[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30090-30091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12749]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0033]
Notice 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.
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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 associated with regulations to protect endangered species of
terrestrial plants and with regulations concerning procedures related
to the forfeiture of plants or other property.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July
25, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2011-0033 to submit or view comments and
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2011-0033, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
Available supporting documents and any comments we receive on this
docket may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site (follow the link
above and click ``View Docket Folder'') or in our reading room, which
is located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure
someone is there to help you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on regulations to
protect endangered species of terrestrial plants and concerning
forfeiture procedures, contact Dr. John Veremis, National CITES
Coordinator, Plant Safeguarding and Pest Identification, PPQ, APHIS,
4700 River Road Unit 52, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-8891. For
copies of more detailed information on the information collection,
contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection
Coordinator, at (301) 851-2908.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Endangered Species Regulations and Forfeiture Procedures.
OMB Number: 0579-0076.
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 enforcing provisions of the Act and the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) that pertain to the importation, exportation, or
reexportation of plants.
As part of this mission, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS), USDA, administers regulations at 7 CFR part 355,
``Endangered Species Regulations Concerning Terrestrial Plants.'' 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 CITES regulations at 50
CFR 17.12 or 23.23 must obtain a protected plant permit from APHIS.
Such entities include 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. The
requirement does not apply to persons engaged in business merely as
carriers or customhouse brokers.
To obtain a protected plant permit, entities must complete an
application (PPQ Form 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, exported, or reexported, 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 of terrestrial
plants requires the use of this application process, as well as the use
of other information collection activities, such as notifying APHIS of
the impending importation, exportation, or reexportation of the plants,
marking containers used for the importation, exportation, and
reexportation of the plants, and creating
[[Page 30091]]
and maintaining records of importation, exportation, and reexportation.
APHIS also administers regulations at 7 CFR part 356, ``Forfeiture
Procedures,'' which sets out procedures for the forfeiture of plants or
other property by entities in violation of the Endangered Species Act
or the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.). Entities
whose property is subject to forfeiture may file with APHIS a waiver of
forfeiture procedures, a claim of ownership or interest in the seized
property and a bond, a request for bonded release of property, a
petition for remission or mitigation of forfeiture, or a request for
release of property.
The information provided by these information collection activities
is critical to APHIS' ability to carry out its responsibilities under
the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act. These responsibilities
include monitoring importation, exportation, and reexportation
activities involving endangered species of plants, as well as the
investigation of possible violations and the forfeiture of plants or
other property.
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 0.0929305 hours per response.
Respondents: U.S. importers and exporters of endangered species.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 16,579.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 4.9016828.
Estimated annual number of responses: 81,265.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 7,552 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 18th day of May 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-12749 Filed 5-23-11; 8:45 am]
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