[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 204 (Friday, October 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63054-63055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27041]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Request for Comments; Fuelwood and Post 
Assessment in Selected States

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service announces its intention to reinstate a previously 
approved information collection. The collected information will help 
the Forest Service project and meet demands for renewable resources as 
a source for fuelwood and fence posts. Information will be collected 
from a selected number of residential households and logging 
contractors in selected States.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before December 19, 
2000.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be addressed to Ronald Piva, Forest 
Inventory and Analysis, North Central Research Station, Forest Service, 
USDA, 1992 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108.
    Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to (651) 649-5140 or 
by email to [email protected]
    The public may inspect comments received at the Forest Service, 
USDA, North Central Research Station, Room 507, 1992 Folwell Avenue, 
St. Paul, Minnesota.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald Piva, North Central Research 
Station, at (651) 649-5150.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resource Research Act of 1978 
(16 U.S.C. 1600), (as amended by the Energy Security Act of 1980 (42 
U.S.C. 8701)), requires the Secretary of Agriculture to make and keep 
current a comprehensive survey and analysis of the present and 
prospective conditions of and requirements for renewable resources from 
forests and range lands of the United States and of the supplies of 
such resources, including determination of facts necessary in 
determination of means to balance demand for and supply of these 
resources.
    Wood was the major source of energy for households in the United 
States until the 1880s when use of wood for heating fuel began to 
decline. In 1970, less than 2 percent of households were using wood as 
a primary source of heating fuel. In order to monitor availability of 
renewable resources for fuel and energy, the Forest Service monitored 
production of wood for

[[Page 63055]]

household fuel by interviewing residents in rural areas to determine 
the amount of wood they used for fuel and the frequency of wood 
harvests from farm woodlots to supply the demand for fuelwood. These 
surveys were conducted about every 5 to 10 years.
    In 1973, fossil fuel prices began to increase and, as a result, in 
the 1970s and 1980s, more households began to use wood as a source for 
primary or secondary heating. In 1986, an estimated 5 million 
households (6 percent) had a working wood stove and 19 million (21 
percent) had a working fireplace. Overall, the use of wood as a 
residential and industrial energy source in the United States tripled 
in the last 25 years. The frequency of the surveys and the survey data 
did not reflect the actual use of wood for heating and energy purposes.
    Similarly, production of round and split wood posts for farm 
fencing and other purposes declined from an estimated 900 million posts 
in 1920 to less than 60 million today. Even though use of round and 
split wood posts has declined, it is important to continue to monitor 
the demand for these products and to assess the impact the demand for 
the products has on the renewable forest resources.

Description of Information Collection

    The following describes the information collection to be 
reinstated:
    Title: Residential Fuelwood and Post Assessment, Any State, Year.
    OMB Number: 0596-0009.
    Expiration Date of Approval: July 2000.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of an information collection 
previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget.
    Abstract: Forest Service personnel at the Northeastern Forest 
Experiment Station (Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 
Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia) and North Central Research 
Station (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, 
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin) will 
evaluate the collected information to determine the level of renewable 
resources used for fuelwood and fence posts by residential households 
and logging contractors. The collected information will enable land 
managers to determine what timber to sell for use as fuelwood or fence 
posts, how well the local forested land will meet the demand for these 
timber products, and how to project future demands on these renewable 
natural resources for fuelwood and fence posts.
    This survey also will enable Forest Service personnel to determine 
the types of facilities households use to heat their homes with wood, 
such as wood burning stoves or fireplaces; the types of land from which 
the wood will be cut (forestland, such as private forests, State 
forests, National Forests, or non-forestland, such as wooded strips, 
narrow windbreaks, urban areas, or yard trees); the condition of the 
wood that will be cut, that is whether the trees will be dead or alive.
    The Forest Inventory and Analysis Work Units at the Northeastern 
and North Central Research Stations of the Forest Service will collect 
the information about the quantities and types of trees cut for 
fuelwood and fence posts in a given year from a sampling of residential 
and logging contractors located within the geographical area of the 
Stations. The agency will conduct the survey through telephone 
interviews.
    Respondents will be asked questions that include an estimate of the 
annual fuelwood consumption in a specific State; the types of burning 
facilities in the State, such as wood burning stoves or fireplaces; the 
annual fuelwood and post production in the State; the annual fuelwood 
and post production from growing stock (forestland trees of commercial 
value) and non-growing stock sources (cull trees on forest land or 
trees from non forestland); the annual fuelwood and post production by 
tree species; the county from which the fuelwood or posts come; and the 
landowner class from which the fuelwood or posts come, such as public, 
private, or forest industry lands.
    Data gathered in this information collection are not available from 
other sources.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 0.07 hours.
    Type of Respondents: Residential households and logging 
contractors.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 2,919.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 204.

Comment Is Invited

    The agency invites comments on the following: (a) Whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the stated purposes 
and the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical or scientific 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 respondents, including 
the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Use of Comments

    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will become a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the request for Office of 
Management and Budget approval.

    Dated: October 11, 2000.
Robert Lewis, Jr.,
Deputy Chief for Research & Development.
[FR Doc. 00-27041 Filed 10-19-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-U