Notice of Request for New Information Collection on Genetic Resources for U.S. Food and Agriculture, 17296-17297 [E8-6506]
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17296
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 63 / Tuesday, April 1, 2008 / Notices
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that authorize the movement of
regulated articles and is vital to help
ensure that injurious plant pests are not
spread interstate from Hawaii and U.S.
territories to noninfested areas of the
United States.
We are asking the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to
approve our use of these information
collection activities for an additional 3
years.
The purpose of this notice is to solicit
comments from the public (as well as
affected agencies) concerning our
information collection. These comments
will help us:
(1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of our
estimate of the burden of the collection
of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, through use, as
appropriate, of automated, electronic,
mechanical, and other collection
technologies; e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
Estimate of burden: The public
reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average
0.0786158 hours per response.
Respondents: State plant regulatory
officials, irradiation facility personnel,
and individuals involved in growing,
packing, handling, and transporting
plants and plant products.
Estimated annual number of
respondents: 1,129.
Estimated annual number of
responses per respondent: 11.108945.
Estimated annual number of
responses: 12,542.
Estimated total annual burden on
respondents: 986 hours. (Due to
averaging, the total annual burden hours
may not equal the product of the annual
number of responses multiplied by the
reporting burden per response.)
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.
Done in Washington, DC, this 27th day of
March 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8–6649 Filed 3–31–08; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service
Notice of Request for New Information
Collection on Genetic Resources for
U.S. Food and Agriculture
Foreign Agricultural Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice
announces the Foreign Agricultural
Service’s intention, in collaboration
with the University of Illinois, to
request a new information collection for
genetic resources relevant to U.S. food
and agriculture.
DATES: Comments and
recommendations must be received on
or before June 2, 2008. Comments
received after this date will not be
considered.
Dr.
Jennifer Long, Visiting Assistant
Research Professor, Department of
Biological Sciences, University of
Illinois, 845 W. Taylor Street (MC 066),
Chicago, IL 60607, e-mail at
vernlong@uic.edu.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Food and Agricultural Genetic
Resources.
OMB Number: To be assigned by
OMB.
Expiration Date of Approval: Three
years from approval date.
Type of Request: New information
collection.
Abstract: The Foreign Agricultural
Service, in collaboration with the
University of Illinois, will be gathering
information on the international sources
and uses of genetic resources relevant to
U.S. food and agriculture. FAS and
other USDA agencies would like to
obtain information from a broad base of
stakeholders on how the sources and
uses of genetic resources may affect U.S.
food and agricultural research and
development activities. This
information will assist FAS in further
developing U.S. policy positions to be
advanced in international forums such
as the United Nations Food and
Agricultural Organization (UN FAO)
Commission on Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture and the United
Nations Environmental Program (UNEP)
Convention on Biological Diversity.
Information collected from stakeholders
will consist of an online survey,
followed by a phone interview, to
identify the sources and uses of genetic
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resources in the stakeholders’ research
and development activities. A
maximum of two additional phone
interviews may be held with
respondents to clarify information from
survey responses. Authority to collect
this information falls under 7 U.S.C.
Part 5693 and it is voluntary for
stakeholders to participate. The data
will be collected through a secure,
online survey instrument and will be
stored on a secure, password protected
server at the University of Illinois. Only
individuals with proper authorization
(i.e., a password) will have access to the
data.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average 1.50 hours per
response.
Type of Respondents: Individual
faculty and administrators in public and
private U.S. universities, businesses,
and individual researchers at federal
agricultural research institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
5,000 per annum.
Estimated Number of Responses:
5,900 per annum.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 9,900 per annum.
Comments are invited on: (1) 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; (2) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed 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
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 or
other forms of information technology.
Copies of the information collection
may be obtained from Tamoria
Thompson-Hall, the Agency Information
Collection Coordinator, at (202) 690–
1690 or e-mail at
Tamoria.Thompson@usda.gov.
Comments may be sent to Dr. Jennifer
Long, Visiting Assistant Research
Professor, Department of Biological
Sciences, University of Illinois, 845
West Taylor Street (MC 066), Chicago,
IL 60607 or e-mail at vernlong@uic.edu
or to the Desk Officer for Agriculture,
Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Washington, DC 20503. All
comments received will be available for
public inspection during regular
business hours by contacting Peter
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 63 / Tuesday, April 1, 2008 / Notices
Tabor, Lead International Trade
Specialist, at the Foreign Agricultural
Service of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW., South Building, Room
5930, Washington, DC 20250. Persons
with disabilities who require an
alternative means of communication of
information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s
Target Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice
and TDD). All responses to this notice
will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval of the
proposed information collection. All
comments will become a matter of
public record.
Government Paperwork Elimination
Act: FAS is committed to compliance
with the Government Paperwork
Elimination Act, which requires
Government agencies, in general, to
provide the public the option of
submitting information or transacting
business electronically to the maximum
extent possible.
Signed at Washington, DC, on March 19,
2008.
Michael W. Yost,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. E8–6506 Filed 3–31–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–10–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Klamath National Forest, California,
Eddy Gulch Late-Successional
Reserve Fire/Habitat Protection Project
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of Intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement.
AGENCY:
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ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Klamath National Forest
will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to document and
publicly disclose the environmental
effects of implementing mechanical,
manual, and prescribed burn treatments
in the Eddy Gulch Late-Successional
Reserve (LSR).
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received within
30 days of the publication of this notice
in the Federal Register. The draft EIS is
expected in late fall of 2008, and the
final EIS and Forest Service Record of
Decision are expected in spring of 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
RED, Inc. Communications, the
contractor hired by the Forest Service to
conduct project planning and prepare
the EIS. The mailing address is RED,
Inc. Communications, P.O. Box 3067,
Idaho Falls, ID, 83403, ATTN: Eddy
Gulch LSR Project. The address for
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e-mailing comments is
eddylsr@redinc.com. The project Web
site is https://www.eddylsrproject.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Visit the
project Web site at https://
www.eddylsrproject.com or contact Ray
Haupt, Scott and Salmon River District
Ranger, Klamath National Forest, 11263
N. Highway 3, Fort Jones, California
96032 or call 530–468–5351
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On July 1, 2007, the Eddy Gulch LSR
Project was included under the category
of ‘‘developing proposal’’ in the
Klamath National Forest’s Schedule of
Proposed Actions, which was posted on
the Klamath National Forest’s Web site.
The Healthy Forest Restoration Act,
Northwest Forest Plan (as incorporated
in the Klamath National Forest Land
and Resource Management Plan of
1995), and National Fire Plan direct
agencies to conduct projects for habitat
restoration and protection from
catastrophic wildfire. Section 7(a)(1) of
the Endangered Species Act directs
federal agencies to carry out programs
for the conservation of threatened and
endangered species.
The Eddy Gulch LSR is on the ScottSalmon River Ranger District, Klamath
National Forest, Siskiyou County,
California. The LSR is located mostly
west of Etna Summit, south of North
Russian Creek and the town of Sawyers
Bar, east of Forks of Salmon, and north
of Cecilville. The LSR encompasses
much of the area between the North and
South Forks of the Salmon River, as
well as headwaters of Etna Creek.
Elevations range from 1,100 feet to
about 8,000 feet. The LSR is about
61,900 acres in size, making it one of the
largest LSRs on the Klamath National
Forest. The Assessment Area (37,239
acres) for the EIS is the Eddy Gulch LSR
minus the portions in designated
roadless areas and that portion of the
LSR east of Etna Summit.
The goal of the Eddy Gulch LateSuccessional Reserve Fire/Habitat
Protection Project (Eddy Gulch LSR
Project) EIS is to present an ecosystembased approach for ensuring the safety
of persons and communities and
maintaining, protecting, and improving
conditions of late-successional forest
ecosystems, which serve as habitat for
late-successional-associated species.
This would be accomplished through
fuels reduction and habitat development
treatments using mechanical, manual,
and prescribed fire treatment methods.
The initial mailing list for the project
contained entities and individuals who
were interested in past Klamath
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17297
National Forest projects. Names and
addresses were added to the mailing list
based on zip codes in the vicinity of the
Eddy Gulch LSR and attendance records
from citizen collaboration meetings. The
current mailing contains approximately
1,200 names and addresses of
potentially affected Native American
tribes, individuals, agencies with
special expertise, organizations, and
businesses. The first project newsletter
was mailed in October 2007 to members
of the mailing list, and a Web page was
developed to provide additional
information on the project: https://
www.eddylsrproject.com.
On December 3, 2003, President Bush
signed into law the Healthy Forests
Restoration Act to reduce the threat of
destructive wildfires while upholding
environmental standards and
encouraging early public input during
review and planning processes. The
legislation is based on sound science
and helps further the President’s
Healthy Forests Initiative pledge to care
for America’s forests and rangelands,
reduce the risk of catastrophic fire to
communities, help save the lives of
firefighters and citizens, and protect
threatened and endangered species. The
Healthy Forests Restoration Act
contains a variety of provisions to speed
up hazardous fuels reduction and forest
restoration projects on specific types of
federal lands that are at risk of wildland
fire and/or insect and disease
epidemics. The Healthy Forests
Restoration Act established important
objectives to fulfill that pledge; a few of
those objectives are to:
1. Strengthen public participation in
developing high-priority forest health
projects by providing opportunities for
earlier participation, thus
accomplishing projects in a more timely
fashion.
2. Reduce dense undergrowth that
fuels catastrophic [stand-replacing] fires
through thinning and prescribed burns.
3. Select projects on a collaborative
basis, involving local, tribal, state, and
federal agencies and nongovernmental
entities.
4. Focus projects on federal lands that
meet strict criteria for risk of wildfire.
The potential for large, high-intensity
fire is a primary concern in the Eddy
Gulch LSR. Current management issues
[needs] include the reduction of high
fire hazard conditions, protection and/
or development of late-successional
habitat, and the protection of areas that
may have watershed-related features at
risk. Also of concern is the protection of
private property and emergency access
routes that pass through the LSR. The
Proposed Action addresses these
management needs.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 1, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17296-17297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6506]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service
Notice of Request for New Information Collection on Genetic
Resources for U.S. Food and Agriculture
AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Foreign Agricultural
Service's intention, in collaboration with the University of Illinois,
to request a new information collection for genetic resources relevant
to U.S. food and agriculture.
DATES: Comments and recommendations must be received on or before June
2, 2008. Comments received after this date will not be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jennifer Long, Visiting Assistant
Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of
Illinois, 845 W. Taylor Street (MC 066), Chicago, IL 60607, e-mail at
vernlong@uic.edu.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Food and Agricultural Genetic Resources.
OMB Number: To be assigned by OMB.
Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from approval date.
Type of Request: New information collection.
Abstract: The Foreign Agricultural Service, in collaboration with
the University of Illinois, will be gathering information on the
international sources and uses of genetic resources relevant to U.S.
food and agriculture. FAS and other USDA agencies would like to obtain
information from a broad base of stakeholders on how the sources and
uses of genetic resources may affect U.S. food and agricultural
research and development activities. This information will assist FAS
in further developing U.S. policy positions to be advanced in
international forums such as the United Nations Food and Agricultural
Organization (UN FAO) Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP)
Convention on Biological Diversity. Information collected from
stakeholders will consist of an online survey, followed by a phone
interview, to identify the sources and uses of genetic resources in the
stakeholders' research and development activities. A maximum of two
additional phone interviews may be held with respondents to clarify
information from survey responses. Authority to collect this
information falls under 7 U.S.C. Part 5693 and it is voluntary for
stakeholders to participate. The data will be collected through a
secure, online survey instrument and will be stored on a secure,
password protected server at the University of Illinois. Only
individuals with proper authorization (i.e., a password) will have
access to the data.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 1.50 hours per response.
Type of Respondents: Individual faculty and administrators in
public and private U.S. universities, businesses, and individual
researchers at federal agricultural research institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,000 per annum.
Estimated Number of Responses: 5,900 per annum.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 9,900 per annum.
Comments are invited on: (1) 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; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed 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 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 or other forms
of information technology. Copies of the information collection may be
obtained from Tamoria Thompson-Hall, the Agency Information Collection
Coordinator, at (202) 690-1690 or e-mail at Tamoria.Thompson@usda.gov.
Comments may be sent to Dr. Jennifer Long, Visiting Assistant Research
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois,
845 West Taylor Street (MC 066), Chicago, IL 60607 or e-mail at
vernlong@uic.edu or to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC 20503. All comments received will be available for
public inspection during regular business hours by contacting Peter
[[Page 17297]]
Tabor, Lead International Trade Specialist, at the Foreign Agricultural
Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW., South Building, Room 5930, Washington, DC 20250. Persons
with disabilities who require an alternative means of communication of
information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA's Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). All responses
to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB
approval of the proposed information collection. All comments will
become a matter of public record.
Government Paperwork Elimination Act: FAS is committed to
compliance with the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, which
requires Government agencies, in general, to provide the public the
option of submitting information or transacting business electronically
to the maximum extent possible.
Signed at Washington, DC, on March 19, 2008.
Michael W. Yost,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. E8-6506 Filed 3-31-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-M
