44156 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 182 / Thursday, September 21, 2017 / Notices 

4NAPPO Work Program: http://nappo.org/ 

english/710/status-current-nappo-projects/. 

5For more information on the NAPPO draft 

RSPM consultation: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 

aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/sa_international/sa_

phytostandards/ct_draft_standards. 

6NAPPO Web site: http://nappo.org/. 

New NAPPO Standard-Setting 

Initiatives, Including Those in 

Development 

The 2017 work program 4 includes the 

following topics being worked on by 

NAPPO expert groups. APHIS intends to 

participate actively and fully in the 

2017 NAPPO work program. The APHIS 

position on each topic will be guided 

and informed by the best technical and 

scientific information available, as well 

as on relevant input from stakeholders. 

For each of the following, the United 

States will consider its position on any 

draft standard after it reviews a 

prepared draft. Information regarding 

the following NAPPO projects, 

assignments, activities, and updates on 

meeting times and locations may be 

obtained from the NAPPO Web site or 

by contacting Ms. Patricia Abad (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above). 

1. Asian Gypsy Moth: Develop a 

NAPPO document on validation of the 

specified risk periods for Asian gypsy 

moth in countries of origin. 

2. Biological Control: Develop a 

Spanish module on preparing a petition 

for first release of entomophagous 

biological control agents, based on the 

English module prepared in 2016. 

3. Electronic Phytosanitary 

Certification: Provide assistance and 

technical support to the IPPC ePhyto 

Steering Group. 

4. Forestry: Work to finalize a NAPPO 

standard on the potential use of systems 

approaches to manage pest risks 

associated with the movement of wood, 

taking into account comments received 

from April to June 2017 country 

consultation period. 

5. Grains: Develop a NAPPO 

discussion document on a harmonized 

approach to prevent introduction and 

spread of Khapra beetle (Trogoderma 

granarium). 

6. Lymantriids: Develop a NAPPO 

Science and Technology paper on the 

risks associated with Lymantriids of 

potential concern to the NAPPO region. 

7. Phytosanitary Alert System (PAS): 

Manage the NAPPO pest reporting 

system. 

8. Advancing key phytosanitary 

concepts: (a) Review stakeholder input 

on topic of diversion from intended use; 

(b) Finalize a discussion document on 

‘‘interpretation of existing guidance’’ in 

standards on evaluation of the 

likelihood of establishment component 

of a pest risk analysis (PRA) for 

quarantine pests, taking into account 

comments received from April to May 

2017 country consultation period; and 

(c) Organize an international 

symposium on inspection sampling to 

support proper and harmonized 

implementation of ISPM 23: Guidelines 

for Inspection and ISPM 31: 

Methodologies for sampling of 

consignments in the NAPPO region and 

internationally. NAPPO, with 

substantial APHIS–PPQ support, 

welcomed 122 participants from 27 

countries to the first-ever International 

Symposium for Risk-Based Sampling, 

held from June 16–21, 2017. 

9. Potato: Continue to review RSPM 3 

to align it with ISPM 33: Pest free potato 

(Solanum sp.) micropropagative 

material and minitubers for 

international trade. 

10. Seeds: Finalize NAPPO discussion 

document on harmonized criteria for 

evaluating phytosanitary seed 

treatments, taking into account 

comments received from April to May 

2017 country consultation period. 

11. Foundation and Procedure 

documents: Update various foundation 

or procedure documents. 

The PPQ Assistant Deputy 

Administrator, as the official U.S. 

delegate to NAPPO, intends to 

participate in the adoption of these 

regional plant health standards and 

projects, including the work described 

above, once they are completed and 

ready for such consideration. 

The information in this notice 

contains all the information available to 

us on NAPPO standards under 

development or consideration. For 

updates on meeting times and for 

information on the expert groups that 

may become available following 

publication of this notice, visit the 

NAPPO Web site or contact Ms. Patricia 

Abad (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT above). PPQ actively works to 

achieve broad participation by States, 

industry, and other stakeholders in the 

development and use of international 

and regional plant health standards. 

Plant health stakeholders are strongly 

encouraged to comment on draft 

standards, documents, and 

specifications. APHIS posts links to 

draft standards on the Internet as they 

become available and provides 

information on the due dates for 

comments.5 Additional information on 

NAPPO standards (including the 

NAPPO Work Program, standard setting 

process, and adopted standards) is 

available on the NAPPO Web site.6

Information on official U.S. 

participation in NAPPO activities, 

including U.S. positions on standards 

being considered, may also be obtained 

from Ms. Abad. Those wishing to 

provide comments on any of the topics 

being addressed in the NAPPO work 

program may do so at any time by 

responding to this notice (see 

ADDRESSES above) or by transmitting 

comments through Ms. Abad. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of 

September 2017. 

Jere L. Dick, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20119 Filed 9–20–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2017–0060] 

Addition of Zimbabwe to the List of 

Regions Affected by Highly Pathogenic 

Avian Influenza 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that we are adding Zimbabwe to the list 

of regions that the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service considers to 

be affected by highly pathogenic avian 

influenza (HPAI). This action follows 

our imposition of HPAI-related 

restrictions on avian commodities 

originating from or transiting Zimbabwe 

as a result of the confirmation of HPAI 

in Zimbabwe. 

DATES: Zimbabwe was added to the list 

of regions under temporary restrictions 

on June 1, 2017. Zimbabwe is added to 

the list of regions considered to be 

affected by HPAI as of September 21, 

2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Javier Vargas, Import Risk Analyst, 

National Import Export Services, VS, 

APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851–3300; 

Javier.Vargas@aphis.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to 

below as the regulations) govern the 

importation of certain animals and 

animal products into the United States 

to prevent the introduction of various 

animal diseases, including Newcastle 

disease and highly pathogenic avian 

influenza (HPAI). The regulations 

prohibit or restrict the importation of 

live poultry, poultry meat, and other 

poultry products from regions where 

these diseases are considered to exist. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 182 / Thursday, September 21, 2017 / Notices 44157 

Section 94.6 of part 94 of the 

regulations contains requirements 

governing the importation into the 

United States of carcasses, meat, parts or 

products of carcasses, and eggs (other 

than hatching eggs) of poultry, game 

birds, or other birds from regions of the 

world where HPAI exists or is 

reasonably believed to exist. HPAI is an 

extremely infectious and potentially 

fatal form of avian influenza in birds 

and poultry that, once established, can 

spread rapidly from flock to flock. A list 

of regions that the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

considers affected with HPAI of any 

subtype is maintained on the APHIS 

Web site at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 

aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animaland-animal-product-importinformation/ct_animal_disease_status. 

APHIS receives notice of HPAI 

outbreaks from veterinary officials of the 

exporting country, from the World 

Organization for Animal Health (OIE), 

or from other sources the Administrator 

determines to be reliable. On June 1, 

2017, the veterinary authorities of 

Zimbabwe reported to the OIE the 

confirmation of a highly pathogenic 

H5N8 strain of avian influenza in the 

Province of Mashonaland East that 

affected a commercial poultry breeding 

farm for broilers and layers with a total 

census of approximately 2 million birds. 

In response to that outbreak, APHIS 

placed restrictions on the importation of 

poultry, commercial birds, other types 

of birds (research, performing), ratites, 

any avian hatching eggs, unprocessed 

avian products and byproducts, and 

certain fresh poultry products from 

Zimbabwe to mitigate risk of HPAI 

introduction into the United States. 

Those restrictions went into effect on 

June 1, 2017. With the publication of 

this notice, we are adding Zimbabwe to 

the list of regions APHIS considers 

affected with HPAI of any subtype. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701–7772, 7781– 

7786, and 8301–8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 

136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 

371.4. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of 

September 2017. 

Jere L. Dick, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20120 Filed 9–20–17; 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, the 

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites 

comments on this information 

collection for which RUS intends to 

request approval from the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by November 20, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas Dickson, Acting Director, 

Program Development and Regulatory 

Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, USDA, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW., STOP 

1522, Room 5164, South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–4492. Fax: (202) 

720–8435 or email Thomas.Dickson@

wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget’s (OMB) 

regulation (5 CFR part 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 collection 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 Dickson, Acting Director, 

Program Development and Regulatory 

Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Stop 1522, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–4493, Fax: (202) 

720–8435. Email: Thomas.Dickson@

wdc.usda.gov. 

Title: 7 CFR 1726, Electric System 

Construction Policies and Procedures. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0107. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Abstract: In order to facilitate the 

programmatic interest of the Rural 

Electrification Act of 1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 

et seq. (RE Act), and, in order to assure 

that loans made or guaranteed by RUS 

are adequately secured, RUS, as a 

secured lender, has established certain 

standards and specifications for 

materials, equipment, and construction 

of electric systems. The use of standard 

forms, construction contracts, and 

procurement procedures helps assure 

that appropriate standards and 

specification are maintained, that RUS’ 

loan security is not adversely affected, 

and the loan and loan guarantee funds 

are used effectively and for the intended 

purposes. The list of forms and 

corresponding purposes for this 

information collection are as follows: 

1. RUS Form 168b, Contractor’s Bond 

This form is used to provide a surety 

bond for contracts on RUS Forms 200, 

257, 786, 790, & 830. 

2. RUS Form 168c, Contractor’s Bond 

(less than $1 million) 

This form is used to provide a surety 

bond in lieu of RUS Form 168b, when 

contractor’s surety has accepted a small 

business administration guarantee. 

3. RUS Form 187, Certificate of 

Completion-Contract Construction 

This form is used for the closeout of 

RUS Forms 200, 257, 786, and 830. 

4. RUS Form 198, Equipment Contract 

This form is used for equipment 

purchases. 

5. RUS Form 200, Construction 

Contract-Generating 

This form is used for generating plant 

construction or for the furnishing and 

installation of major items of 

equipment. 

6. RUS Form 213, Certificate (‘‘Buy 

American’’) 

This form is used to document 

compliance with the ‘‘Buy American’’ 

requirement. 

7. RUS Form 224, Waiver and Release 

of Lien 

This form is used by subcontractors to 

provide a release of lien in connection 

with the closeout of RUS Forms 198, 

200, 257, 786, 790, and 830. 

8. RUS Form 231, Certificate of 

Contractor 

This form is used for the closeout of 

RUS Forms 198, 200, 257, 786, and 830. 


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