[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 149 (Thursday, August 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 40189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-19297]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 149 / Thursday, August 2, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 40189]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Extend and Revise a Currently Approved 
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. No. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR 
part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the 
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) intention to request 
extension and revision of a currently approved information collection, 
the Respondent Information Evaluation.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by October 9, 2001 to 
be assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Rich Allen, Associate 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Room 4117 South Building, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-2001, (202) 720-4333.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Respondent Information Evaluation.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0231.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 09/30/01.
    Type of Request: To Extend and Revise a Currently Approved 
Information Collection.
    Abstract: The National Agricultural Statistics Service is 
continuing a coordinated effort to increase the cooperation of survey 
respondents in our information collections. This effort will include 
the ongoing development of a program to educate agricultural producers 
about the functions of NASS and the uses of survey data. As a major 
part of this education program, we will emphasize to data providers the 
importance of unbiased NASS estimates and the potential consequences if 
these estimates were unavailable. Ways to disseminate this message will 
also be investigated and tested. Data users will be surveyed to gain 
insight into uses of NASS data. Data providers will be surveyed to 
obtain their opinions of how NASS survey data are used.
    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: Public reporting burden for the collection of 
information from data users is estimated to average 10 minutes per 
response; burden for data providers is estimated to average 2 minutes 
per response.
    Respondents: Subscribers to NASS commodity reports (data users) and 
agricultural producers (data providers).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 700 report subscribers and 9,000 
producers.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 455 hours.
    Copies of this information collection and related instructions can 
be obtained without charge from Ginny McBride, the Agency OMB Clearance 
Officer, at (202) 720-5778.
    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, 
Room 5330B South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20250-2024 or [email protected]. 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, May 22, 2001.
Rich Allen,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 01-19297 Filed 8-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P