Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently

Approved Information Collection

AGENCY: Office of Outreach and Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, this notice

announces the intention of the Office of Outreach and Farm Service

Agency to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved

information collection for the Small Farmer Outreach Training and

Technical Assistance Program and the Outreach for Socially

Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program. The Office of Outreach will

use the information collection to determine eligibility of each

applicant and to ensure that program requirements are met.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before April 19,

1999.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Geraldine Herring,

Department of Agriculture, Office of Outreach, Room 4929-S, STOP 6201,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-6201; telephone

(202) 720-1637 and FAX: (202) 720-4995.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Small Farmer Outreach, Training, and Technical Assistance

OMB Control Number: 0560-0163

Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 1998

Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved

information collection.

Abstract: Section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and

Trade Act of 1990, (7 U.S.C. 2279) established the ``Small Farmer

Outreach Training and Technical Assistance Program,'' and the

``Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and

Ranchers Program.'' This act provides the Office of Outreach with the

authority to make grants and enter into contracts, and other agreements

with entities to provide outreach, training, and technical assistance.

The programs are to encourage and assist small, limited resource and

economically/socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to own and

operate farms and ranches; and to increase their participation and

accessibility to agricultural programs.

Grants are awarded to community-based organizations that have

demonstrated experience in providing agricultural education or other

agriculturally related services to small, limited resource,

economically/socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Recipients

must have documentary evidence of their past experiences in working

with targeted participants during the 2 year period preceding their

application for a grant or contract. To be identified as being a

responsible grantee or contractor, an applicant must provide

documentation of having adequate financial resources, the ability to

comply with project completion dates, show that adequate financial

management and accounting systems

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are in place, and show a satisfactory record of past performance under

Federal Government grants and contracts.

Grants are also awarded to Land-Grant Colleges including Tuskegee

Institute, Indian tribal community colleges and Alaska native

cooperative colleges, Hispanic-serving post-secondary educational

institutions, and other post-secondary educational institutions with

demonstrated experience in providing agricultural education or other

agriculturally related services to small, limited resource,

economically/socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in their

region.

When a grant has been awarded, a cooperative agreement is executed.

The potential grant period is 5 years. At the conclusion of each year,

a decision is made by USDA program staff based on information submitted

regarding project performance and management whether to extend the

cooperative agreement for another year.

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,

and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1999, provided $3 million for

the continuation of the programs for fiscal year 1999.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of

information is estimated to average 4.0606 hours per response.

Respondents: Educational Institutions, Community-Based

Organizations, State, Local or Tribal Governments and producers.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 150

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 5,888 hours

Copies of this information collection and related instructions can

be obtained without charge from Geraldine Herring at the above address.

Comments are invited on: (1) 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) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways

to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who

are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,

mechanical or other technological collection techniques or other forms

of information technology. Comments should be sent to the Desk Officer

for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office

of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, D.C. 20503 and to Samuel E.

Thornton, Director, USDA, Office of Outreach, Room 542-A, STOP 6201,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-6201.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the

request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public

record.

Signed at Washington, D.C., on January 20, 1999.

Samuel E. Thornton,

Director, Office of Outreach.

James W. Schroeder,

Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agriultural Services.

[FR Doc. 99-3626 Filed 2-12-99; 8:45 am]

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