23986 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 98 / Friday, May 22, 2009 / Notices 

United States, who are involved in 

growing, packing, handling, 

transporting, and importing foreign 

plants, roots, bulbs, seeds, importing 

foreign logs, lumber, other 

unmanufactured wood articles, and 

other plant products. APHIS will collect 

this information using a number of 

forms. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

APHIS will collect information to 

ensure that plants, fruits, vegetables, 

roots, bulbs, seeds, foreign logs, lumber, 

other unmanufactured wood articles, 

and other plant products imported into 

the United States do not harbor plant 

diseases or insect pests that could cause 

serious harm to U.S. agriculture. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit; individuals or 

households; farms; Federal Government. 

Number of Respondents: 92,429. 

Frequency of Responses: 

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 95,423. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. E9–12018 Filed 5–21–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–FV–09–0023] 

Notice of Request for Extension and 

Revision of a Currently Approved 

Information Collection 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice with request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice 

announces the Agricultural Marketing 

Service’s (AMS) intention to request 

approval, from the Office of 

Management and Budget, for an 

extension of and revision to the 

currently approved information 

collection Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by July 21, 2009 to be assured 

of consideration. 

Additional Information or Comments: 

Contact Docket Clerk, Fruit and 

Vegetable Programs, Agricultural 

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Stop 0235, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0243; Fax: (202) 

720–0016; or E-mail: 

scblockgrants@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program. 

OMB Number: 0581–0239. 

Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years 

from date of OMB approval. 

Type of Request: Extension and 

revision of a currently approved 

information collection. 

Abstract: The information collection 

requirements in this request are applied 

only to those State departments of 

agriculture who voluntarily participate 

in the Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program (SCBGP). The information 

collected is needed to certify that grant 

participants are complying with 

applicable program regulations. Data 

collected is the minimum information 

necessary to effectively carry out the 

requirements of the program, and to 

fulfill the intent of Section 101 of the 

Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 

2004, Public Law 108–465 (Dec. 21, 

2004). 

The Specialty Crops Competitiveness 

Act of 2004 authorized the Secretary of 

Agriculture to make grants to States (at 

the time, defined to mean the 50 States, 

the District of Columbia, and the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) for each 

of the fiscal years 2005 through 2009 to 

be used by State departments of 

agriculture solely to enhance the 

competitiveness of specialty crops. The 

program was appropriated funding in 

fiscal years 2006 through 2008. These 

grant funds were previously applied for 

and awarded to eligible State 

departments of agriculture. Therefore, 

State departments of agriculture can no 

longer apply for grants under the 

program. However, the program is still 

in effect because grant periods can be up 

to three years in length and currently, 

State departments of agriculture are 

reporting on previously awarded grants. 

This program, SCBGP, is separate from 

the Specialty Crop Block Grant ProgramFarm Bill (SCBGP–FB), program. 

A State department of agriculture 

participating in the SCBGP would have 

to submit a Request for Grant 

Amendment to AMS if there is a change 

in key personnel, scope or objectives of 

the grant, budget changes that exceed 

more than 20% of a project’s total 

budget, and/or or an extension of the 

grant period not to exceed three 

calendar years. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 0.50 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: State departments of 

agriculture. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

25. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 25. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 12.50 hours. 

A State department of agriculture 

participating in the SCBGP is required 

to submit an Annual Performance 

Report to AMS 90 days after the 

completion of the first year of the grant 

period and once within 90 days after the 

second year of the grant period. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 1 hour per 

response. 

Respondents: State departments of 

agriculture. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 52 

(All 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the 

District of Columbia). 

Estimated Number of Responses: 52. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 2. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 104 hours. 

A State department of agriculture 

participating in the SCBGP is required 

to submit to AMS 90 days after the 

expiration date of the grant period 

SF269 ‘‘Financial Status Report (Long 

Form)’’, if the project had program 

income, approved under OMB#0348– 

0039, or SF269A ‘‘Financial Status 

Report (Short Form)’’, approved under 

OMB#0348–0038. 

A State department of agriculture 

participating in the SCBGP is required 

to submit a Final Performance Report to 

AMS within 90 days following the 

expiration date of the grant period. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 1.5 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: State departments of 

agriculture. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 52 

(All 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the 

District of Columbia). 

Estimated Number of Responses: 52. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 78 hours. 

No later than 30 days after completion 

of an audit on all grant expenditures, 

the State is required to submit an audit 

report/executive summary to AMS. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 3 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: State departments of 

agriculture. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 52 

(All 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the 

District of Columbia). 

Estimated Number of Responses: 52. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 


erowe on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 98 / Friday, May 22, 2009 / Notices 23987 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 156 hours. 

The SCBGP is expected to accomplish 

the goals of enhancing the 

competitiveness of specialty crops. 

This program would not be 

maintained by any other agency; 

therefore, the requested information will 

not be available from any other existing 

records. 

AMS is committed to compliance 

with the Government Paperwork 

Elimination Act (GPEA), which requires 

Government agencies in general to 

provide the public the option of 

submitting information or transacting 

business electronically to the maximum 

extent possible. The request for grant 

amendment, annual performance 

reports, final performance report, SF269 

‘‘Financial Status Report (Long Form)’’, 

or the SF269A ‘‘Financial Status Report 

(Short Form)’’, and the audit report/ 

executive summary can be submitted 

electronically. 

Finally, State departments of 

agriculture would be required to retain 

records pertaining to the SCBGP for 3 

years after completion of the grant 

period or until final resolution of any 

audit findings or litigation claims 

relating to the SCBGP. This is a part of 

normal business practice and consistent 

with USDA regulations (7 CFR Parts 

3015 and 3016). 

The estimated one-time cost for all 

State departments of agriculture in 

providing this information to the SCBGP 

is $9,048. This total has been estimated 

by multiplying 351 total burden hours 

by $25.78, an average of mean hourly 

earnings by state and local government 

white collar (excluding sales) 

employees. Data for computation of this 

hourly wage were obtained from the 

U.S. Department of Labor Statistic’s 

publication ‘‘National Compensation 

Survey: Occupational Wages in the 

United States, June 2005’’, published 

August 2006 (Bulletin 2581). This 

publication can also be found at the 

following Web site: http://www.bls.gov/ 

ncs/ocs/sp/ncbl0832.pdf. 

Comments are invited on: (1) 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; (2) 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; (3) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments may be sent to: Docket Clerk, 

Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 

Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Stop 0235, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0243; Fax: (202) 

720–0016; or E-mail: 

scblockgrants@usda.gov. All comments 

received will be available for public 

inspection during regular business 

hours at the same address. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

become a matter of public record. 

Dated: May 18, 2009. 

Robert C. Keeney, 

Acting Associate Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E9–11969 Filed 5–21–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2007–0017] 

Bayer CropScience; Determination of 

Nonregulated Status for Cotton 

Genetically Engineered for Glyphosate 

Herbicide Tolerance 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of 

our determination that a cotton line 

developed by Bayer CropScience, 

designated as transformation event 

GHB614, which has been genetically 

engineered for tolerance to the herbicide 

glyphosate, is no longer considered a 

regulated article under our regulations 

governing the introduction of certain 

genetically engineered organisms. Our 

determination is based on our 

evaluation of data submitted by the 

Bayer CropScience in its petition for a 

determination of nonregulated status, 

our analysis of other scientific data, and 

comments received from the public in 

response to a previous notice 

announcing the availability of the 

petition for nonregulated status, our 

environmental assessment, and the pest 

risk assessment. This notice also 

announces the availability of our 

determination and finding of no 

significant impact. 

DATES: Effective Date: May 22, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may read the petition, 

the final environmental assessment, the 

pest risk assessment, the determination, 

the finding of no significant impact, 

comments we received on our previous 

notice, and our responses to those 

comments 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. To view these documents on 

the Internet, go to http:// 

www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ 

component/ 

main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS– 

2007–0017. 

Other Information: Additional 

information about APHIS and its 

programs is available on the Internet at 

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Patricia Beetham, Biotechnology 

Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737– 

1236; (301) 734–0664, e-mail: 

patricia.k.beetham@aphis.usda.gov. To 

obtain copies of the petition, final 

environmental assessment, or the 

finding of no significant impact, contact 

Ms. Cindy Eck by telephone at (301) 

734–0667 or via e-mail: 

cynthia.a.eck@aphis.usda.gov. The 

petition, final environmental assessment 

and finding of no significant impact are 

also available on the Internet at http:// 

www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/06_

33201p.pdf and http://www.aphis.usda.

gov/brs/aphisdocs/06_33201p_ea.pdf. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The regulations in 7 CFR part 340, 

‘‘Introduction of Organisms and 

Products Altered or Produced Through 

Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant 

Pests or Which There Is Reason to 

Believe Are Plant Pests,’’ regulate, 

among other things, the introduction 

(importation, interstate movement, or 

release into the environment) of 

organisms and products altered or 

produced through genetic engineering 

that are plant pests or that there is 

reason to believe are plant pests. Such 

genetically engineered organisms and 

products are considered ‘‘regulated 

articles.’’ 

The regulations in 340.6(a) provide 

that any person may submit a petition 

to the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) seeking a 

determination that an article should not 

be regulated under 7 CFR part 340. 

Paragraphs (b) and (c) of 340.6 describe 

the form that a petition for a 

determination of nonregulated status 


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