48788 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 202 / Friday, October 20, 2017 / Notices 

Act declaration requirement and clear 

under the BRASS program are advised 

to file the required declaration 

information along with their CBP entry 

summary documentation. 

Additional Information 

APHIS will continue to provide the 

latest information regarding the Lacey 

Act on our Web site, http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/ 

lacey_act/. The Web site currently 

contains the full text of the Lacey Act, 

as amended; a slideshow covering 

background and context, requirements, 

commodities and products covered, 

information on prohibitions, the current 

status of implementation of the 

declaration requirement of the Lacey 

Act, and frequently asked questions. 

The Web site will be updated as new 

materials become available. We 

encourage persons interested in 

receiving timely updates on APHIS’ 

Lacey Act efforts to register for our 

stakeholder registry at https://

public.govdelivery.com/accounts/ 

USDAAPHIS/subscriber/new/ and select 

‘‘Lacey Act Declaration’’ as a topic of 

interest. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of 

October 2017. 

Michael C. Gregoire, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22800 Filed 10–19–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA); 

Dairy Assistance Program for Puerto 

Rico (DAP–PR) in Response to 2017 

Hurricanes 

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation 

and Farm Service Agency, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This NOFA is in response to 

the devastation to dairy operations left 

by 2017 hurricanes in Puerto Rico. This 

NOFA announces the availability of an 

estimated $12 million to provide 

assistance to dairy operations in Puerto 

Rico for buying feed from feed dealers 

in Puerto Rico. Each dairy operation in 

Puerto Rico can apply to the Farm 

Service Agency (FSA) to receive a 

voucher to purchase a one-month 

supply of feed for 100 percent of the 

feed cost, as calculated by FSA. At the 

discretion of the Secretary of 

Agriculture, additional assistance may 

be provided for additional days of feed 

or for purchasing fuel if funds remain 

available, taking into consideration, 

among other things, the value of the 

feed vouchers. DAP–PR assistance will 

be provided to help the dairy industry 

in Puerto Rico with the production and 

marketing of dairy. 

DATES: Application period: October 20, 

2017 through December 1, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa 

Berry, (202) 720–7641. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Certain 2017 hurricanes caused 

widespread destruction in Puerto Rico, 

including to dairy operations. Dairy 

operations in Puerto Rico suffered 

intense damage in late September, 2017. 

Puerto Rico and its residents continue to 

suffer severe hardships related to the 

availability of electricity, fuel, and 

water, among other things. As a result 

of the 2017 hurricanes, dairy operations 

in Puerto Rico face the possibility of 

financial and other, actual losses to their 

dairy operation due to amount of and 

availability of feed for their animals and 

lack of electricity to run their dairy 

operations until recovery operations are 

able to stabilize conditions on Puerto 

Rico. There are an estimated 94,000 

dairy cows, heifers, and other livestock, 

such as bulls necessary for a dairy 

operation as part of Puerto Rico’s 277 

dairy operations. Dairy feed and fuel are 

both available on Puerto Rico; however, 

there are various challenges to dairy 

operations, including actual feed 

surcharges and the potential for 

additional surcharges, increasing the 

cost of feed to the dairy operations, and 

the recent preference of vendors 

subsequent to the hurricanes to be paid 

only in cash or certified check instead 

of their usual policy, prior to the 

hurricanes, to allow dairy operations to 

pay for feed with credit. 

The Commodity Credit Corporation 

Charter (CCC) Act (15 U.S.C. 714c(b)) 

includes authority for CCC to use its 

general powers to make available 

materials and facilities required in 

connection with the production and 

marketing of agricultural commodities 

(other than tobacco). The procurement 

of feed and fuel for the dairy sector in 

Puerto Rico is required in connection 

with the production and marketing of 

dairy in Puerto Rico. 

DAP–PR is being implemented as a 

NOFA, as opposed to a regulation, 

because it is one-time assistance to help 

Puerto Rico dairy operations purchase 

feed in connection with the production 

and marketing of dairy. FSA has 

designed DAP–PR as a simplified, 

stream-lined method to provide 

assistance as quickly as possible to dairy 

operations in Puerto Rico given the 

extent of the disaster and the resulting 

need for feed assistance. 

FSA will administer DAP–PR on 

behalf of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC), using CCC funds. 

DAP–PR Description 

DAP–PR is anticipated to provide an 

estimated $12 million to provide 

vouchers to dairy operations in Puerto 

Rico for acquiring feed from feed dealers 

in Puerto Rico. Each licensed dairy 

operation can apply to receive a voucher 

to acquire one-month supply of feed for 

100 percent of the feed cost, as 

calculated by FSA. The value of the 

voucher does not guarantee a given 

quantity of feed. The feed may last less 

or more than 30 days, depending upon 

the feeding requirements of each dairy 

operation and how much feed is 

acquired. 

FSA will prepare one voucher for the 

value of the required feed needs for each 

eligible dairy operation on Puerto Rico, 

as determined by FSA. The operation 

may elect to use the whole value of the 

voucher at one time, or may elect to use 

a portion of the voucher, up to 4 times, 

not to exceed the value of the voucher. 

The value of the voucher expires 45 

days from the date approved by FSA. If 

any value remains on the voucher after 

it expires, that value may not be used 

by the dairy operation. 

FSA, on behalf of CCC, through the 

vouchers themselves, will enter into 

agreements with Puerto Rican feed 

dealers to accept the vouchers from 

dairy operations. FSA will reimburse 

the dealers for the feed acquired via the 

vouchers. The voucher can only be used 

to acquire feed from the vendors and for 

no other purpose, including paying 

down any existing debt owed by a dairy 

operation or individual or producer 

affiliated with that dairy operation to a 

vendor. 

Application and Eligible Applicants 

Each dairy operation in Puerto Rico is 

licensed by the Department of 

Agriculture of Puerto Rico; as a result, 

FSA has received certain information 

from the Puerto Rican Department of 

Agriculture about each dairy, including, 

the name, address, contact information, 

and number of head of cattle. The 

information was compiled as of August 

2017. An application, on a form 

determined by FSA, will include the 

number of dairy head as reported to 

FSA by the Puerto Rican Department of 

Agriculture, and should only reflect the 

number of live, eligible dairy cows at 

the time of application. If the number of 

cattle on the application is correct, the 

dairy operation will certify as such on 


srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 202 / Friday, October 20, 2017 / Notices 48789 

the application. If the number of head 

has changed due to animal deaths or 

sales, the dairy operation must correct 

the number and certify to the change on 

the application. The dairy operation 

may apply for the Livestock Indemnity 

Program (LIP) If any cattle have died 

due to a LIP eligible cause of loss and 

all other LIP eligibility conditions and 

LIP payment limitations are met. The 

application period begins October 20, 

2017. DAP–PR applications must be 

received by FSA by December 1, 2017. 

Approval for Vouchers 

The result of an approved feed 

application will be a one-time 

maximum eligible amount for feed to be 

acquired by the eligible dairy operation, 

consistent with the terms specified in 

this NOFA. The acquisition of the total 

amount of feed determined under the 

DAP–PR for the 30 days can be spread 

among up to 4 feed acquisitions under 

the one voucher. As the dairy operation 

acquires feed from the vendor(s), FSA 

employees will deduct the value of the 

feed acquired, not to exceed the 

calculated eligible maximum. The 

vouchers can only be used to acquire 

feedstuff for the cattle on that dairy 

operation to consume, acquired from the 

feed vendor(s) and cannot be used for 

any other purpose. All applications are 

subject to the approval by FSA on behalf 

of CCC; FSA will not approve ineligible 

applications. 

Voucher Calculation 

The maximum value of the voucher 

will be determined based on (1) $101 

per adult cow, bull, and heifers over 2 

years old times the number of head in 

each of those categories in the dairy 

operation and (2) $34 per heifers under 

2 years old and young bulls and calves 

times the number of head in each of 

those categories in the dairy operation. 

The total will be the value of the 

voucher for the dairy operation. 

Additional Assistance 

If funds remain available under the 

DAP–PR, and if the Secretary of 

Agriculture determines that additional 

assistance can be provided, the 

acquisition of feed supply for days 

greater than a one-month supply may be 

made available under DAP–PR. In 

addition, at the sole discretion of the 

Secretary of Agriculture, DAP–PR may 

be made available for the purchase of 

fuel for generators. 

Provisions Requiring Refund to FSA 

In the event that any application for 

a DAP–PR voucher resulted from 

erroneous information or a 

miscalculation, the amount will be 

recalculated and the participant must 

refund any excess to FSA with interest 

to be calculated from the date of the 

disbursement to the participant. If for 

whatever reason FSA determines that 

the applicant misrepresented either the 

number of cows, or if the DAP–PR 

voucher would exceed the participant’s 

voucher based upon the correct number 

of cows, the application will be 

disapproved and the full DAP–PR 

voucher for that dairy and participant 

will be required to be refunded to FSA 

with interest from date of disbursement. 

The liability of anyone for any penalty 

or sanction resulting from a DAP–PR 

application, or for any refund to FSA or 

related charge is in addition to any other 

liability of such person under any civil 

or criminal fraud statute or any other 

provision of law including, but not 

limited to: 18 U.S.C. 286, 287, 371, 641, 

651, 1001, and 1014; 15 U.S.C. 714; and 

31 U.S.C. 3729. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

Requirements 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35), OMB approved an 

emergency information collection 

request on DAP–PR so FSA can begin 

the application period upon publication 

of this NOFA. 

Environmental Review 

Because this is a one-time provision 

of commodities and the impacts of 

DAP–PR occur outside of any impacts 

resulting from the existing dairy 

operations (consistent with 7 CFR 

799.31(b)(6)(iii)), there are no 

measureable individual or cumulative 

impacts to the human environment, as 

defined by the National Environmental 

Policy Act and, as such, no 

Environmental Assessment nor 

Environmental Impact Statement will be 

prepared. Consistent with the 

emergency nature of this action, this 

NOFA serves as documentation of the 

programmatic environmental 

compliance for this federal action. 

Steven J. Peterson, 

Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency, 

and Executive Vice President, Commodity 

Credit Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22868 Filed 10–19–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Census Bureau 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Manufacturers’ 

Shipments, Inventories, and Orders 

(M3) Survey 

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, written 

comments must be submitted on or 

before December 19, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 

14th and Constitution Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at PRAcomments@doc.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument(s) and instructions should 

be directed to Mary Catherine Potter, 

U.S. Census Bureau, Economic 

Indicators Division, 4600 Silver Hill 

Rd., Room 7K157, Washington, DC 

20233–6913, (301) 763–4207 or via the 

Internet at mary.catherine.potter@

census.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The U.S. Census Bureau plans to 

request an extension of the current 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) clearance of the Manufacturers’ 

Shipments, Inventories and Orders (M3) 

survey. The M3 survey requests data 

monthly from domestic manufacturers 

on form M–3 (SD). Data requested are 

shipments, new orders, unfilled orders, 

total inventory, materials and supplies, 

work-in-process, and finished goods. 

The M3 survey is designed to measure 

current industrial activity and to 

provide an indication of future 

production commitments. The value of 

shipments measures the value of goods 

delivered during the month by domestic 

manufacturers. Estimates of new orders 

serve as an indicator of future 

production commitments and represent 

the current sales value of new orders 

received during the month, net of 

cancellations. Substantial accumulation 


srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with NOTICES