[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23662-23664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11687]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Notice of Request for Approval of a New Information Collection

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the intention of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to 
request approval to collect information for use in the Land Use Pilot 
Project. The purpose of this pilot project is to determine the 
feasibility of offering an alternative method of reporting commodity 
data. Producers will make

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required commodity reports by using the Land Use pilot project.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before June 8, 
2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Rebecca Davis, Production, 
Emergencies, and Compliance Division, USDA, FSA, STOP 0517, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0517, telephone number 
(202) 720-9882.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Land Use Pilot Project.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-NEW
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: This pilot was developed in response to OMB requests to 
lessen commodity reporting burden on producers. The Land Use Pilot 
Project modernizes and streamlines the commodity reporting function by 
lessening customer/producer and Service Center reporting burden while 
improving efficiency. The reporting method is customer/producer-based 
and focuses on collecting and maintaining information needed for 
Service Center program determinations, to serve as a customer/producer 
resource, and facilitate data sharing partnerships with other 
governmental and non-governmental entities. The collection process will 
be accomplished through the use of personal computers at the Service 
Center, customer/producer's home or at other remote sites. Currently 
the land use information that is used as a basis for many USDA programs 
is acquired independently by the various agencies. Data sharing between 
agencies is often informal and there is little, if any, use of 
alternative acquisition sources outside of the partner agencies, with 
the exception of the Risk Management Agency (RMA) obtaining production 
totals from reinsurance companies. This leads to duplicative measures 
to obtain and manage information, use of out-dated information and 
unawareness of existing determination and appeal status. The Land Use 
Pilot Project provides a national commodity reporting database that can 
be queried by the Service Center agencies and other USDA agencies and 
their partners. In addition, this allows greater land use information 
sharing with agencies such as RMA and Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS), that are not part of the USDA Service 
Centers. The information can also be shared with State and local 
Governments that need farm or customer/producer-level information.
    Additionally, the current system was designed primarily for the 
original program crops of wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley and oats. 
The growth of alternative crops and aquaculture have produced reporting 
needs that are not met by the attributes associated with these acreage-
based crops. The Land Use Project will provide a reliable source of 
shared land use data that will be flexible enough to capture a wide 
range of commodity and farming practice variations. Some farming 
practices performed on the land will be identified but may not be 
collected without a specific partnership or program requirement 
necessitating them. Standardizing information will facilitate its use 
by USDA programs and will provide the capability for the information to 
be acquired from and used by partners. The user chooses program(s) for 
which a report is intended. The program selection determines the 
required commodity attributes to be reported, thus resulting in time 
savings for both the Service Center and the customer/producer. The 
process allows commodity reporting through the selection of customer/
producer with their associated link(s) to land. Land (farm, tract and 
common land units (CLUs), formerly known as ``fields'') is displayed 
allowing users to designate, by a ``point and click'' method, reported 
commodity locations directly onto a digital map's CLUs. Digital maps 
may be printed for the producer which will show commodity(ies) reported 
with associated commodity location. When a commodity is selected which 
applies to all fields, a ``select all'' CLU function may be used to 
eliminate designating individual CLU selection(s). Historical commodity 
reports (previous year's reports) may be selected to populate CLUs when 
minimal change is needed (i.e., different commodity report date). In 
addition to historical commodity selection options, when accessing the 
current commodity reporting function and selecting a commodity that had 
been reported during the most recent report, that commodity will 
automatically populate the previously reported CLUs. Built into this 
package is an acreage reduction calculator which automatically 
calculates any deductions as designated by the user which eliminates 
the need to hand calculate acreage deductions such as sod waterways. 
Revised and updated commodity tables have been incorporated as an 
integrated part of the Land Use Pilot Project which has simplified the 
commodity selection options.
    Land Use Project objectives are to:
    (1) Provide a reliable source of land use data usable by multiple 
entities to;
    (a) eliminate redundancy capturing and storing data and
    (b) develop data standards for Land Use information that allows 
input and verification of data from multiple sources.
    (2) Minimize public and Service Center burden by;
    (a) eliminating redundant reporting requirements,
    (b) reducing processing time for program applications by 
automatically populating application fields with previously reported 
land use data and
    (c) selecting the program for which a report is being made. The 
program selection allows only required commodities to be reported.
    (3) Maximize use of geo-spatial and partnership data to reduce 
producer's acreage and production reporting requirements by;
    (a) enabling customers/producers to report land use data for all of 
their farming interests at any Service Center or alternative reporting 
site and
    (b) re-engineering reporting procedures.
    (4) Enhance the reporting process of customer/producer and Service 
Center personnel by developing alternative customer/producer reporting 
methods such as web-based and mail-in reporting.
    The Land Use Pilot Project requires the customer/producer only to 
report commodity, acres or units, owner, operator and shares, and 
planting date and is a drastic departure from the Farm Service Agency's 
(FSA) historical collection of commodity and land use data.
    FSA's approach to collecting this information is to collect only 
the information needed to support program eligibility and compliance 
requirements. Three pilot sites chosen for the Land Use Pilot Project 
are: Okeechobee, Florida; Miami, Kansas; and, The Dalles, Oregon.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for the Land Use Pilot 
Project is estimated to average 3.75 minutes per response reflecting a 
75 percent decrease in reporting time.
    Respondents: Individual customers/producers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2340  x  3.75 minutes per response 
time.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 146.25 burden hours 
times $12.00 per hour = $1755.
    Proposed topics for comment include: (a) Whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the

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information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and 
clarity of the information collected; or (d) ways to minimize the 
burden of the collection of the information on those who are to 
respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or 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, 
Washington, DC 20503, and to Rebecca Davis, Production, Emergencies, 
and Compliance Division, USDA, FSA, STOP 0517, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0517, (202) 720-9882. 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, DC, on May 2, 2001.
James R. Little,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 01-11687 Filed 5-8-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P