[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 9, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13520-13522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04788]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection; National Woodland Owner Survey

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 the National Woodland Owner Survey 
information collection.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before May 10, 2021 
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 Brett 
Butler, Research Forester, USDA Forest Service, 160 Holdsworth Way, 
Amherst, MA 01003. Comments may also be submitted by email to: 
[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 request an electronic copy of the draft supporting 
statement and/or any comments received. Requests should be emailed to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Butler, Research Forester, 
Northern Research Station, 413-545-1387. Individuals who use 
telecommunication devices for the hearing-impaired (TDD) may call the

[[Page 13521]]

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: National Woodland Owner Survey.
    OMB Number: 0596-0078.
    Type of Request: Information Collection Renewal.
    Abstract: There are an estimated 823 million acres of forestland 
across the United States. Of this forestland, over half is owned by 
millions of corporations, families, individuals, and other private 
groups. Understanding the attitudes and behaviors of these private 
ownerships is critical for understanding the current and future state 
of the nation's forests. The Forest Service conducts the National 
Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) to increase our understanding of:
     Who owns and manages the forestland of the United States;
     Why they own/manage it;
     How they have used it; and
     How they intend to use it.
    This information is used by policy analysts, foresters, educators, 
and researchers to facilitate planning and implementation of forest 
policies and programs.
    The Forest Service's direction and authority to conduct the NWOS is 
from the Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the Forest and Rangeland 
Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978. These acts assign 
responsibility for inventory and assessment of forest and related 
renewable resources to the Secretary of Agriculture, and these 
responsibilities are subsequently delegated to the Forest Service. 
Additionally, the importance of an ownership survey in this inventory 
and assessment process has been highlighted in the 2014 Farm Bill, the 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, and 
the recommendations of the 1998 Second Blue Ribbon Panel on the Forest 
Inventory and Analysis program.
    Previous iterations of the NWOS were conducted in 1978, 1993, 2002-
2006, 2011-2013, and 2017-2018. Data collection for the current 
iteration is planned for 2019-2023. Initial approval for the current 
data collection cycle of the NWOS expires on October 31, 2021. If 
renewed, the current NWOS data collection cycle will be completed in 
2023.
    Information will be collected related to:
     The characteristics of the land holdings;
     Attitudes and perceptions of the owners and managers;
     Resource uses and management activities; and
     Where applicable, landowner demographics.
    Separate survey instruments are being developed for rural and urban 
landowners. For rural landowners, a subset of ownerships will be sent 
survey instruments addressing the following topics, in addition to the 
core questions from the base survey instrument:
     Wildfires;
     Invasive species;
     Climate change;
     Land owner values; and
     Decision making.
    The NWOS provides widely cited benchmarks for the number, extent, 
and characteristics of owners of forestland in the United States. These 
results have been used to assess the sustainability of forest resources 
at national, regional, and state levels; to implement and assess 
forest-land owner assistance programs; and to answer a variety of 
questions with topics ranging from forestland fragmentation to the 
economics of timber production. This is the only effort to collect in-
depth information about owners of forestland at the national scale. It 
provides longitudinal data to track ownership trends and allows for 
comparisons across regions of the country.
    The respondents will be a statistically selected group of 
individuals, families, partnerships, corporations, nonprofit 
organizations, and other private groups that own forestland in the 
United States. A well distributed, random set of sampling points has 
been established across the country. At each point, remotely sensed 
data, such as aerial photographs, will be used to identify forested 
points. For the forested points, public records will be used to 
identify the owners of record--the names and addresses of the 
landowners we will contact. The target number of respondents per state 
is 250 over the full, 2019-2023, data collection cycle.
    The NWOS will utilize a mixed-mode survey technique involving 
cognitive interviews, focus groups, self-administered questionnaires, 
and telephone interviews. Cognitive interviews will be used to test 
specific questions. Focus groups will be used to provide more in-depth 
understanding of the responses and to explore new areas of inquiry.
    Implementation of the self-administered survey will involve up to 
four contacts. First, a pre-notice postcard will be sent to all 
potential respondents describing this information collection and why 
the information is being collected. Second, a questionnaire with a 
cover letter and pre-paid return envelope will be sent to the potential 
respondents. The cover letter will reiterate the purpose of this 
information collection and provide respondents with all legally 
required information. Third, a reminder will be mailed to thank 
respondents and encourage non-respondents to reply. Those who have yet 
to respond will be sent a new questionnaire, cover letter, and pre-paid 
return envelope. The primary survey instrument will be paper forms with 
the option for completing the survey electronically online. Telephone 
interviews will be used for follow-up with non-respondents.
    Forest Service researchers will coordinate all components of this 
information collection. Forest Service personnel with assistance 
provided by cooperators at the Family Forest Research Center located at 
the University of Massachusetts Amherst will conduct the mail portion 
of the survey, cognitive interviews, and focus groups. The U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
will conduct the telephone follow-ups. Data will be compiled and edited 
by Forest Service and Family Forest Research Center personnel. Forest 
Service researchers and cooperators will analyze the collected data. 
National, regional, and state-level results will be publicly available 
and electronically distributed.
    This information collection will generate scientifically-based, 
statistically-reliable, up-to-date information about the owners of 
forestland in the United States. Results of these efforts will provide 
more reliable information on this important and dynamic segment of the 
United States population, thus facilitating more complete assessments 
of the country's forestland resources and improved planning and 
implementation of forestry programs on state, regional, and national 
levels.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households and the Private Sector 
(Businesses and Non-Profit Organizations).
    Estimate of Burden per Response: 25 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 3,558.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents (hours): 2,118.

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

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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 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 to the 
Office of Management and Budget for approval.

Alexander L. Friend,
Deputy Chief, Research & Development.
[FR Doc. 2021-04788 Filed 3-8-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P