Federal Register: May 11, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 90)NoticesPage 25813-25814From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr11my98-26

Notices Federal Register

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section.

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Docket No. 98-031-1Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of approval of an information collection; comment request.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection in support of regulations to protect endangered species of terrestrial plants.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 10, 1998 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the accuracy of burden estimate, ways to minimize the burden (such as through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology), or any other aspect of this collection of information to: Docket No. 98-031-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please send an original and three copies, and state that your comments refer to Docket No. 98-031- 1. Comments received may be inspected at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing to inspect comments are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the comment reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding the importation or exportation of endangered species of terrestrial plants, contact Mr. Michael Lidsky, CITES Program Coordinator, Operational Support, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 146, Riverdale, MD 20737- 1236, (301) 734-5762. For copies of more detailed information on the information collection, contact Ms. Cheryl Groves, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-5086.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Endangered Species Regulation and Forfeiture Procedures.

OMB Number: 0579-0076.

Expiration Date of Approval: August 31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information collection.

Abstract: Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for protecting endangered species of terrestrial plants by regulating the individuals or entities who are engaged in the business of importing, exporting, or reexporting these plants.

To carry out this mission, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), USDA, administers regulations at 7 CFR part 355. In accordance with these regulations, any individual, nursery, or other entity wishing to engage in the business of importing, exporting, or reexporting terrestrial plants listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) regulations at 50 CFR 17.12 or 23.23 must obtain a general permit (PPQ Form 622). This includes importers, exporters, or reexporters who sell, barter, collect, or otherwise exchange or acquire terrestrial plants as a livelihood or enterprise engaged in for gain or profit. This does not include persons engaged in business merely as carriers or customhouse brokers.

To obtain a general permit, these individuals or entities must complete an application (PPQ 621) and submit it to APHIS for approval. When a permit has been issued, the plants covered by the permit may be imported into the United States provided they are accompanied by documentation required by the regulations and provided all other conditions of the regulations are met.

Effectively regulating entities who are engaged in the business of importing, exporting, or reexporting endangered species requires the use of this application process, as well as the use of other information collection activities, such as notifying APHIS of the arrival or impending exportation of endangered species, marking containers used for the importation and exportation of plants, and creating and maintaining records of importation, exportation, and reexportation.

The information provided by these information gathering activities is critical to our ability to carry out the responsibilities assigned to us by The Endangered Species Act. These responsibilities include the careful monitoring of importation, exportation, and reexportation activities involving endangered species of plants, as well as investigating possible violations of the Endangered Species Act.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the continued use of this information collection activity.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public (as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. We need this outside input to help us:

  (1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the proposed 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 .1977 hours per response.

Respondents: U.S. importers and exporters of endangered species.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 1,400.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 11.51.

Estimated annual number of responses: 16,115.

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Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 3,186 hours. (Due to rounding, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of the annual number of responses multiplied by the average 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 5th day of May 1998. Charles P. Schwalbe, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

FR Doc. 98-12397Filed5-8-98; 8:45 amBILLING CODE 3410-34-P