Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 64679 [E6-18543]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 213 (Friday, November 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 64679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18543]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 213 / Friday, November 3, 2006 / 
Notices

[[Page 64679]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

October 30, 2006.
    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 
regarding (a) 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; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (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 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, D.C. 20250-7602. Comments regarding these 
information collections are best assured of having their full effect if 
received within 30 days of this notification. 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.

Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service

    Title: 7 CFR 340; Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered or 
Produced Through Genetic Engineering.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0085.
    Summary of Collection: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) is charged with preventing the introduction of plant 
pest into the United States or their dissemination within the United 
States. The statutory requirements for the information collection 
activity are found in the Plant Pest Act (PPA). The regulations in 7 
CFR part 340 implement the provisions of the PPA by providing the 
information necessary to establish conditions for proposed 
introductions of certain genetically engineered organisms and products 
which present a risk of plant pest introduction. APHIS will collect 
information using several APHIS forms.
    Need and Use of the Information: APHIS will collect the information 
through a notification procedure or a permit requirement to ensure that 
certain genetically engineered organisms, when imported, moved 
interstate, or released into the environment, will not present a risk 
of plant pest introduction. The information collected through the 
petition process is used to determine whether a genetically engineered 
organism will pose a risk to agriculture or the environment if grown in 
the absence of regulations by APHIS. The information is also provided 
to State departments of agriculture for review, and made available to 
the public and private sectors on the Internet to ensure that all 
sectors are kept informed concerning any potential risks posed through 
the use of genetic engineering technology.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for profit; Not-for-
profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 121.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,940.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

    Title: Asian Longhorn Beetle (ALB).
    OMB Control Number: 0579-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a 
destructive pest of hardwood trees. It attacks many healthy hardwood 
trees, including maple, horse chestnut, birch, popular, willow, and 
elm. The beetle bores into the heartwood of a host tree, eventually 
killing the tree. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has administered an ALB Cooperative 
Eradication Program since 1996 to eradicate this destructive pest from 
the United States. Areas found to be infested are quarantined, and the 
movement of host material from the area is restricted. However, ALB 
continues to be a serious threat, and APHIS believes that public 
support is crucial to eradication efforts. APHIS plans to enlist the 
public's assistance in reporting the presence or absence of the ALB in 
their local areas. APHIS will invite members of the public to report 
the results of any surveys they conduct using a simple on-line form on 
the internet to record sighting and nonsighting.
    Need and Use of the Information: The voluntary online survey will 
collect the following information from each respondent: If the person 
reporting does not locate any beetles, the survey asks only for the 
location searched and the school the person attends. A name, phone 
number, and address will be optional. For positive sightings, the name 
of the person reporting the finding, a way to contact them, the exact 
address/location of the sighting, and details on where the tree is 
located are needed. Failure to collect this information could lead to 
the deregulation of areas where the beetle is still present, thus 
leading to a large scale outbreak.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 5,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 415.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
 [FR Doc. E6-18543 Filed 11-2-06; 8:45 am]
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