[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 41 (Friday, March 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12427-12428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04159]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

February 28, 2017.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
are requested regarding (1) whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (4) 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 regarding this information collection received by April 3, 
2017 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 
725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are encouraged to 
submit their comments to OMB via email to: [email protected] 
or fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, 
Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602. Copies of the submission(s) 
may be obtained by calling (202) 720-8681.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to

[[Page 12428]]

the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Aquaculture Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0150.
    Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service is to estimate production and stocks of 
agricultural food, fiber, and specialty commodities. Congress has 
mandated the collection of basic data for aquaculture and provides 
funding for these surveys. Public Law 96-362 was passed to increase the 
overall effectiveness and productivity of federal aquaculture programs 
by improving coordination and communication among Federal agencies 
involved in those programs. Aquaculture is an alternative method to 
produce a high protein, low fat product demanded by the consumer. 
Aquiculture surveys provide information on trout and catfish inventory, 
acreage and sales as well as catfish processed.
    Need and Use of the Information: The survey results are useful in 
analyzing changing trends in the number of commercial operations and 
production levels by State. The information collected is used to 
demonstrate the growing importance of aquaculture to officials of 
Federal and State government agencies who manage and direct policy over 
programs in agriculture and natural resources. The type of information 
collected and reported provides extension educators and research 
scientists with data that indicates important areas that require 
special educational and/or research efforts, such as causes for loss of 
fish and pond inventories of fish of various sizes. The data gathered 
from the various reports provide information to establish contract 
levels for fishing programs and to evaluate prospective loans to 
growers and processors.
    This is a request for the three-year renewal of this information 
collection. In addition to the national Catfish and Trout Production 
Surveys, NASS is requesting approval to conduct three state-specific 
aquaculture surveys to be conducted under reimbursable agreements in 
Florida, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania. Also, NASS will discontinue the 
Catfish Feed Deliveries Report and the Catfish Processing Report.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 3,655.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly; Semi-annually; 
Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,030.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Confidentiality Pledge Revision.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0260.
    Summary of Collection: The revision to the confidentiality pledge 
made by NASS to all respondents on all data collection efforts under 
CIPSEA and Title 7, Chapter 55, Sec, 2276, was changed to incorporate 
provisions that became law as a part of the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act for Fiscal Year 2016. Congress included the Federal Cybersecurity 
Enhancement Act of 2015 (H.R. 2029, Division N, Title II, Subtitle B, 
Sec.223). This Act permits and requires the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to provide federal civilian agencies' information technology 
systems with cybersecurity protection for their Internet traffic. The 
technology currently used is ``Einstein 3A'' and it searches Internet 
traffic in and out of federal civilian agencies in real time for 
malware signatures.
    Need and Use of the Information: CIPSEA; Title 7, Chapter 55, 
Section 2276; and similar confidentiality pledges promise that 
respondents' data will be seen only by statistical agency personnel or 
their sworn agents. With the passage of the Federal Cybersecurity 
Enhancement Act of 2015, it is possible that Department of Homeland 
Security personnel could see some portion of those confidential data in 
the course of examining the suspicious Internet packets identified by 
the Einstein 3A technology. NASS needs to revise their confidentiality 
pledge to reflect this process change. Without this change the 
availability of NASS data could be significantly impacted.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 1.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 1.

Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-04159 Filed 3-2-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P