[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33042-33043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15156]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Request an Early Revision and Merger of Two 
Currently Approved Information Collections

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 to the currently approved 
information collection, the Bee and Honey survey docket (0535-0153). In 
addition NASS plans to merge this docket with the currently approved 
Colony Loss survey docket (0535-0255). Revision to burden hours will be 
needed due to a changes in the size of the target population, sample 
design, and the inclusion of the Colony Loss surveys.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 18, 2017 
to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0153, by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include docket number 
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--OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Honey and Honey Bee Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0153.
    Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2018.
    Type of Request: Intent to revise and extend a currently approved 
information collection for a period of three years and to merge another 
approved group of surveys (Colony Loss Surveys) into this request.
    Abstract: The primary objective of the National Agricultural 
Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue state and national 
estimates of crop and livestock production, livestock products, prices, 
and disposition; as well as economic statistics, environmental 
statistics related to agriculture, and also to conduct the Census of 
Agriculture.
    In this request for renewal of the Bee and Honey (0535-0153) 
docket, NASS will incorporate the two surveys (operations with fewer 
than 5 colonies and operations with 5 or more colonies) conducted under 
the Colony Loss (0535-0255) docket with the honey production surveys 
included in this docket. The operations with 5 or more colonies will 
continue to receive quarterly loss questionnaires and an annual honey 
production survey. The

[[Page 33043]]

operations with less than 5 colonies will receive one combined, annual 
questionnaire that contains the same questions as asked under the 
currently approved dockets. The sample is adjusted so that the same 
group of operators who qualify for the honey survey also qualify for 
the loss survey.
    The title of this revised docket will now be Honey and Honey Bee 
Surveys. As pollinators, honey bees are vital to the agricultural 
industry for producing food for the world's population. USDA, NASS has 
found that during 2015, colonies losses by quarter ranged from 12 to 18 
percent. Overall, from January 1, 2015 to January 1, 2016, the total 
number of colonies in the United States decreased by 8 percent.
    Additional data is needed to accurately describe the costs 
associated with pest/disease control, wintering fees, and replacement 
worker and queen bees. USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA), in consultation with other relevant Federal partners, are 
scaling up efforts to address the decline of honey bee health with a 
goal of ensuring the recovery of this critical subset of pollinators. 
NASS supports the Pollinator Research Action Plan, published May 19, 
2015, which emphasizes the importance of coordinated action to identify 
the extent and causal factors in honey bee mortality.
    Authority: 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. This 
notice is submitted in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) and Office of 
Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part 1320. 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, Vol. 72, No. 115, June 15, 2007, p. 33362.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information for operations with five or more colonies is estimated to 
average 20 minutes per response for the annual Bee and Honey survey and 
10 minutes per respondent for the quarterly Colony Loss Survey. 
Operations with less than five colonies will receive the newly combined 
questionnaire (Bee and Honey and Colony Loss) which is estimated to 
average 20 minutes per response. Publicity materials and instruction 
sheets will account for 5 minutes of additional burden per respondent. 
Respondents who refuse to complete a survey will be allotted 2 minutes 
of burden per attempt to collect the data.
    Respondents: Farmers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 22,500.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: With an estimated 
response rate of approximately 80%, we estimate the total burden to be 
approximately 9,200 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, July 5, 2017.
Hubert Hamer,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-15156 Filed 7-18-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P