[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 28 (Friday, February 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9320-9321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02860]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

[Docket ID: FSA-20210-0001]


Information Collection Request; Emergency Conservation Program 
(ECP) and Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP)

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as

[[Page 9321]]

amended, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all 
interested individuals and organizations on an extension with a 
revision of currently approved information collection associated with 
the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Biomass Crop Assistance 
Program (BCAP). This information is collected in support of, 
respectively, sections 401-407 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978, 
as amended, and section 9011 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002, as amended.

DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by April 13, 2021.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this Notice. You may 
submit comments, identified by Docket ID: FSA-2021-0001, by any of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to: www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail, Hand Delivery, or Courier: Shanita Landon, ECP 
Program Manager, Conservation and Environmental Programs Division, Farm 
Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture, STOP 0513, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-0513.
    You may also send comments to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the information collection may 
be requested by contacting Martin Bomar.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, Shanita London, (202) 690-1612 (voice); email: 
[email protected]. Persons with disabilities who require 
alternative means for communication should contact the USDA Target 
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Description of Information Collection

    Title: Emergency Conservation Program and Biomass Crop Assistance 
Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0082.
    Expiration Date: April 30, 2021.
    Type of Request: Revision.
    Abstract: The collection of this information is necessary to allow 
FSA to:
    (1) Effectively administer the regulations under ECP, which are set 
forth at 7 CFR part 701, so as to provide funding and technical 
assistance for farmers and ranchers to restore farmland damaged by 
natural disasters, and for emergency water conservation measures in 
severe droughts; and
    (2) Effectively administer the regulations for BCAP, which are set 
forth at 7 CFR part 1450, so as to provide financial assistance to 
owners and operators of agricultural and non-industrial private forest 
land who wish to establish, produce, and deliver biomass feedstocks.
    This information is collected in support of, respectively, sections 
401-407 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-334), as 
amended, and section 9011 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 
of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171), as amended.
    Activity related to ECP request, approvals, and payments has 
increased due to major storm systems that caused catastrophic damage 
across the nation, from 2018-2020. Hurricane Michael and Florence 
occurred in 2018, followed by the Midwest flooding's in 2019. Multiple 
hurricanes and wildfires in 2020 all contribute to the increase in 
activity. Activity related to BCAP has drastically reduced because of 
the lack of funding for BCAP. The travel times also have been removed 
from the request.
    For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the 
formula used to calculate the total burden hours is the estimated 
average time per response multiplied by the estimated total annual of 
responses.
    Estimate of Average Time to Respond: Public reporting burden for 
collecting information under this notice is estimated to average 0.116 
hours per responses, including the time for reviewing instructions, 
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data 
needed, completing and reviewing the collection of information for all 
respondents.
    Type of Respondents: Owners, operators and other eligible 
agricultural producers on eligible farmland.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 140,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 3.04.
    Estimated Total Annual Reponses: 425,445.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.116 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 49,385 hours.
    We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information 
collection to help us to:
    (1) Evaluate 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;
    (2) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the quality, ability and clarity of the information 
technology; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who 
respond through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information.
    All responses to this notice, including names and addresses when 
provided, will be summarized and included in the request for OMB 
approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

Steven Peterson,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2021-02860 Filed 2-11-21; 8:45 am]
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