[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 238 (Friday, December 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76931-76932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31243]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of 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, this 
notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics 
Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently 
approved information collection for the Residue and Biomass Field 
Survey.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 9, 2016 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0251, Residue and Biomass Field Survey by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected] . Include docket number 
and title above in the subject line of the message.
     Efax: (855) 838-6382
     Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions to: 
David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Room 5336 South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20250-2024.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: David Hancock, 
NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336, 
South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-
2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: R. Renee Picanso, Associate 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, (202) 720-4333. Copies of this information 
collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from 
David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Residue and Biomass Field Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535--0251.
    Type of Request: Intent to Seek Approval to Revise and Extend an 
Information Collection for 3 years.
    Abstract: The primary objectives of the National Agricultural 
Statistics Service are to prepare and issue State and national 
estimates of crop production, livestock production, economic 
statistics, and environmental statistics related to agriculture and to 
conduct the Census of Agriculture and its follow-on surveys. This 
project is conducted as a cooperative effort with USDA's Agricultural 
Research Service (ARS).
    The Residue and Biomass Field Survey will use as a sampling 
universe, fields in the South Fork watershed in central Iowa (Buckeye, 
IA). This study will investigate the effect crop residue removal has on 
soil and water quality. Measurements of crop residues will be compared 
with remotely sensed data to measure crop residue cover and soil 
tillage intensity for the entire watershed. The survey will be 
conducted in several phases. The farm operators will only be involved 
in three parts of the complete survey process. After obtaining the 
operators' permission, field enumerators will return several times 
during the growing season to measure and collect samples from the 
target areas. The farm operators will be contacted two other times to 
collect some additional data relating to cropping practices performed 
during the growing season.
    Authority: These data will be collected under the authority of 7 
U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data

[[Page 76932]]

collected under this authority are governed by Section 1770 of the Food 
Security Act of 1985 as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to 
afford strict confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by 
respondents. This Notice is submitted in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and 
Budget regulations at 5 CFR part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995).
    NASS also complies with OMB Implementation Guidance, 
``Implementation Guidance for Title V of the E-Government Act, 
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 
2002 (CIPSEA),'' Federal Register, 72 FR 33376, June 15, 2007.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average a total of 70 minutes per 
respondent for the complete survey cycle.

                                            Annual Estimated Sample Size and Respondent Burden for 2016-2018
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                               Responses                             Non-response
                                             Sample            --------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Total
                  Survey                      size      Freq.     Resp.    Freq. x    Min./    Burden   Nonresp.   Freq. x    Min./    Burden    burden
                                                                  count     count     resp.     hours     count     count     nonr.     hours     hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Screening Phase in May....................       100         1        80        80        20        27        20        20         2         1        27
Field Measurements in May/June \1\........        80         1        25        25         0         0        55        55         0         0         0
Screening Phase in September..............        80         1        42        42        20        14        38        38         2         1        15
Harvest Sample crops \1\..................        80         2        42        42         0         0        38        38         0         0         0
Cropping Practices survey.................        80         1        42        42        30        21        38        38         2         1        22
                                           -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.................................       100  ........       146       230  ........        62  ........  ........  ........         3        65
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\1\ The operator does not need to be present for the field visits (measurement and harvesting), so no respondent burden is associaed with these phases
  of the survey.

    Respondents: Farmers, ranchers, and farm managers in the South Fork 
Watershed in Central Iowa.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 65 hours
    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, through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, technological or other forms of information 
technology collection methods.
    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, December 3, 2015.
R. Renee Picanso,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-31243 Filed 12-10-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P