[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60174-60175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27286]


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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 the renewal of the National Woodland Owner Survey 
information collection.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before February 20, 
2018 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to Brett 
Butler, USDA Forest Service, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003. 
Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to 413-545-1860 or by 
email to: [email protected].
    Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available 
to the public through relevant websites and upon request. For this 
reason, please do not include in your comments information of a 
confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or 
proprietary information. If you send an email comment, your email 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the 
internet. Please note that responses to this public comment request 
containing any routine notice about the confidentiality of the 
communication will be treated as public comments that may be made 
available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine 
notice.
    The public may inspect the draft supporting statement and/or 
comments received at 160 Holdsworth Way, Room 202, Amherst, MA 01003 
during normal business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to 
413-545-1387 to facilitate entry to the building. The public may 
request an electronic copy of the draft supporting statement and/or any 
comments received be sent via return email. Requests should be emailed 
to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Butler, Northern Research 
Station, 413-545-1387. Individuals who use telecommunication devices 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of the 
year, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: National Woodland Owner Survey.
    OMB Number: 0596-0078.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 11/30/2018.
    Type of Request: Renewal.
    Abstract: There are an estimated 816 million acres of forestland 
across the United States. Of this forestland, over half is owned by 
millions of corporations, families, individuals, tribes, and other 
private groups with the remaining managed by over a thousand different 
federal, state, and local government agencies. Understanding the 
attitudes and behaviors of the owners and managers of the forestland is 
critical for understanding the current and future state of the nation's 
forests. The Forest Service conducts the National Woodland Owner Survey 
(NWOS) to increase our understanding of:
     Who owns and manages the forestland of the United States;
     Why they own/manage it;
     How they have used it; and
     How they intend to use it.

This information is used by policy analysts, foresters, educators, and 
researchers to facilitate the planning and implementation of forest 
policies and programs.
    The Forest Service's direction and authority to conduct the NWOS is 
from the Forest and Range Land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 
1974, the Forest and Range Land Renewable Resources Act of 1978. These 
acts assign responsibility for the inventory and

[[Page 60175]]

assessment of forest and related renewable resources to the Forest 
Service. Additionally, the importance of an ownership survey in this 
inventory and assessment process is highlighted in the 2014 Farm Bill, 
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 (FIA).
    Previous iterations of the NWOS were conducted in 1978, 1993, 2002-
2006, 2011-2013, and 2017-2018. Approval for the last iteration of the 
NWOS expires on November 30, 2018. If renewed, the NWOS will operate 
for another 3-year cycle.
    Information will be collected related to:
     The characteristics of the land holdings;
     Attitudes and perceptions of the owners and managers;
     Resource uses and management activities; and
     Where applicable, landowner demographics.
    Separate survey instruments are being developed for families and 
individuals, corporate, and public ownerships. In addition, the owners 
in urban areas will be sent a different survey instrument. For the 
families and individuals, the dominant ownership group of forestland 
owners, a subset of ownerships will be sent survey instruments 
addressing the following topics, in addition to the core questions from 
the base survey instrument:
     Wildfires;
     Invasive species;
     Climate change;
     Land owner values; and
     Decision making.
    The NWOS provides widely cited benchmarks for the number, extent, 
and characteristics of owners of forestland in the United States. These 
results have been used to assess the sustainability of forest resources 
at national, regional, and state levels; to implement and assess 
forest-land owner assistance programs; and to answer a variety of 
questions with topics ranging from fragmentation to the economics of 
timber production. This is the only effort to collect in-depth 
information about owners of forestland at the national scale. It 
provides longitudinal data to track ownership trends and allows for 
comparisons across regions of the country.
    The respondents will be a statistically selected group of 
individuals, families, American Indian tribes, partnerships, 
corporations, nonprofit organizations, and other private groups that 
own forestland in the United States in addition to a statistically 
selected group of federal, state, and local government agencies that 
manage forestland. A well distributed, random set of sampling points 
has been established across the country. At each point, remotely sensed 
data, such as aerial photographs or satellite imagery, will be used to 
identify forested points. For the forested points, public records will 
be used to identify the owners of record--the names and addresses of 
the landowners we will contact. The number of owners of forestland to 
be contacted in each state will be approximately 330.
    The NWOS will utilize a mixed-mode survey technique involving 
cognitive interviews, focus groups, self-administered questionnaires, 
and telephone interviews. Cognitive interviews will be used to test 
specific questions. Focus groups will be used to provide more in-depth 
understanding of the responses and to explore new areas of inquiry.
    The implementation of the self-administered survey will involve up 
to four contacts. First, a pre-notice postcard will be sent to all 
potential respondents describing this information collection and why 
the information is being collected. Second, a questionnaire with a 
cover letter and pre-paid return envelope will be sent to the potential 
respondents. The cover letter will reiterate the purpose of this 
information collection and provide the respondents with all legally 
required information. Third, a reminder will be mailed to thank the 
respondents and encourage the non-respondents to reply. Those who have 
yet to respond will be sent a new questionnaire, cover letter, and pre-
paid return envelope. Telephone interviews will be used for follow-up 
with non-respondents. For corporations and public agencies, the primary 
survey instrument will be electronic, and for all other owners, the 
primary survey instrument will be paper forms with the option for 
completing the survey electronically online.
    Forest Service researchers will coordinate all components of this 
information collection. Forest Service personnel with assistance 
provided by cooperators at the Family Forest Research Center located at 
the University of Massachusetts Amherst will conduct the mail portion 
of the survey, cognitive interviews, and focus groups. The U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
will conduct the telephone follow-ups. Data will be compiled and edited 
by Forest Service and Family Forest Research Center personnel. Forest 
Service researchers and cooperators will analyze the collected data. 
National, regional, and state-level results will be distributed through 
print and/or electronic media.
    This information collection will generate scientifically-based, 
statistically-reliable, up-to-date information about the owners of 
forestland in the United States. The results of these efforts will 
provide more reliable information on this important and dynamic segment 
of the United States population; thus facilitating more complete 
assessments of the country's forestland resources and improved planning 
and implementation of forestry programs on state, regional, and 
national levels.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households, the Private Sector 
(Businesses and Non-Profit Organizations), and/or State, Local or 
Tribal Government.
    Estimate of Burden per Response: 25 minutes for families, 
individuals, and other private groups with small holdings; 30 minutes 
for corporations with large holdings; 15 minutes for public agencies.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 4,188.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,433 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 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 request 
toward Office of Management and Budget approval.

    Dated: December 4, 2017.
Carlos Rodriguez-Franco,
Deputy Chief, Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 2017-27286 Filed 12-18-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P