[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 188 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48794-48795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20986]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection: Post-Hurricane Research and Assessment of 
Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Communities in the U.S. Caribbean

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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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 currently approved information 
collection, Post-Hurricane Research and Assessment of Agriculture, 
Forestry, and Rural Communities in the U.S. Caribbean.

DATES: Comments concerning this notice must be received in writing on 
or before November 26, 2018 to be assured of consideration. Comments 
received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this information collection should be 
addressed to Kathleen McGinley, Social Scientist, USDA Forest Service, 
International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF), 1201 Calle Ceiba, 
Rio Piedras, PR 00926. Comments also may be submitted via facsimile to 
787-766-6302, or by email to [email protected]. Please put ``Comments 
re: Post-Hurricane Research'' in the subject line.
    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 IITF, 1201 Calle Ceiba, R[iacute]o Piedras, PR 
00926 during normal business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call 
ahead to 787-764-7790 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: Requests for additional information 
should be made to Kathleen McGinley, Social Scientist, USDA Forest 
Service, by electronic mail to [email protected] or phone 919-600-
3108. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 twenty-four 
hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Post-Hurricane Research and Assessment of Agriculture, 
Forestry, and Rural Communities in the U.S. Caribbean.
    OMB Number: 0596-0246.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 12/31/2018.
    Type of Request: Renewal.
    Abstract: In September 2017, two major hurricanes passed through 
the Caribbean, causing catastrophic damage to communities, 
infrastructure, farms, and forests across Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin 
Islands, and many neighboring islands, significantly compromising local 
livelihoods, food security, and economic stability throughout the 
region. To date, there is limited information on the impacts of 
Hurricanes Irma and Maria, particularly in terms of agricultural and 
forestry systems and the people who depend on them, and likewise, 
limited information about the effectiveness of related conservation 
practices or mitigation and adaptation strategies. Such information is 
critical to the design and implementation of ongoing recovery work and 
to longer-term resilience efforts in the U.S. Caribbean and in other 
regions affected by hurricanes or other major disturbances.
    Building on the initial data collection under the emergency 
approval, USDA Forest Service seeks this renewal to continue to collect 
information about the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on 
agriculture, forestry, and rural communities in the U.S. Caribbean and 
the internal and external factors that affected their vulnerabilities 
or resilience. This renewal also will permit the investigation of 
vulnerabilities, resilience, and effects associated with future 
hurricanes or major storms that may occur within the three year time 
period for this requested approval. This information is essential to 
the Department of Agriculture mandate to support agriculture and 
natural resources that are productive, sustainable, and provide 
benefits for the American public under the Rural Development Policy Act 
of 1980, and to the Forest Service mandate to provide expert advice and 
conduct research on the management of forests outside the National 
Forest System through the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978. 
Additionally, the importance of gathering, analyzing, and sharing this 
type of information is reflected in the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended, and the Forest 
and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978.
    Information will be collected through focus groups and interviews 
with participants selected purposively in line with the collection 
objectives. This collection will generate scientifically-based, up-to-
date information that can be used to inform ongoing and any future 
recovery efforts and related risk reduction and mitigation and 
adaptation strategies by USDA, Forest Service, other Federal agencies, 
local government, civil society, and the private sector.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households, Private Sector 
Businesses, Non-Profit and Non-Governmental Organizations, State or 
Local Government.
    Estimate of Annual Burden per Response: 45 minutes for interviews, 
90 minutes for focus groups.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 550.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1 response/
respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours on Respondents: 266 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

[[Page 48795]]

respondents, including the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology. USDA Forest Service will consider the comments received and 
amend the information collection as appropriate.
    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: September 17, 2018.
Carlos Rodriguez-Franco,
Deputy Chief, Research & Development.
[FR Doc. 2018-20986 Filed 9-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P