[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 131 (Wednesday, July 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 40962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14703]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 131 / Wednesday, July 8, 2020 / 
Notices  

[[Page 40962]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; Generic Clearance for Non-Timber Forest 
Products

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 our information collection, Non-Timber 
Forest Products.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before September 8, 
2020 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 Kenli 
Kim, National Program Leader for Social Science, Forest Service 
Research and Development, at [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 USDA Forest Service, Washington Office--Yates 
Building during normal business hours. Please email ahead of time to 
facilitate entry to the building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenli Kim, National Program Leader, by 
email at [email protected].
    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: Non-Timber Forest Products.
    OMB Number: 0596-0243.
    Type of Request: Renewal.
    Abstract: Non-timber forest products are plants, mushrooms, and 
plant-or tree derived goods like nuts, boughs, sap, and leaves that are 
harvested for food, medicine, arts and crafts, religious and cultural 
rituals, and other purposes. Some non-timber forest product gathering 
is formal, meaning it's planned and systematic, while much of it is 
informal, meaning it's unplanned, opportunistic, and/or incidental to 
other outdoor recreation activities. For some people, harvested wild 
plants and mushrooms make up a substantial or nutritionally important 
part of their diet. In other cases, non-timber forest products are 
locally or regionally important products for businesses.
    Many opportunities exist to manage forests and other natural areas 
to enhance the supply of non-timber forest products and increase the 
benefits they provide to society and to maintain populations of 
important non-timber forest products. Potential public benefits include 
improved public health outcomes from outdoor activity and access to 
socially, culturally, and economically significant products. Harvesting 
and consuming non-timber forest products also may help supplement food 
sources for people with limited access to fresh, affordable food.
    Many laws and policies direct the USDA Forest Service to consider 
and manage for non-timber forest products for the benefit of the 
American public. The Forest Service must also meet trust 
responsibilities to American Indians and Alaskan Natives on federal and 
tribal lands. Managing forests and other natural areas to provide non-
timber forest products in a sustainable way requires more detailed, 
science-based information. Gaining new information can help us 
understand how uses of non-timber forest products have changed over 
time in response to management, socio-cultural circumstances, economic 
conditions, and environmental change.
    The USDA Forest Service is seeking OMB approval to renew an 
existing information collection that enables us to better understand 
non-timber forest products by asking questions of people who harvest 
non-timber forest products and of people who manage, make policies for, 
or have a stake in the management of lands where non-timber forest 
products may be harvested.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households, Businesses and Non-
Profit Organizations, and/or State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Estimate of Burden per Response: 25 minutes for survey; 60 minutes 
for interview; 90 minutes for focus group.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 1300.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 276 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 Forest Service, including whether the information will 
have practical or scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the Forest 
Service'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.

Alexander Friend,
Deputy Chief, Research & Development.
[FR Doc. 2020-14703 Filed 7-7-20; 8:45 am]
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