[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 159 (Thursday, August 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42989-42991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20675]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; National Woodland Owner Survey

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and 
organizations on a previously approved information collection, 
``National Woodland Owner Survey'' that is being reinstated with 
change. This information collection will help the Forest Service assess 
the sustainability of forest resources of the United States, determine 
opportunities and constraints of private woodland owners, and 
facilitate planning and implementation of forest policies and programs. 
Information will be collected from private woodland owners of the 
United States.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before October 15, 
2001 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after this date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to Brett 
Butler, Northeastern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 11 Campus 
Blvd., Suite 200, Newtown Square, PA 19073. Comments also may be 
submitted via facsimile to (610) 557-4250 or by e-mail to 
[email protected].
    The public may inspect comments received at 11 Campus Blvd., Suite 
200, Room 2040, Newtown Square, PA. Visitors are encouraged to call 
ahead to (610) 557-4045 to facilitate entry to the building. 
Additionally, comments can be viewed on the internet at http://www.fs.fed.us/woodlandowners.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Butler, Northeastern Research 
Station, (610) 557-4045, [email protected], or Mary Ann Ball, Forest 
Service Information Collection Coordinator, (703) 605-4572, 
[email protected]. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for 
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 
1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday 
through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Woodland Owner Survey.
    OMB Number: 0596-0078.
    Expiration Date of Approval: October 31, 1997.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously 
approved

[[Page 42990]]

information collection for which Office of Management and Budget 
approval has expired.
    Abstract: The National Woodland Owner Survey will collect data to 
assess the sustainability of the forest resources of the United States, 
determine the opportunities and constraints that private woodland 
owners typically face, and facilitate the planning and implementation 
of forest policies and programs. The Forest and Rangeland Renewable 
Resources Planning Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-278) and the Forest and 
Rangeland Renewable Resources Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-307) are the 
legal authorities for conducting the National Woodland Owner Survey. 
These acts assign responsibility for the inventory and assessment of 
forest and related renewable resources to the Forest Services United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Additionally, the importance 
of an ownership survey in this inventory and assessment process was 
highlighted in Section 253(c) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, 
and Education Reform Act of 1998, and the recommendations of the Second 
Blue Ribbon Panel on the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program.
    The Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program has 
conducted the National Woodland Owner Survey on a periodic basis since 
1978. The National Woodland Owner Survey collects information to help 
answer questions related to the characteristics of the landholdings and 
landowners, ownership objectives, the supply of timber and non-timber 
products, forest management practices, delivery of education and 
financial assistance, and the concerns/constraints perceived by the 
landowners. The information collected has provided widely cited 
benchmarks of the private woodland owners in the U.S. These results 
have been used to assess the sustainability of forest resources at 
national, regional, and state levels; implement and assess the success 
of woodland owner assistance programs; and answer a variety of 
questions with topics ranging from fragmentation to the economics of 
private timber production.
    The respondents will be a statistically selected group of 
individuals, American Indian tribes, partnerships, corporations, 
nonprofit organizations, and clubs that own woodland in the U.S. This 
group will be selected by using public records to collect the names and 
addresses from a systematic set of points identified as woodland from 
across the U.S. The number of landowners contacted in each state will 
be a function of the total number of landowners in the state and the 
variability of the size of the owners' woodland holdings.
    Respondents will be asked to answer questions that address: (1) 
Acres of woodland owned in a given state and sub-state areas, and 
number of parcels of woodland owned; (2) acquisition and deposition of 
woodland, form of ownership, whether or not the woodland is a part of a 
farm; and if so, the size of the farm, whether or not the woodland is a 
part of a primary residence or secondary residence; reasons for owning 
woodland, leasing/renting of woodland; (3) existence and restrictions 
of conservation easements; knowledge and participation in green 
certification programs; (4) participation in cost-share programs; (5) 
who makes management decisions; (6) types and reasons for timber 
harvests, types, and uses of non-timber collections, and types of 
cultural/management activities; (7) who, if anyone, do they consult for 
advice, what methods would they find the most useful for learning about 
managing their woodland, what are their concerns about their woodland 
from both cultural and biophysical threats, how do they intend to use 
their woodland in the future; and (8) demographics including age, 
gender, ethnicity, race, disability, education, income, and occupation. 
The respondents will be asked to provide additional comments, if any, 
in the space provided.
    The information collection will collect data using a mixed-mode 
survey technique that will involve a self-administered mail 
questionnaire and telephone interviews. First, a prenotice letter will 
be mailed to all potential respondents describing this information 
collection--why we are doing it and why we need their help. Second, a 
questionnaire with a cover letter will be mailed to the potential 
respondents. The cover letter will reiterate the purpose and importance 
of this information collection and provide the respondents with legally 
required information. Third, a reminder will be mailed to thank the 
respondents and encourage the non-respondents to respond. The last 
stage of the mail portion of the information collection will be mailing 
a second questionnaire and cover letter. Telephone interviews will be 
used for follow-up surveys of the non-respondents to ensure that a 
response rate of 80 percent is achieved in each state and territory. 
The questionnaire and interviews will be available in English and 
Spanish. An electronic version of the questionnaire will also be 
available to reduce the burden on respondents.
    The Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program will 
administer the mail portion of this information collection. The Human 
Dimensions Research Lab, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and 
Fisheries, University of Tennessee will administer the telephone 
interview portion of the information collection.
    The Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis Program will 
compile and edit, and then analyze the collected data. The USDA Forest 
Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program will analyze the 
collected data. At a minimum, national and regional reports of the data 
will be distributed through print and electronic media. In addition, 
the data will be made available to the public. The publicly released 
data will be formatted to ensure the anonymity of the respondents.
    The National Woodland Owner Survey was last implemented in 1994 and 
the data from that information collection indicated that there were 10 
million private woodland ownerships in the U.S., composed of a diverse 
and dynamic group of people. Revisions are planned to increase the 
reliability of the estimates and ask questions about emerging topics 
such as green certification and conservation easements for the next 
information collection. These gathered data are not available from 
other sources.
    This information collection will help in providing the users with 
reliable and current data and sources. The information collected will 
result in good planning and implementation of programs, complete 
assessments of the country's resources, and generally reliable 
information in this important and very dynamic segment of the U.S. 
population.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: 15 minutes.
    Type of Respondents: Individuals, American Indian tribes, 
partnerships, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and clubs that own 
woodland.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 10,000 private woodland 
owners.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: One (1) 
response per respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,500 hours.

Comment Is Invited

    Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this 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; (2) the accuracy of the

[[Page 42991]]

agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information, 
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 respondents, including the use of automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques, or other 
forms of information technology.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for Office 
of Management and Budget approval.

    Dated: August 8, 2001.
Robert Lewis, Jr.,
Deputy Chief for Research & Development.
[FR Doc. 01-20675 Filed 8-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P