51802 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 215 / Wednesday, November 8, 2017 / Notices 

Dated: October 23, 2017. 

Brandon Lipps, 

Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24348 Filed 11–7–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–30–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture 

Notice of Availability of Draft Scientific 

Assessment for Public Comment 

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft 

scientific assessment for public 

comment. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of 

Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is 

publishing this notice on behalf of the 

Carbon Cycle Interagency Working 

Group (CCIWG)/U.S. Carbon Cycle 

Science Program and the United States 

Global Change Research Program 

(USGCRP) to announce the availability 

of a draft assessment, the 2nd State of 

the Carbon Cycle Science Report 

(SOCCR–2), for a 60-day public review. 

Collected comments will be carefully 

reviewed by the relevant chapter author 

teams. Following revision and further 

review, a revised draft will undergo 

final Federal interagency clearance. 

DATES: Written comments on this notice 

must be received by 11:59 p.m. on 

January 8, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Once released, the draft 

USGCRP 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle 

Report can be accessed via the USGCRP 

Open Notices page (http://

www.globalchange.gov/notices) or 

directly at the USGCRP Review and 

Comment System (https://

review.globalchange.gov/). Registration 

details can be found on the review site 

home page, and review instructions can 

be found on a dedicated special report 

page where comments from the public 

will be accepted electronically. 

Comments may be submitted only via 

this online mechanism. 

All comments received through this 

process will be considered by the 

relevant chapter authors without 

knowledge of the commenters’ 

identities. When the final assessment is 

issued, the comments and the 

commenters’ names, along with the 

authors’ responses, will become part of 

the public record and made available on 

http://www.globalchange.gov. 

Information submitted by a commenter 

as part of the registration process (such 

as an email address) will not be 

disclosed publicly. 

Instructions: Response to this notice 

is voluntary. Responses to this notice 

may be used by the government for 

program planning on a non-attribution 

basis. USDA therefore requests that no 

business proprietary information or 

copyrighted information be submitted in 

response to this notice. Please note that 

the U.S. Government will not pay for 

response preparation, or for the use of 

any information contained in the 

response. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. 

Carbon Cycle Science Program/CCIWG/ 

USGCRP Contact: Dr. Gyami Shrestha; 

email: gshrestha@usgcrp.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Context: 

The U.S. Global Change Research 

Program (USGCRP) is mandated under 

the Global Change Research Act (GCRA) 

of 1990 to conduct a quadrennial 

National Climate Assessment (NCA). 

Under its current decadal strategic plan 

(http://go.usa.gov/3qGU4), USGCRP is 

building sustained assessment capacity. 

The sustained assessment supports the 

Nation’s ability to understand, 

anticipate, and respond to risks and 

potential impacts brought about by 

global environmental change. As part of 

the ongoing NCA process, the 2nd State 

of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR–2) 

is being developed to inform the 

assessment. The last (3rd) NCA (2014) 

(NCA3: http://

nca2014.globalchange.gov) and the 

process to develop it provided a 

foundation for subsequent activities and 

reports. The SOCCR–2 assessment 

provides an update to the carbon cycle 

science information presented in the 

2014 NCA and the 2007 State of the 

Carbon Cycle Report, a Scientific 

Assessment Product (SAP 2.2) that 

directly informed the 2nd NCA. The 

SOCCR–2 assessment provides updated 

carbon cycle science findings and 

projections, and is an important input to 

the authors of the next quadrennial 

NCA, expected in 2018. 

The 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle 

Report (SOCCR–2) is a product of the 

U.S. Global Change Research Program 

(USGCRP), and is organized and led by 

an interagency team, the Carbon Cycle 

Interagency Working Group. The draft 

assessment was written by Federal and 

non-Federal authors identified via an 

Open Call for nominations 

(www.federalregister.gov/documents/ 

2016/02/12/2016-02927/request-forpublic-engagement-in-the-interagencyspecial-report-2nd-state-of-the-carboncycle-report). An interagency Federal 

Steering Committee selected authors 

based on their demonstrated subject 

matter expertise, relevant publications, 

and knowledge of specific topics 

designated in an outline included in the 

SOCCR–2 prospectus that can be found 

through a link on the SOCCR–2 (https:// 

www.carboncyclescience.us/statecarbon-cycle-report-soccr. This 

assessment responds to the 1990 

Congressional mandate to periodically 

produce National Climate Assessments 

and to assist the nation in 

understanding, assessing, predicting, 

and responding to global change. The 

report adheres to the Information 

Quality Act requirements (http://

www.cio.noaa.gov/services_programs/ 

info_quality.html) for quality, 

transparency, and accessibility as 

appropriate for a Highly Influential 

Scientific Assessment (HISA). 

Done at Washington, DC, on November 3, 

2017. 

Sonny Ramaswamy, 

Director, National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24347 Filed 11–7–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Notice of Request for Extension of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service (RHS) 

and Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

(RBS), USDA. 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments 

requested. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intention of the 

above-named Agencies to request an 

extension for the currently approved 

information collection in support of the 

servicing of Community and Direct 

Business Programs Loans and Grants. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by January 8, 2018 to be 

assured of consideration. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

inquiries on the Information Collection 

Package, contact Anita Outen, 

Community Programs, RHS, USDA, 

1400 Independence Ave. SW., Mail Stop 

0787, Washington, DC 20250–0787, 

Telephone (202) 690–5273. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: 7 CFR 1951–E, Servicing of 

Community and Direct Business 

Programs Loans and Grants. 

OMB Number: 0575–0066. 


ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 215 / Wednesday, November 8, 2017 / Notices 51803 

Expiration Date of Approval: March 

31, 2018. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: The Community Facilities 

program is authorized to make loans 

and grants to public entities, nonprofit 

corporations, and Indian tribes for the 

development of essential community 

facilities primarily serving rural 

residents. The Direct Business and 

Industry program, under Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service, is 

authorized to make loans to improve, 

develop, or finance business, industry, 

and employment, and improve the 

economic and environmental climate in 

rural communities. 

The purpose of this collection is to 

establish security servicing policies, 

assist recipients in meeting the 

objectives of the loans and grants, repay 

loans on schedule, comply with 

agreements, and protect the 

Government’s financial interest. Routine 

servicing responsibilities include 

collection of payments, compliance 

reviews, security inspections, review of 

financial reports, determining 

applicant/borrower eligibility and 

project feasibility for various servicing 

actions, monitoring delinquent 

accounts, and supervision activities. 

Supervision by the Agencies include, 

but is not limited to: Review of budgets, 

management reports, audits and 

financial statements; performing 

security inspections; providing, 

arranging, or recommending technical 

assistance; evaluating environmental 

impacts of proposed actions by the 

borrower; performing civil rights 

compliance reviews; and assisting in the 

development of workout agreements. 

Information will be collected by the 

field offices from applicants, borrowers, 

consultants, lenders, and attorneys. 

Failure to collect information could 

result in improper servicing of these 

loans. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 1 hour per 

response. 

Respondents: State, local or tribal 

Governments, Not-for-profit institutions, 

businesses, and individuals. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

112. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

1,446. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 1,327. 

Copies of the information collection 

can be obtained from Jeanne Jacobs, 

Regulations and Paperwork 

Management Branch, at (202) 692–0040. 

Comments 

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the Agencies, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of 

the Agencies’ estimate of the burden of 

the proposed collection of information 

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 

Jeanne Jacobs, Regulations and 

Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Rural 

Development, 1400 Independence Ave. 

SW., Washington, DC 20024. 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. 

Bryan Hooper, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24244 Filed 11–7–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Notice of Request for Extension of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments 

requested. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Rural Housing 

Service’s (RHS or Agency) intention to 

request an extension for a currently 

approved information collection in 

support of the programs under Direct 

Single Family Housing Loans and 

Grants. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by January 8, 2018 to be 

assured consideration. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Brooke Baumann, Branch Chief, Single 

Family Housing Direct Loan Division, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW., Stop 

0783, Washington, DC 20250–0783, 

Telephone: (202) 690–4250, Email: 

brooke.baumann@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Direct Single Family Housing 

Loans and Grants. 

OMB Number: 0575–0172. 

Expiration Date of Approval: March 

31, 2018. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: Through its direct single 

family housing loan and grant programs 

(specifically the Sections 502 and 504 

programs), RHS provides eligible 

applicants with financial assistance to 

own adequate but modest homes in 

rural areas. The financing and servicing 

is provided directly by RHS. The 

Section 502 direct loan program 

provides 100 percent loan financing to 

assist low- and very low-income 

applicants purchase modest homes in 

eligible rural areas by providing 

payment assistance to increase an 

applicant’s repayment ability. The 

Section 504 loan program provides one 

percent interest rate loans to very lowincome homeowners in eligible rural 

areas to repair, improve, or modernize 

their home or to remove health and 

safety hazards. The Section 504 grant 

program provides grants to elderly very 

low-income homeowners in eligible 

rural areas to remove health and safety 

hazards, or accessibility barriers from 

their home, often in conjunction with a 

Section 504 loan. 

Applicants must provide the Agency 

with a uniform residential loan 

application and supporting 

documentation (e.g. verification of 

income, assets, liabilities, etc.) when 

applying for assistance. The information 

requested regarding the applicant and 

the property is vital in order for the 

Agency to make sound eligibility and 

underwriting decisions that comply 

with the laws and regulations that 

govern the programs. The information 

requested is comparable to that required 

by any public or private mortgage 

lender. 

When servicing loans, RHS offers 

servicing options that are standard to 

the industry. In addition, RHS offers 

unique servicing options (e.g. payment 

subsidies and payment moratoriums) 

and is required to take unique servicing 

actions (e.g., review borrowers for their 

ability to refinance with private credit). 

Borrowers must provide the Agency 

with pertinent information when a 

servicing option/action is requested/ 

required in order for the Agency to 

make sound servicing decisions that 

comply with the laws and regulations 

that govern the programs. 


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