[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 129 (Monday, July 7, 2014)] [Notices] [Pages 38276-38277] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2014-15751] ======================================================================== 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. ======================================================================== Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 129 / Monday, July 7, 2014 / Notices [[Page 38276]] DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS-2014-0039] Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; National Poultry Improvement Plan AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Revision to and 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 a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the National Poultry Improvement Plan. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before September 5, 2014. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0039. Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2014-0039, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737- 1238. Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014- 0039 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) 799-7039 before coming. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the National Poultry Improvement Plan, contact Dr. Denise Brinson, Director, National Poultry Improvement Plan, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 1506 Klondike Road, Suite 300, Conyers, GA 30094; (770) 922-3496. 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: National Poultry Improvement Plan. OMB Control Number: 0579-0007. Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an information collection. Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is authorized to, among other things, administer the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP or the Plan), the primary purpose of which is to protect the health of the U.S. poultry population. NPIP is a voluntary Federal-State-industry cooperative program for the improvement of poultry flocks and products through disease control techniques. Participation in all Plan programs is voluntary, but flocks, hatcheries, and dealers of breeding poultry must first qualify as ``U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean'' as a condition for participation in the Plan programs. The NPIP regulations are contained in 9 CFR parts 56, 145, 146, and 147. To administer the Plan, APHIS requires a number of information activities and forms, including Veterinary Services (VS) Forms 1-23/1- 23A, Appraisal and Indemnity Claim for Animals Destroyed or Materials Destroyed/Continuation Sheet; VS Form 9-2, Flock Selecting and Testing Report; VS Form 9-3, Report of Sales of Hatching Eggs, Chicks, and Poults; VS Form 9-4, Summary of Breeding Flock Participation; VS Form 9-5, Report of Hatcheries, Dealers, and Independent Flocks, Table-Egg Producers, Meat-Type Chicken and Turkey Slaughter Plants Participating in the NPIP; VS Form 9-6, Report of Salmonella Isolations to NPIP Official State Agencies; VS Form 9-7, Investigation of Salmonella Isolations in Poultry; VS Form 9-8, Flock Inspection and Check-Testing Report; VS Form 9-9, Hatchery Inspection Report; VS Form 10-3, Request for Salmonella Serotyping; banding of sentinel birds for identification prior to flock vaccination; memorandums of understanding; and recordkeeping. Since the last approval of these collection activities, participation in NPIP has risen. In addition to industry participation, which is estimated at 99 percent, backyard chicken farmers who are raising poultry to satisfy the demand due to the increasing number of organic chicken and egg consumers want to join. Many people are also raising chickens and producing eggs for their own use. As a result of the increase in participation, the estimated annual number of respondents has increased from 10,800 to 18,097, and the estimated annual total burden has increased from 103,363 hours to 104,311 hours. Though the number of respondents increased, there was not a commensurate increase in the burden because of NPIP procedural changes. For instance, due to the information that can be obtained from NPIP's Web site, NPIP no longer sends letters to all NPIP participants and no longer prints participant directories. We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities, as described, for 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 [[Page 38277]] technologies; e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. Estimate of burden: The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.7 hours per response. Respondents: Flock owners, breeders, hatchery operators, table-egg producers, meat-type chicken and turkey slaughter plant workers, personnel at approved laboratories, and State personnel. Estimated annual number of respondents: 18,097. Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 8.5. Estimated annual number of responses: 153,548. Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 104,311 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 30th day of June 2014. Kevin Shea, Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 2014-15751 Filed 7-3-14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-34-P