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

44376 

Vol. 82, No. 183 

Friday, September 22, 2017 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[No. AMS–LPS–17–0042] 

Request for Approval of a New 

Information Collection for Beef 

Producers To Request for State To 

Retain a Portion of Assessments 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Agency’s intent to 

request emergency approval from the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for a new information collection 

for beef producers, where applicable, to 

provide prior affirmative consent 

authorizing a state Qualified State Beef 

Council (QSBC) to retain a portion of 

their assessments collected under the 

Beef Promotion and Research Act of 

1985 (Act). 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

November 21, 2017. Pursuant to the 

Paperwork Reduction Act, comments on 

the information collection burden that 

would result from this proposal must be 

received by November 21, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit comments concerning 

this notice by using the electronic 

process available at 

www.regulations.gov. Written comments 

may also be submitted to Research and 

Promotion Division; Livestock, Poultry, 

and Seed Program; AMS, USDA, Room 

2608–S, STOP 0249; 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

0249; or facsimile to (202) 720–1125. All 

comments should reference the docket 

number AMS–LPS–17–0042, the date of 

submission, and the page number of this 

issue of the Federal Register. All 

comments received will be posted 

without change, including any personal 

information provided at 

www.regulations.gov and will be 

included in the record and made 

available for public inspection at the 

above office during regular business 

hours. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mike Dinkel, Research and Promotion 

Division, at (301) 352–7497; facsimile 

(202) 720–1125; or by email at 

Michael.Dinkel@ams.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview of This Information 

Collection 

Agency: AMS. 

Title: Beef Research and Promotion 

Program: Producer Request for State to 

Retain Checkoff Assessment Form. 

OMB Number: 0581–NEW. 

Type of Request: New Information 

Collection. 

Abstract: Congress has delegated the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

the responsibility for implementing and 

overseeing the Beef Research and 

Promotion Program. The enabling 

legislation for the Beef Research and 

Promotion Program is the Act (7 U.S.C. 

2901–2911). 

On June 21, 2017, a U.S. District Court 

Judge in Montana granted a preliminary 

injunction enjoining USDA from 

continuing to allow the Montana Beef 

Council (MBC) to use the assessments 

that it is qualified to collect under the 

Beef Checkoff Program to fund 

advertising campaigns, unless a cattle 

producer provides prior affirmative 

consent authorizing MBC to retain a 

portion of the cattle producer’s 

assessment. As a result of this 

preliminary injunction, MBC must begin 

forwarding all Beef Checkoff Program 

funds directly to the Cattlemen’s Beef 

Promotion and Research Board (Beef 

Board), absent proof that a producer has 

provided advance affirmative consent 

authorizing MBC to retain a portion of 

that producer’s assessment. 

By law, all cattle producers, except 

organic producers, must pay $1-perhead assessment as required under the 

Act and the Beef Promotion and 

Research Order (Order). Importers of 

cattle, beef, and beef products pay an 

equivalent amount. Under the Act and 

Order, QSBCs are responsible for 

collecting monthly assessments. 

Effective immediately as a result of 

the preliminary injunction, beef 

producers in Montana must provide 

prior affirmative consent to retain up to 

50 cents of the $1 Federal assessment 

with MBC. Otherwise their full 

assessment will be forwarded to and 

retained by the Beef Board. 

The Order and the regulation 

governing the Beef Research and 

Promotion Program authorize the Beef 

Board to collect and submit certain 

information as required. The 

information will be used by certain beef 

producers who seek to have their 

assessments remain in the state where a 

QSBC exists instead of being forwarded 

to the Beef Board. 

AMS developed this form to 

effectively carry out the court order. At 

this time, one form would permit beef 

producers to retain a portion of the 

Federal assessment rather than remitting 

the full Federal assessment to the 

national program. The form AMS 

developed is LPS–2 Producer Request to 

Retain Beef Checkoff Assessment 

Form—the purpose of the form will be 

used by certain beef producers who 

request that a portion of their required 

Federal assessment be retained by the 

QSBC. 

Upon Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) approval of the new form 

LPS–2 and the information collection 

package, AMS will request OMB 

approval to merge the new form and this 

information collection in the currently 

approved information collection OMB 

control number 0581–0093. 

Estimate of Burden for LPS–2: Public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 5 

minutes per cattle producer. 

Respondents: Beef producers in 

certain states. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

100. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent per Year: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 8.30 hours. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(1) 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) the accuracy of the Agency’s 

estimate of the burden of the 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 

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices 44377 

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 of 

other forms of information technology. 

All responses to this document will 

be summarized and included in the 

request for OMB approval. All responses 

will become a matter of public record, 

including any personal information 

provided. 

Dated: September 18, 2017. 

Bruce Summers, 

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20184 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Research Service 

Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive 

License 

AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, intends to grant to DVO, 

Inc. of Chilton, Wisconsin, an exclusive 

license to the Federal Government’s 

rights in U.S. Patent No. 8,414,808, 

‘‘Composite Components from 

Anaerobic Digested Fibrous Materials’’, 

issued on April 9, 2013. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before October 23, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Tom 

Moreland, Technology Transfer 

Coordinator, USDA Forest Service, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250 Mail Stop 2CE– 

021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom 

Moreland of the USDA Forest Service at 

the Washington, DC address given 

above; telephone: 443–677–6858; or 

email: twmoreland@fs.fed.us. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The patent 

rights in this invention are co-owned by 

the United States of America, as 

represented by the Secretary of 

Agriculture, and DVO, Inc. of Chilton, 

Wisconsin. The prospective exclusive 

license will grant to the co-owner, DVO, 

Inc., an exclusive license to the Federal 

Government’s patent rights. It is in the 

public interest to so license this 

invention as DVO, Inc. has submitted a 

complete and sufficient application for 

a license. The prospective exclusive 

license will be royalty-bearing and will 

comply with the terms and conditions 

of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. The 

prospective exclusive license may be 

granted unless, within thirty (30) days 

from the date of this published Notice, 

the Forest Service receives written 

evidence and argument which 

establishes that the grant of the license 

would not be consistent with the 

requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 

CFR 404.7. 

Mojdeh Bahar, 

Assistant Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20180 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–03–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Research Service 

Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive 

License 

AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Agricultural Research Service, intends 

to grant to Rainier Seeds, Inc. of 

Davenport, Washington, an exclusive 

license to the variety of crested 

wheatgrass described in Plant Variety 

Protection Application Number 

201600403, ‘USDA–FORAGECREST,’ 

filed on September 4, 2016. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before October 23, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: USDA, 

ARS, Office of Technology Transfer, 

5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Rm. 4–1174, 

Beltsville, Maryland 20705–5131. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Brian T. Nakanishi of the Office of 

Technology Transfer at the Beltsville 

address given above; telephone: 301– 

504–5989. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Federal Government’s rights in this 

plant variety are assigned to the United 

States of America, as represented by the 

Secretary of Agriculture. It is in the 

public interest to so license this plant 

variety as Rainier Seeds, Inc. of 

Davenport, Washington has submitted a 

complete and sufficient application for 

a license. The prospective exclusive 

license will be royalty-bearing and will 

comply with the terms and conditions 

of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. The 

prospective exclusive license may be 

granted unless, within thirty (30) days 

from the date of this published Notice, 

the Agricultural Research Service 

receives written evidence and argument 

which establishes that the grant of the 

license would not be consistent with the 

requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 

CFR 404.7. 

Mojdeh Bahar, 

Assistant Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20175 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–03–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

September 19, 2017. 

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 are 

requested regarding (1) 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) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of burden 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 through the 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments regarding this information 

collection received by October 23, 2017 

will be considered. Written comments 

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. 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. 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Title: Assessment of States’ Use of 

Computer Matching Protocols in SNAP. 

OMB Control Number: 0584–NEW. 

Summary of Collection: This study is 

authorized under Section 3 of the