Notice2026-00108
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Contract Pilot and Aircraft Acceptance
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Published
January 8, 2026
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Abstract
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 use of contract pilots and aircraft in Plant Protection and Quarantine domestic, emergency, and biological control programs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 657-658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00108]
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Notices
Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 5 / Thursday, January 8, 2026 /
Notices
[[Page 657]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2025-0769]
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an
Information Collection; Contract Pilot and Aircraft Acceptance
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revision to and 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 a revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection associated with the use of contract pilots and
aircraft in Plant Protection and Quarantine domestic, emergency, and
biological control programs.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before March
9, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Enter APHIS-2025-0769 in the Search field. Select
the Documents tab, then select the Comment button in the list of
documents.
<bullet> Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2025-0769, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., #AP760, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> or in our reading room, which
is in room 1620 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 contract pilot and
aircraft acceptance, contact Ms. Catherine Marzolf, National Policy
Manager, PPQ, APHIS, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC
20250; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2f4c4e5b474a5d46414a014e01424e5d554043496f5a5c4b4e01484059"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d8bbb9acb0bdaab1b6bdf6b9f6b5b9aaa2b7b4be98adabbcb9f6bfb7ae">[email protected]</span></a>; (386) 666-9932. For more
information on the information collection reporting process, contact
Ms. Sheniqua Harris, APHIS' Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, at
(301) 851-2528; or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3071607879631e60627170454354511e575f46"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c9889981809ae7999b8889bcbaada8e7aea6bf">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Contract Pilot and Aircraft Acceptance.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0298.
Type of Request: Revision to and Extension of approval of an
information collection.
Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.)
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, either 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 and noxious weeds that are new to or not widely distributed
within the United States. This authority has been delegated to the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
As part of this mission, APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine
(PPQ) program responds to introductions of plant pests with
eradication, suppression, or containment through various programs in
cooperation with State departments of agriculture and other government
agencies. These programs may include the aerial application of
treatments to control plant pests.
APHIS contracts for these services, and prior to any aerial
applications, requests certain information from the contractors and/or
contract pilots to ensure that the work will be done according to
specifications. Among other things, APHIS asks to see the aircraft
registration, the aircraft's airworthiness certificate, the pilot's
license, the pilot's medical certification, the pilot's proof of flight
review, the pilot's pesticide applicator's license, and the aircraft
logbook. Information from these documents and aircraft inspection
results are consolidated by APHIS for signature by the APHIS official
and the contractor or contract pilot, indicating acceptance of the
pilot and aircraft for the job.
We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve
our use of these information collection activities, as described, for
an additional 3 years. APHIS has amended this information collection by
decreasing the number of Respondents reporting; however, the number of
Responses and Total Burden Hours reported for the collection has
increased.
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 burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 0.259 hours per response.
Respondents: Contractors and/or contract pilots of aircraft.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 8.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 4.
Estimated annual number of responses: 32.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 8 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.
[[Page 658]]
Done in Washington, DC, this 5th day of January 2026.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-00108 Filed 1-7-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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