[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 85 (Friday, May 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25385-25386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09272]


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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 to the currently approved 
information collection, the Honey and Honey Bee survey docket (0535-
0153. Revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the 
size of the target population, sample design, and the discontinuation 
of the Bee and Honey Survey for operations with less than five 
colonies.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by June 30, 2020 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: Kevin L. Barnes, Associate 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, (202)720-2707. 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: November 30, 2020.
    Type of Request: Intent to revise and extend a currently approved 
information collection for a period of three years.
    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 Honey and Honey Bee (0535-0153) 
docket, NASS will keep the Bee and Honey Inquiry (operations with 5 or 
more colonies) and the Quarterly Colony Loss survey relatively the 
same. The samples are adjusted so that the same group of operators who 
qualify for the honey production survey also qualify for the colony 
loss survey. The Bee and Honey Production and Loss Inquiry (operations 
with less than 5 colonies) was discontinued and last published in 2018.
    As pollinators, honey bees are vital to the agricultural industry 
for producing food for the world's population. 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.

[[Page 25386]]

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 
15 minutes per respondent for the quarterly Colony Loss Survey. 
Operations with less than five colonies will be excluded from this 
renewal request which will reduce overall respondent burden by an 
estimated 2,100 hours. 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: 12,200.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: With an estimated 
response rate of approximately 80%, we estimate the total burden to be 
approximately 7,500 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, April 23, 2020.
Kevin L. Barnes,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-09272 Filed 4-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P