[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25702-25703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11051]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent to Seek Approval to Conduct an Information 
Collection

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR 
part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the 
intent of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to 
request approval for an information collection, the Nursery and 
Greenhouse Production and Chemical Use Survey.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 7, 2000 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Rich Allen, Associate 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4117 South 
Building, Washington, DC 20250-2000; (202) 720-4333.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Nursery and Greenhouse Production and Chemical Use Survey.
    Type of Request: Intent to Seek Approval to Conduct an Information 
Collection.
    Abstract: The goal of this National Agricultural Statistics Service 
project is to measure (1) Production and value of key nursery products, 
(2) chemical use in nurseries and greenhouses, and (3) chemical use in 
floriculture. Nursery and greenhouse production in the United States 
was valued at more than $10 billion in 1998 and is the fastest growing 
segment of American agriculture. USDA, however, has not previously made 
regular estimates of nursery production. The first part of this survey 
will start assessing the production and economic contribution of the 
nursery industry to U.S. agriculture every 2 years. Similarly, the 
amount of chemical usage in nursery and greenhouse operations is not 
currently known. The second part of this survey will measure the 
chemical products applied to nursery and greenhouse products, their 
rate of application, and total amount of active ingredients applied. 
The results of this part of the information collection will provide 
policy makers with the information necessary to make informed and 
unbiased decisions concerning pesticide registrations.
    A census of the approximately 5,500 nursery and greenhouse 
operations in the 14 major producing States will be conducted to 
estimate production. Most operations will receive the production-only 
mail questionnaire but a sample will be personally interviewed with the 
production questionnaire plus a chemical use questionnaire.
    Parts one and two, then, will address the following objectives: 
measure production and value of key categories of nursery and 
greenhouse products, identify chemical products used by the nursery and 
greenhouse industries, and measure application rates and total amount 
of active ingredients applied.
    The third part of this survey involves the operations in the 
separate Commercial Floriculture Survey, conducted in the 12 major 
floriculture-producing States. Like the nursery survey, most 
floriculture operations will receive the production-only mail 
questionnaire but a sample will be personally interviewed with the 
production questionnaire plus a chemical use questionnaire.
    Data collection for all three parts is scheduled to coincide with 
the annual Commercial Floriculture Survey (of production, OMB docket 
#0535-0093) in January-March 2001. Operations that are selected for 
production information only will be contacted by mail or telephone. 
Operations selected for chemical usage information will have a face-to-
face interview since chemical use data are not adequately collected by 
telephone or mail. These data will be collected under the authority of 
7 U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under this 
authority are governed by Section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 
1985, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict 
confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents.
    Estimate of Burden: Based on data collected on the Commercial 
Floriculture Survey and previously conducted chemical use surveys, it 
is estimated that the production-only mail questionnaire will take 
about \1/2\ hour to complete and personal interviews will take \1/2\ 
hour for the production portion and \1/2\ hour for the chemical use 
portion. Floriculture production data are covered by the separate 
docket and will not count toward this estimate of burden. There will be 
an advance letter to all operations. A response rate of 85% is 
expected.
    Respondents: Producers of nursery and greenhouse products.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 8,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 4,200.
    Copies of this information collection and related instructions can 
be obtained without charge from Ginny McBride, Agency OMB Clearance 
Officer, at (202) 720-5778.

COMMENTS: Comments are invited on: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) 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. Comments may be sent to: Ginny 
McBride, Agency OMB Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4162 South Building, Washington, DC

[[Page 25703]]

20250-2000. All responses to this notice will become a matter of public 
record and be included in the request for OMB approval.

    Signed at Washington, DC, April 24, 2000.
Rich Allen,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-11051 Filed 5-2-00; 8:45 am]
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