices 6691 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 600. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 1. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 600. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 100 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 30th day of 

January 2008. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–2049 Filed 2–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Giant Sequoia National Monument 

Management Plan EIS 

AGENCY: USDA Forest Service. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service is preparing 

an environmental impact statement 

(EIS) to establish management direction 

for the land and resources within the 

Giant Sequoia National Monument 

(GSNM) created by Presidential 

Proclamation on april 15, 2000. The 

Forest Service, as the responsible 

agency, proposes to amend the Sequoia 

National Forest Land and Resource 

Management Plan (FLMP) to provide for 

the protection of the objects of interest 

identified in the Proclamation. 

DATES: The draft EIS for the Giant 

Sequoia National Monument 

Management Plan is expected to be 

available for public comment in the 

early spring of 2009; the final EIS and 

Record of Decision (ROD) are expected 

to be published in the fall of 2009. Soon 

after the ROD is published, a separate 

document representing the Management 

Plan in non-technical language will be 

published. 

ADDRESSES: Tina Terrell, Forest 

Supervisor, USDA Forest Service, 

Sequoia National Forest, 1839 South 

Newcomb Street, Porterville, CA 93257. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie 

Allen, Land Management Planning Staff 

Officer, Sequoia National Forest, at the 

address listed above. The phone number 

is (559) 784–1500. Information 

regarding the monument and the 

planning process can also be found on 

the Giant Sequoia National Monument 

website located at http://www.fs.fed.us./ 

r5/sequoia/gsnm. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On April 15, 200, a Presidential 

Proclamation creating the Giant Sequoia 

National Monument was signed. The 

Proclamation designated 327,769 acres 

within the boundary of the Sequoia 

National Forest as a National Monument 

to provide protection for a variety of 

objects of historic and scientific interest, 

including giant sequoia trees and their 

surrounding ecosystem. The plan will 

provide for and encourage continued 

public access and use consistent with 

the purposes of the Giant Sequoia 

National Monument. A range of 

alternatives will be analyzed, including 

the no-action alternative, which is the 

current management direction. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The Presidential Proclamation creates 

a national monument recognizing and 

protecting forever its unique resources. 

The proclamation also clearly identifies 

opportunities for scientific research, 

interpretation, recreation, and the need 

for a transportation plan. We are 

committed to preparing a management 

plan that is responsive to these needs 

and opportunities and that cares for the 

objects of interest as identified in the 

proclamation. 

Within the context of the 

Proclamation’s statement of need, we 

are committed to developing the 

proposed action and alternatives to it 

through a comprehensive, inclusive, 

collaborative process involving 

stakeholders. This collaborative process 

will be facilitated largely by a third 

party neutral associated with the U.S. 

Institute for Environmental Conflict 

Resolution, an organization chartered by 

Congress for the purpose of resolving 

multi-party environmental issues and 

disputes. Because the Giant Sequoia 

National Monument is a unique treasure 

of international interest, it deserves the 

very best planning approach possible. 

We believe that the very best 

management will result from this 

innovative, collaborative approach 

which taps the knowledge and creative 

energy of those who know and love the 

giant sequoias. 

In the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) process terms, this Notice of 

Intent initiates the scoping period. We 

expect the scoping period to last up to 

one year during which there will be a 

variety of meetings and workshops. The 

collaborative process will thereby be the 

focus, but not the sole means, of this 

extended scoping period during which 

the proposed action will be developed 

and planning issues identified. 

Notification of scoping activities will be 

posted on the Web site, http:// 

www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/gsnm, and 

advertised through the media. The 

collaborative process will continue to 

play a role through development of the 

draft and final environmental impact 

statements. 

Current Management Direction 

Until a new Monument Management 

Plan is implemented, current 

management direction for the GSNM 

includes the Presidential Proclamation, 

the Sequoia National Forest Land and 

Resource Management Plan, as amended 

by the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan 

Amendment (2001), and the Mediated 

Settlement Agreement. 

Commenting 

Comments received in response to 

public scoping or any future solicitation 

for public comments on a draft EIS, 

including names and addresses of those 

who comment, will be considered part 

of the public record and will be 

available for public inspection. 

Comments submitted anonymously will 

be accepted and considered. 

Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), 

any person may request the agency to 

withhold a submission from the public 

record by showing how the Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA) permits such 

confidentiality. Persons requesting such 

confidentiality should be aware that 

under the FOIA confidentiality may be 

granted in only very limited 

circumstances, such as to protect trade 

secrets. The Forest Service will inform 

the requester of the agency’s decision 

regarding the request for confidentiality, 

and where the request is denied; the 

agency will return the submission and 

notify the requester that the comments 

may be resubmitted with or without 

name and address. 

The comment period on the draft EIS 

will be 90 days from the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes the notice of availability in 

the Federal Register. 

The Forest Service believes that, at 

this early stage, it is very important to 

give reviewers notice of several court 

rulings related to public participation in 

the environmental review process. First, 

reviewers of a draft EIS must structure 

their participation in the environmental 

review of the proposal so that it is 

meaningful and alerts the agency to the 

reviewer’s position and contentions. 

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. 


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