54784 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 23, 2008 / Notices 

20737; (301) 734–5290. For copies of 

more detailed information on the 

information collection, contact Mrs. 

Celeste Sickles, APHIS’ Information 

Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851– 

2908. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Foreign Quarantine Notices. 

OMB Number: 0579–0049. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: As authorized by the Plant 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), 

the Secretary of Agriculture may 

prohibit or restrict the importation, 

entry, exportation, or movement in 

interstate commerce of any plant, plant 

product, biological control organism, 

noxious weed, means of conveyance, or 

other article if the Secretary determines 

that the prohibition or restriction is 

necessary to prevent a plant pest or 

noxious weed from being introduced 

into or disseminated within the United 

States. This authority has been 

delegated to the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS). 

Regulations governing the importation 

of plants, fruits, vegetables, roots, bulbs, 

seeds, unmanufactured wood articles, 

and other plant products are contained 

in 7 CFR part 319, ‘‘Foreign Quarantine 

Notices.’’ 

In administering the regulations, 

APHIS collects information from 

persons both within and outside the 

United States who are involved in 

growing, packing, handling, 

transporting, and importing articles 

regulated under part 319. 

For example, many plants or plant 

products may not be imported until the 

person wishing to import them receives 

a permit from us. The person wishing to 

import these items must first fill out a 

permit application. We consider the 

permit application process extremely 

important, since the information on the 

application enables us to determine 

whether the items for import represent 

a potential pest threat to U.S. 

agriculture. 

Under certain circumstances, we also 

require importers to supply us with 

other types of information. We require, 

for example, that containers used to 

import various plants or plant products 

be marked in a certain way so that our 

inspectors can accurately identify them 

and match them to their accompanying 

documentation. 

We require that certain shipments be 

accompanied by a phytosanitary 

inspection certificate, which is a 

document completed by plant health 

officials in the originating country that 

attests to the condition of the shipment 

with respect to plant pests at the time 

it was inspected prior to its export to the 

United States. We use this important 

information as a guide in determining 

the intensity of the inspection we must 

conduct when the shipment arrives in 

the United States. 

This and other information we collect 

is vital to helping us ensure that 

imported plants and plant products do 

not harbor plant pests or noxious weeds 

that, if introduced into the United 

States, could cause millions of dollars in 

damage to U.S. agriculture. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of these information 

collection activities for an additional 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 collection 

of information, 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 

collection of information 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 

0.3167168 hours per response. 

Respondents: U.S. importers of fruits 

and vegetables, foreign plant protection 

authorities, individuals involved in 

growing, packing, handling, 

transporting, and importing plants and 

plant products. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 92,420. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 3.259987. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 301,288. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 95,423 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 17th day of 

September 2008. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–22288 Filed 9–22–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2008–0104] 

Notice of Request for Revision and 

Extension of Approval of an 

Information Collection; Animal Welfare 

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 

associated with Animal Welfare Act 

regulations for the humane handling, 

care, treatment, and transportation of 

certain animals by dealers, research 

facilities, exhibitors, carriers, and 

intermediate handlers. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before November 

24, 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=APHIS2008-0104 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–2008–0104, 

Regulatory Analysis and Development, 

PPD, APHIS, Station3A–03.8, 4700 

River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1238. Please state that your 

comment refers to Docket No. APHIS– 

2008–0104. 

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, 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 23, 2008 / Notices 54785 

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 the Animal Welfare Act 

regulations, contact Dr. Barbara Kohn, 

Senior Staff Veterinarian, Animal Care, 

APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734–7833. 

For copies of more detailed information 

on the information collection, contact 

Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS’ 

Information Collection Coordinator, at 

(301) 851–2908. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Animal Welfare. 

OMB Number: 0579–0093. 

Type of Request: Revision and 

extension of approval of an information 

collection. 

Abstract: The regulations in 9 CFR 

parts 1 through 3 were promulgated 

under the Animal Welfare Act (the Act) 

(7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) to ensure the 

humane handling, care, treatment, and 

transportation of animals covered under 

the Act. The Act and regulations are 

enforced by the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

The regulations in 9 CFR part 3, 

subparts A, D, and E, cover dogs and 

cats, nonhuman primates, and marine 

mammals, respectively. Subparts B and 

C cover rabbits, guinea pigs, and 

hamsters. Subpart F of 9 CFR part 3 

covers warmblooded animals other than 

dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, marine 

mammals, rabbits, guinea pigs, and 

hamsters. Regulated facilities are 

required to keep certain records and 

provide specific information regarding 

health and feeding, housing, space, 

transportation, exercise, perimeter 

fencing, marine mammal interactive 

programs, and programs of veterinary 

care. We review this information to 

evaluate program compliance. 

This notice includes information 

collection requirements currently 

approved by the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) under control 

numbers 0579–0092, ‘‘Animal Welfare; 

Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, and Rabbits’’ 

(transportation in commerce), and 

0579–0093, ‘‘Animal Welfare.’’ These 

information collections do not mandate 

the use of any official Government form. 

After OMB approves and combines the 

burden for both collections under a 

single collection (0579–0093), the 

Department will retire number 0579– 

0092. 

We are asking OMB to approve our 

use of these information collection 

activities for an additional 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 collection 

of information, 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 

collection of information 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 

0.302547 hours per response. 

Respondents: Dealers, exhibitors, 

research facilities, carriers, and 

intermediate handlers. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 11,687. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 13.477881. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 157,516. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 47,656 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 17th day of 

September 2008. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–22290 Filed 9–22–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2008–0106] 

A Business Plan To Advance Animal 

Disease Traceability; Final Version 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that we are making available a final 

version of our Business Plan to Advance 

Animal Disease Traceability. Based on 

comments that we received on our draft 

Business Plan, which we made available 

to the public for review and comment 

through a previous notice, we have 

amended the plan in order to provide 

greater clarity regarding the points of 

integration between the National 

Animal Identification System (NAIS) 

and existing State and Federal animal 

health programs and brand programs. 

We have also added more specificity 

regarding traceability strategies for 

several animal industries, an 

explanation of how the NAIS can help 

producers meet country of origin 

labeling requirements, and a detailed 

discussion of future plans regarding 

radio frequency identification of 

animals destined for import or export. 

We have also updated the plan to reflect 

the current budget for the NAIS, to 

adjust the benchmarks and target dates 

for implementation of animal 

traceability, and to make other, 

nonsubstantive changes. The final 

Business Plan retains the seven core 

strategies for harmonizing the NAIS 

with existing programs and methods 

that we outlined in our draft plan. 

ADDRESSES: The Business Plan is 

available on the Internet at http:// 

animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/. The 

document may also be viewed 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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Neil Hammerschmidt, Coordinator, 

National Animal Identification System, 

National Center for Animal Health 

Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road 

Unit 200, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; 

(301) 734–5571. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

As part of its ongoing efforts to 

safeguard animal health, the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

initiated implementation of a National 

Animal Identification System (NAIS) in 

2004. The NAIS is a cooperative StateFederal-industry program administered 

by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS). The 

purpose of the NAIS is to provide a 

streamlined information system that 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES