[Federal Register: July 26, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 142)]
[Notices]
[Page 44484-44485]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26jy04-18]
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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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[[Page 44484]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
July 20, 2004.
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,
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 received within 30 days of this
notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling
(202) 720-8681.
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.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Title: Aquaculture Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0150.
Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National
Agricultural Statistics Service is to estimate production and stocks of
agricultural food, fiber, and specialty commodities. Congress has
mandated the collection of basic data for aquaculture and provides
funding for these surveys. Public Law 96-362 was passed to increase the
overall effectiveness and productivity of federal aquaculture programs
by improving coordination and communication among Federal agencies
involved in those programs. Aquaculture is an alternative method to
produce a high protein, low fat product demanded by the consumer.
Aquaculture surveys provide information on trout and catfish inventory,
acreage and sales as well as catfish processed.
Need and Use of the Information: The survey results is useful in
analyzing changing trends in the number of commercial operations and
production levels by State. The information collected is used to
demonstrate the growing importance of aquaculture to officials of
Federal and State government agencies who manage and direct policy over
programs in agriculture and natural resources. The type of information
collected and reported provides extension educators and research
scientists with data that indicates important areas that require
special education and/or research efforts, such as causes for losses of
fish and pond inventories of fish of various sizes. The data gathered
from the various reports provide information to establish contract
levels for fishing programs and to evaluate prospective loans to
growers and processors.
Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 2,346.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly; Semi-annually;
Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 840.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Title: Conservation Effects Assessment Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0245.
Summary of Collection: The National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS) primary function is to prepare and issue official State and
national estimates of crop and livestock production, disposition and
prices. The information collection is used to assist the Natural
Resources Conservation Service in assessing environmental benefits
associated with implementation of various conservation programs and
installation of associated conservation practices. The authority for
these data collection activities is granted under U.S. Code Title 7,
Section 2204.
Need and Use of the Information: The findings will be used to
report progress annually on Farm Bill implementation and the cost
effectiveness of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the
Conservation Reserve Program. If this collection is not conducted
annually, the impact of the conservation programs over time cannot be
measured.
Description of Respondents: Farms.
Number of Respondents; 12,400.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 10,253.
Rural Utility Service
Title: Assistance to High cost Energy Rural communities.
OMB Control Number: 0572-0136.
Summary of Collection: The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (RE
Act) (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) was amended in November 2000 to create new
grant and loan authority to assist rural communities with extremely
high energy costs (Pub. L. 106-472). This amendment gives authorization
to Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to provide competitive grants for
energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities serving
communities in which the national average is at least 275% for
residential expenditure for home energy. All applicants are required to
submit a project proposal containing the elements in the prescribed
format.
Need and Use of the Information: USDA will collect information from
applicants to confirm that the eligibility requirements and the
proposals are consistent with the purposes set forth in the statute.
Various forms and progress reports are used to monitor compliance with
grant agreements, track expenditures of Federal funds and measure the
success of the program. Without collecting the listed
[[Page 44485]]
information, USDA will not be assured that the projects and communities
served meet the statutory requirements for eligibility or that the
proposed projects will deliver the intended benefits.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-
profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 45.
Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 898.
Rural Housing Service
Title: 7 CFR 1951-N, Servicing Cases Where Unauthorized Loan or
Other Financial assistance was received--Multiple Family Housing.
OMB Control Number: 0575-0104.
Summary of Collection: Office of Inspector General or through
regular visits by Rural Development personnel identify cases of
unauthorized assistance. Unauthorized assistance may in the form of a
loan, grant, interest subsidy benefit created through use of an
incorrect interest rate, interest credits or rental assistance extended
to a Multi-Family Housing borrower or grantee by Rural Housing Service
(RHS). The legislative authority for requiring the collection of
unauthorized assistance is contained in section 510 of the Housing Act
of 1949, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1480). RHS has published its own
regulation, consistent with the Federal Claims Act, through which it
can better assist the recipients of RHS assistance and still adequately
protect the Government's interest. THe information collected under the
provisions of this regulation is proved on a voluntary basis by the
recipient of the assistance in question, although failure to cooperate
in effecting requiring corrections to loan accounts may result in loss
or reduction of benefits or liquidation of the loan. The information
collected will primarily be financial data relating to income and
expenses.
Need and Use of the Information: The information required by this
regulation is collected from Multi-Family Housing borrowers (who may be
individuals, partnerships, private or nonprofit corporations or public
bodies) and from tenants who reside in the borrower's rental projects.
Tenants who refuse to cooperate or provide information may lose their
subsidy or tenancy. The collections are made from RHS borrowers on an
individual case. If this regulation is not continued, the cases
involving unauthorized financial assistance would remain unresolved and
many borrowers would keep financial benefits for which they did not
qualify under RHS loan regulations.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households; Business or
other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Farms; State, Local or
Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 450.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 800.
Agricultural Marketing Service
Title: USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web site.
OMB Control Number: 0581-NEW.
Summary of Collection: The USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web
site is being developed to assist the institutional food service
community across the United States. The Web site focuses on providing
information to institutional food service professions, as well as
providing a platform for processors, distributors, and brokers to post
information about their processed USDA supplied commodities and other
commercial food products available for institutional food service
purchase. The USDA Food and Commodity Connection Website is a public
website and the information provided is considered as public
information.
Need and Use of the Information: At the time of registration, the
USDA Food Commodity Connection Web site will collect all information
electronically. Registrants are authorized to use the website by their
individual login and password. Once the registrant is registered, they
are required to provide additional information. No information is
collected from a user when they access the Web site as a guest.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Farms.
Number of Respondents: 800.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (One Time).
Total Burden Hours: 3,942.
Agricultural Marketing Service
Title: National Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information
Programs.
OMB Control Number: 0581-0093.
Summary of Collection: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has the
responsibility for implementing and overseeing programs for a variety
of commodities including cotton, diary, eggs, beer, pork, soybeans,
honey, potatoes, watermelons, mushrooms, kiwifruit, popcorn, and olive
oil. Various Acts authorizes these programs to carry out projects
relating to research, consumer information, advertising, sales
promotion, producer information, market development and product
research to assist, improve, or promote the marketing, distribution,
and utilization of their respective commodities. The Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS) has the responsibility to appoint board members
and approve the boards' budgets, plans, and projects. AMS objective in
carrying out this responsibility is to assure the following: (1) Funds
are collected and properly accounted for; (2) expenditures of all funds
are for the purposes authorized by enabling legislation; and (3) the
board's administration of the programs conforms to USDA policy.
Need and Use of the Information: The boards administer the various
programs utilizing variety of forms to carry out their
responsibilities. Only authorized employees of the various boards and
USDA employees will use the information collected. If this data were
collected less frequently, (1) it would hinder data needed to collect
and refund assessments in a timely manner and result in delayed or even
lost revenue; (2) boards would be unable to carry out the
responsibilities of their respective Acts; and (3) requiring reports
less frequently than monthly would impose additional record keeping
requirements.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for profit, Farms,
Federal Government.
Number of Respondents: 321,098.
Frequency of Responses: Record-keeping; Reporting: On occasion,
Weekly, Monthly, Semi-annually, Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 344,318.
Sondra Blakey,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-16939 Filed 7-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-M