[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7403-7404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02678]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0061]
Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information
Collection; Citrus Canker, Citrus Greening, and Asian Citrus Psyllid;
Interstate Movement of Regulated Nursery Stock
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 the interstate movement of regulated nursery
stock from quarantined areas to prevent the spread of citrus canker,
citrus greening, and Asian citrus psyllid.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April
13, 2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0061.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0061, 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-
0061 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 regulations for
the interstate movement of regulated nursery stock from citrus canker,
citrus greening, and Asian citrus psyllid quarantined areas, contact
Ms. Lynn Evans-Goldner, National Policy Manager, PHP, PPQ, APHIS, 4700
River Road Unit 137, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2286. For copies of
more detailed information on the information collection, contact Ms.
Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301)
851-2727.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Citrus Canker, Citrus Greening, and Asian Citrus Psyllid;
Interstate Movement of Regulated Nursery Stock.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0369.
Type of Request: Extension of approval of an information
collection.
Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.)
authorizes the Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
either
[[Page 7404]]
independently or in cooperation with States, to carry out operations or
measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control, prevent, or retard
the spread of plant pests, such as citrus canker, citrus greening, and
Asian citrus psyllid, that are new to or not widely distributed within
the United States. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) is the delegated authority to carry out this mission.
Citrus canker is a plant disease that affects plant and plant
parts, including fresh fruit of citrus and citrus relatives (family
Rutaceae). Citrus canker can cause defoliation and other serious damage
to the leaves and twigs of susceptible plants. It can also cause
lesions on the fruit of infected plants and cause infected fruit to
drop from trees before reaching maturity. The aggressive A (Asiatic)
strain of citrus canker can infect susceptible plants rapidly and lead
to extensive economic losses in commercial citrus-producing areas.
Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing disease of citrus, is
considered to be one of the most serious citrus diseases in the world.
Citrus greening is a bacterial disease that attacks the vascular system
of host plants. This bacterial pathogen can be transmitted by grafting
and under laboratory conditions, by parasitic plants. The pathogen can
also be transmitted by two insect vectors in the family Psyllidae;
Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), and Trioza
erytreae (del Guercio), the African citrus psyllid. ACP can also cause
economic damage to citrus in groves and nurseries by direct feeding.
Both adults and nymphs feed on young foliage, depleting the sap and
causing galling or curling of leaves. High populations feeding on a
citrus shoot can kill the growing tip.
APHIS regulations to prevent the interstate spread of citrus canker
are contained in ``Subpart--Citrus Canker'' (7 CFR 301.75-1 through
301.75-17), and the regulations to prevent the interstate spread of
citrus greening and Asian citrus psyllid are contained in ``Subpart--
Citrus Greening and Asian Citrus Psyllid'' (7 CFR 301.76 through
301.76-11). These regulations restrict the interstate movement of
regulated articles from and through areas quarantined for the pest and
diseases and provide, among other things, conditions under which
regulated nursery stock may be moved interstate. The interstate
movement of regulated nursery stock from these quarantined areas
involves information collection activities, including the application
of tags, records of inspections and treatments, compliance agreements,
Federal certificates, and limited permits.
Since the last extension of approval for these information
collection activities, APHIS has added several States and territories,
as well as additional businesses, to the number of respondents,
resulting in an increase over the initial program estimates. As a
result, each of the burden estimates has increased. Most significantly,
APHIS has increased the estimated annual number of responses from
13,182 to 7,882,984, and the estimated total annual burden on
respondents has increased from 1,900 hours to 2,411,271 hours.
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 0.3058 hours per response.
Respondents: Nursery stock owners.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 1,909.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 4,129.
Estimated annual number of responses: 7,882,984.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 2,411,271 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 4th day of February 2015.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-02678 Filed 2-9-15; 8:45 am]
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