[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 188 (Monday, September 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60753-60754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21337]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

September 23, 2020.
    The Department of Agriculture will submit the following information 
collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 on or after the date 
of publication of this notice. Comments are requested regarding: (1) 
Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of burden 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 those who are to 
respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments regarding these information collections are best assured 
of having their full effect if received by October 28, 2020. Written 
comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection 
should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on 
the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this 
particular information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day 
Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

    Title: Agricultural Resource Management and Chemical Use Surveys--
Substantive Change.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0218.
    Summary of Collection: General authority for these data collection 
activities is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204 which 
specifies that ``The Secretary of Agriculture shall procure and 
preserve all information concerning agriculture which he can obtain . . 
. by the collection of statistics . . .''. The primary objective of the 
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to provide data 
users with timely and reliable agricultural production and economic 
statistics, as well as environmental and specialty agricultural related 
statistics. To accomplish this objective, NASS relies on the use of 
diverse surveys that show changes within the farming industry over 
time.
    Using the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) and the 
Vegetable Chemical Use Survey, NASS collects environmental data, which

[[Page 60754]]

includes cropping practices, fertilizer applications, pesticide usage 
for weeds, insects, fungus, mold, etc., and the use of various pest 
management practices. Through cooperative agreements with the Economic 
Research Service and the Office of Pest Management Policy NASS collects 
additional data to aid in their research. Additional questions were 
added to the ARMS III questionnaires to measure the impact the COVID-19 
pandemic has had on the farming industry in 2020. Complete listings of 
the questions added, deleted or changed on each questionnaire version 
are attached to this submission.
    The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the modes of data collection. In 
previous years, NASS has relied primarily on data collection by 
personal interviews for the ARMS and Chemical Use Surveys. With social 
distancing, NASS will incorporate a computer assisted web interview 
(CAWI) along with a computer assisted telephone interview (CATI). 
Operators will also be able to complete the questionnaire by mail if 
they choose to. With these changes to data collection modes NASS will 
postpone the ARMS II and III rice versions until 2021. The remaining 
versions will be conducted in 2020.
    The overall annual, average sample size for the ARMS and Chemical 
Use program will remain at 131,610. The burden minutes for the ARMS III 
questionnaires were increased to account for the additional questions 
added to each version in the previous submission. No additional burden 
is being added for the changes included in this submission.
    A detailed listing of the questions that have been updated are 
attached to this submission. The delaying of the ARMS II and ARMS III 
rice surveys until 2021 results in a decrease in respondent burden for 
2020 but an increase in 2021 resulting in no changes to the annual 
average burden under this three year approval.
    Need and Use of the Information: The Office of Pest Management 
Policy (OPMP), the Economic Research Service (ERS), universities, and 
numerous other State and Federal Agencies will be able to better 
address changes in the farming practices and chemicals used on these 
crops that have occurred since the original approval of this docket.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 131,610.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Once.
    Total Burden Hours: 104,934.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-21337 Filed 9-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P