Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 16623-16624 [2015-07120]
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Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis
capitata), or Medfly. The commenter
stated that the Mexican State of Chiapas
has had recurring outbreaks of Medfly
and requested that imports of fresh
tejocote fruit from Mexico not be
permitted into the commenter’s State
until the shipping protocol described in
the PRA has had sufficient time to
demonstrate that Medfly outbreaks in
Chiapas do not result in an introduction
of Medfly into the United States.
Another commenter opposed to the
importation of tejocote fruit cited Web
sites and unspecified articles and stated
that they contain information about
tejocote crop damage caused by fruit
flies in parts of Mexico, including
Chiapas, where tejocote is grown
commercially.
We were unable to find information
about tejocote crop damage in Mexico
on the Web sites listed by the
commenter. APHIS recognizes Mexico
as having eradicated Medfly, a
determination that has been
corroborated by CABI, an
internationally recognized pest
monitoring resource.2 While there have
been occasional introductions of Medfly
along the border between the Mexican
State of Chiapas and Guatemala, APHIS
has determined that no established
populations of Medfly exist in any part
of Mexico. Furthermore, APHIS operates
the Moscamed program in cooperation
with Guatemala and Mexico to detect
and eradicate introductions into Mexico
through surveillance trapping, fruit
sampling, biological and mechanical
controls, release of sterile Medflies,
public education efforts, and the
establishment of fruit fly-free areas. We
have determined that the Moscamed
program possesses the capability to
detect, contain, and eradicate Medfly
outbreaks within commercial tejocote
growing areas of Mexico. If an outbreak
of Medfly were to occur and APHIS
determined that it posed an
unacceptable phytosanitary risk to the
United States, we would immediately
prohibit the importation of fresh
tejocote fruit from Mexico. This practice
is consistent with actions we have taken
toward imports of commodities from
other countries considered free of
certain quarantine pests when such
pests appear in those countries and pose
an unacceptable import risk to the
United States.
The PRA identified three designated
measures as necessary to ensure the safe
importation of tejocote fruit from
Mexico:
2 CABI Invasive Species Compendium 2015:
https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/12367.
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• The tejocote fruit must be imported
in commercial consignments only.
• Each consignment of tejocote fruit
must be accompanied by a
phytosanitary certificate issued by the
NPPO of Mexico stating the following:
‘‘Tejocote fruit in this consignment were
inspected and are free of pests.’’
• Each shipment of tejocote fruit is
subject to inspection upon arrival at
port of entry to the United States.
One commenter noted that the PRA
identified no quarantine pests likely to
follow the pathway of commercial
consignments. As a result, the
commenter suggested that port-of-entry
inspection be the only required
measure.
APHIS has concluded that the
measures indicated in the PRA are
necessary to effectively mitigate the pest
risk associated with fresh tejocote fruit
imported from Mexico.
Only commercial consignments of
tejocote fruit will be allowed to be
imported from Mexico for sale and
distribution. Commercial consignments,
as defined in § 319.56–2, are
consignments that an inspector
identifies as having been imported for
sale and distribution. Produce grown
commercially is less likely to be infested
with plant pests than noncommercial
consignments. Noncommercial
consignments are more prone to
infestations because the commodity is
often ripe to overripe, could be of a
variety with unknown susceptibility to
pests, and is often grown with little or
no pest control.
Consignments of fresh tejocote fruit
from Mexico will also be required to be
accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate. The phytosanitary certificate
provides additional assurance that the
NPPO of Mexico has inspected the
commodity and determined that it
meets the requirements for importation
into the United States and is free of
pests.
Three commenters opposed the
importation of tejocote fruit from
Mexico on grounds that U.S. growers
could suffer economically as a result of
competition with imported tejocote
fruit.
Under the Plant Protection Act (7
U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), we have the
authority to prohibit or restrict the
importation of plants and plant
products only when necessary to
prevent the introduction into or
dissemination of plant pests or noxious
weeds within the United States. We do
not have the authority to restrict imports
solely on the grounds of potential
economic effects on domestic entities
that could result from increased
imports.
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16623
Therefore, in accordance with the
regulations in § 319.56–4(c)(2)(ii), we
are announcing our decision to
authorize the importation into the
continental United States of fresh
tejocote fruit from Mexico subject to the
following phytosanitary measures:
• The tejocote fruit must be imported
in commercial consignments only.
• Each consignment of tejocote fruit
must be accompanied by a
phytosanitary certificate issued by the
NPPO of Mexico stating the following:
‘‘Tejocote fruit in this consignment were
inspected and are free of pests.’’
• Each shipment of tejocote fruit is
subject to inspection upon arrival at
port of entry to the United States.
These conditions will be listed in the
Fruits and Vegetables Import
Requirements database (available at
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir). In
addition to these specific measures,
fresh tejocote fruit from Mexico will be
subject to the general requirements
listed in § 319.56–3 that are applicable
to the importation of all fruits and
vegetables.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701–7772, and
7781–7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR
2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 25th day of
March 2015.
Michael C. Gregoire,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–07234 Filed 3–27–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
March 24, 2015.
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
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
30MRN1
16624
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 60 / Monday, March 30, 2015 / Notices
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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, DC
20250–7602. Comments regarding these
information collections are best assured
of having their full effect if they are
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.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: The Integrity Program (TIP) Data
Collection.
OMB Control Number: 0584–0401.
Summary of Collection: This is a
request for extension, without revision,
to an existing collection. The Women,
Infant, and Children (WIC) Program
regulations at 7 CFR 246.12(j)(5),
requires State agencies to report
annually on their vendor monitoring
efforts. The data collected is used by
States agencies as a management tool
and at the national level to provide
Congress, senior FNS officials, as well
as the general public, assurances that
every reasonable effort is being made to
ensure integrity in the WIC Program.
Need and Use of the Information: The
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will
collect information using forms FNS
698, Profile of Integrity Practices and
Procedures; FNS 699, the Integrity
Profile Report Form; and FNS 700, TIP
Data Entry Form. The collected
information from the forms will be
analyzed and a report is prepared by
FNS annually that (1) assesses State
agency progress in eliminating abusive
vendors, (2) assesses the level of activity
that is being directed to ensure program
integrity, and (3) analyzes trends over a
5-year period. The information is used
at the national level in formulating
program policy and regulations. At the
FNS regional office level, the data is
reviewed to identify possible vendor
management deficiencies so that
technical assistance can be provided to
States, as needed. Without the
information, FNS would not have timely
and accurate data needed to identify
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21:48 Mar 27, 2015
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and correct State agency vendor
management and monitoring
deficiencies and to implement
corrective actions.
Description of Respondents: State,
Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 90.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 38.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–07120 Filed 3–27–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of the Secretary
Meeting Notice of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension,
Education, and Economics Advisory
Board
Research, Education, and
Economics, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5
U.S.C. App 2, Section 1408 of the
National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123), and the
Agricultural Act of 2014, the United
States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) announces an open virtual
meeting of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, Education, and
Economics Advisory Board.
DATES: The National Agricultural
Research, Extension, Education, and
Economics Advisory Board will meet
via teleconference on April 14, 2015, at
2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place
virtually at the AT&T Meeting Room
below. Please follow the pre-registration
instructions to ensure your participation
in the meeting.
Call-In instructions for Tuesday, April
14, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Time:
Web Preregistration: Participants may
preregister for this teleconference at
https://emsp.intellor.com?p=419202
&do=register&t=8. Once the participant
registers, a confirmation page will
display dial-in numbers and a unique
PIN, and the participant will also
receive an email confirmation of this
information.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michele Esch, Designated Federal
Officer and Executive Director, National
Agricultural Research, Extension,
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4703
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Education, and Economics Advisory
Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1400 Independence Avenue SW., STOP
0321, Washington, DC 20250–0321;
telephone: (202) 720–3684; fax: (202)
720–6199; or email: nareee@
ars.usda.gov.
On
Tuesday, April 14, 2015, at 2:00 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Time a virtual meeting
of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, Education, and Economics
Advisory Board will be conducted to
hear the summary of findings and
recommendations on the review of the
animal handling, care, and welfare at
the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center,
hear stakeholder input received from
this meeting as well as other written
comments, and provide input on the
report. The report is available at
www.ree.usda.gov. This meeting is open
to the public and any interested
individuals wishing to attend.
Opportunity for verbal public comment
will be offered on the day of the
meeting. Written comments by
attendees or other interested
stakeholders will be welcomed for the
public record before and up to the day
of the meeting (by close of business
Tuesday, April 14, 2015). All written
statements must be sent to Michele
Esch, Designated Federal Officer and
Executive Director, National
Agricultural Research, Extension,
Education, and Economics Advisory
Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1400 Independence Avenue SW., STOP
0321, Washington, DC 20250–0321; or
email: nareee@ars.usda.gov. All
statements will become a part of the
official record of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension,
Education, and Economics Advisory
Board and will be kept on file for public
review in the Research, Education, and
Economics Advisory Board Office.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Done at Washington, DC, this 20th day of
March 2015.
Ann Bartuska,
Deputy Under Secretary, Research,
Education, and Economics.
[FR Doc. 2015–07145 Filed 3–27–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–03–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
March 24, 2015.
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,
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
30MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 60 (Monday, March 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16623-16624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07120]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
March 24, 2015.
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
[[Page 16624]]
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,
DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are
best assured of having their full effect if they are 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.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: The Integrity Program (TIP) Data Collection.
OMB Control Number: 0584-0401.
Summary of Collection: This is a request for extension, without
revision, to an existing collection. The Women, Infant, and Children
(WIC) Program regulations at 7 CFR 246.12(j)(5), requires State
agencies to report annually on their vendor monitoring efforts. The
data collected is used by States agencies as a management tool and at
the national level to provide Congress, senior FNS officials, as well
as the general public, assurances that every reasonable effort is being
made to ensure integrity in the WIC Program.
Need and Use of the Information: The Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS) will collect information using forms FNS 698, Profile of
Integrity Practices and Procedures; FNS 699, the Integrity Profile
Report Form; and FNS 700, TIP Data Entry Form. The collected
information from the forms will be analyzed and a report is prepared by
FNS annually that (1) assesses State agency progress in eliminating
abusive vendors, (2) assesses the level of activity that is being
directed to ensure program integrity, and (3) analyzes trends over a 5-
year period. The information is used at the national level in
formulating program policy and regulations. At the FNS regional office
level, the data is reviewed to identify possible vendor management
deficiencies so that technical assistance can be provided to States, as
needed. Without the information, FNS would not have timely and accurate
data needed to identify and correct State agency vendor management and
monitoring deficiencies and to implement corrective actions.
Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 90.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 38.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-07120 Filed 3-27-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P