[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 53 (Monday, March 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13446-13447]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5505]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent to Seek Approval to Extend 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 (Public 
Law 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR 
part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the 
intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to 
request approval to reinstate an information collection, the 
Conservation Effects Assessment Project Survey.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 25, 2005, to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Ginny McBride, NASS Clearance 
Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 South Building, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250 or to 
[email protected] or faxed to (202)-720-6396.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rich Allen, Deputy Administrator 
Programs and Products, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, (202) 690-8141.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Conservation Effects Assessment Project Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0245.
    Type of Request: Intent to Seek Approval to Reinstate an 
Information Collection.
    Abstract: The primary objective of the National Agricultural 
Statistics Service is to prepare and issue State and national estimates 
of crop and livestock production, prices, and disposition. The goal of 
this NASS project is to collect land management information that will 
assist the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in assessing 
environmental benefits associated with implementation of various 
conservation programs and installation of associated conservation 
practices. The 2002 Farm Bill

[[Page 13447]]

substantially increased funding for the Environmental Quality 
Incentives Program (EQIP) as well as other conservation programs; a 
portion of the technical assistance funds for conservation programs has 
been allocated for use in assessing the environmental benefits of these 
conservation practices. The assessment will be used to report progress 
annually on Farm Bill implementation to Congress and the general 
public.
    NRCS is leading a multi-agency effort to estimate the environmental 
benefits of conservation practices. Benefit measures will include soil 
quality enhancement, erosion reduction, reduction in nutrient and 
sediment losses from farm fields, soil carbon sequestration, water use 
efficiency, and reductions in in-stream nutrient and sediment 
concentrations. Investments are being made in additional model 
development to address benefits associated with reductions in pesticide 
losses, air quality, and wildlife habitat.
    The assessment is designed to be national and regional in scope. A 
sampling and modeling approach has been adopted to avoid the high costs 
associated with expanded reporting by NRCS field staff.
    Benefits will be estimated by applying transport models and other 
physical process models at sample sites associated with the National 
Resources Inventory (NRI) sampling frame. The NRI is a scientifically-
based, longitudinal panel survey designed to assess conditions and 
trends of soil, water, and related resources of the Nation's non-
federal lands. The NRI is conducted for the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture by NRCS in cooperation with the Iowa State University 
Center for Survey and Statistical Methods and provides critical 
information to address agri-environmental issues at national, regional, 
and State levels.
    Data gathered in the NRI are linked to NRCS soil survey and climate 
databases. These linked data, along with NRI's historical data for 
1982-2002, form the basis for unique modeling applications and 
analytical capabilities. The NRI sampling frame will be used for this 
project because it captures the diversity of the Nation's agricultural 
resource base (soils, topography, and climate), which is a critical 
factor in estimating benefits of conservation practices. Also critical 
are the historical and linked data that already exist for each NRI 
sample site. The assessment of benefits is not possible, however, 
without augmenting these existing data with additional information on 
land management and conservation practice adoption.
    NASS will collaborate with NRCS in the acquisition of this 
additional information by conducting a survey for a sub-sample of NRI 
sample units in the contiguous 48 States. The survey will utilize 
personal interviews to administer a questionnaire that is designed to 
obtain from farm operators field-specific data associated with the 
selected sample units. Specific questions are asked about physical 
characteristics of the field, pesticide and fertilizer applications, 
and technical aspects of conservation practices associated with the 
field. Several other questions deal with production activities before 
and after implementation of specific conservation practices and with 
the operator's participation in conservation programs.
    The survey design calls for conducting 7,500-12,000 interviews 
annually. The number of samples for a given year reflects changes in 
the budget. Approximately 30,000 completed responses will be ``pooled'' 
using statistical time series procedures. Interviews have already been 
conducted in the fall of 2003 and 2004 using this survey process. The 
2005 survey represents the third year of this data collection effort. 
Each year's data collection will be for a different set of agricultural 
land units. If analysis indicates that more samples are needed to 
adequately estimate the benefits of conservation practices nationally, 
then data collection will be extended to include 2007.
    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 this collection of 
information is estimated to average 70 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Farm operators.
    Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 12,000 maximum potential 
respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 14,000 hours maximum.
    Copies of this information collection and related instructions can 
be obtained without charge from Ginny McBride, NASS 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.
    All responses to this notice will become a matter of public record 
and be summarized in the request for OMB approval.

    Signed at Washington, DC, February 22, 2005.
Rich Allen,
Deputy Administrator Program and Products.
[FR Doc. 05-5505 Filed 3-18-05; 8:45 am]
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