[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 102 (Friday, May 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24274-24275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11214]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
May 21, 2018.
The Department of Agriculture will submit the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 on or after the date
of publication of this notice. Comments are requested regarding: (1)
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) the accuracy of the
agency's estimate of burden 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 through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building,
Washington, DC; New Executive Office Building, 725--17th Street NW,
Washington, DC, 20503. Commenters are encouraged to submit their
comments to OMB via email to: [email protected] or fax (202)
395-5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop
7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602.
Comments regarding these information collections are best assured
of having their full effect if received by June 25, 2018. Copies of the
submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-8681.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Title: Agricultural Resource Management, Chemical Use, and Post-
Harvest Chemical Use Surveys.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0218.
Summary of Collection: The primary functions of the National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) are to prepare and issue State
and national estimates of crop and livestock production, disposition,
and prices and to collect information on related environmental and
economic factors. Detailed economic and environmental data for various
crops and livestock help to maintain a stable economic atmosphere and
reduce the risk for production, marketing, and distribution operations.
The Agricultural Resource Management Surveys (ARMS), are the primary
source of information for the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a broad
range of issues related to agricultural resource use, cost of
production, and farm sector financial conditions. NASS uses a variety
of survey instruments to collect the information in conjunction with
these studies. General authority for these data collection activities
is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204.
Need and Use of the Information: ARMS is the only annual source of
whole farm information available for objective evaluation of many
critical issues related to agriculture and the rural economy, such as:
Whole farm finance data, marketing information, input usage, production
practices, and crop substitution possibilities. Without these data,
decision makers cannot analyze and report on critical issues that
affect farms and farm households when pesticide regulatory actions are
being considered.
Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 131,619.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 105,615.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Title: Irrigation and Water Management Survey (IWMS).
OMB Control Number: 0535-0234.
Summary of Collection: The Irrigation and Water Management Survey
(IWMS) is a reinstatement of a previously conducted survey (2013 Farm
and Ranch Irrigation Survey). The IWMS is a follow-on survey and in
integral part of the 2017 Census of Agriculture which is conducted
every five years under the authority of the Census of Agriculture Act
of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-113). This law requires the Secretary of
Agriculture to conduct a census of agriculture beginning in 2002 and
every fifth year thereafter (prior to 1997 the census was conducted by
the Department of Commerce). The 2018 IWMS will be obtaining data
describing the irrigation activities of U.S. farm operations. Some of
these activities are of National concern, such as the use of
chemigation, fertigation and water-conserving practices of irrigators.
The 2018 IWMS will play an important part in providing critically
needed data to address these types of issues.
Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information from
the IWMS on acres irrigated by land use category, acres and yields of
irrigated and non-irrigated crops, quantity of water applied, method of
application to selected crops, acres irrigated, quantity of water used
by source, acres irrigated by type of water distribution systems, and
number of irrigation wells and pumps. The primary purpose of IWMS is to
provide detailed data relating to on-farm irrigation activities for use
in preparing a wide variety of water-related local programs, economic
models, legislative initiatives, market analyses, and feasibility
studies. The absence of the study data would certainly affect
irrigation policy decisions, federal programs, legislation, and impact
studies would instead be subject to greater uncertainty and error.
Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 35,100.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (one-time).
[[Page 24275]]
Total Burden Hours: 25,577.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-11214 Filed 5-24-18; 8:45 am]
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