[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]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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