83 FR 10823 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 49 (March 13, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10823-10824]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05033]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

March 8, 2018.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
are required 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 this information collection received by April 
12, 2018 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: 
Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office 
Building, 725--17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20502. Commenters are 
encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: 
[email protected] or fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental 
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-
7602. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-
8958.
    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

[[Page 10824]]

persons are not required to respond to the collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Farm Service Agency

    Title: Emergency Conservation Program and Biomass Crop Assistance 
Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0082.
    Summary of Collection: The Farm Service Agency (FSA), in 
cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Forest 
Service, and other agencies and organizations, provides eligible 
producers and landowners cost-share incentives and technical assistance 
through several conservation and environmental programs to help 
farmers, ranchers, and other eligible landowners and operators conserve 
soil, improve water quality, develop forests, and rehabilitate farmland 
severely damaged by natural disasters. The authorities to collect 
information for this collection are found under the Agricultural Credit 
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201-2205), which provides emergency funds for 
sharing with agricultural producers the cost of rehabilitating farmland 
damaged by natural disaster, and for carrying out emergency water 
conservation measures during periods of severe drought. FSA is also 
managing the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) authorized by 
Section 9010 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), which 
amends Title 1X of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 008. BCAP 
regulations outlined the legislations parameters, program definitions 
and process or: (1) Establishing BCAP project areas; (2) Matching 
payment opportunity for eligible material wners and qualifying biomass 
conversion facilities; (3) Contracting acreage for producers in BCAP 
project areas; and (4) Establishment and annual production payments for 
producers in CAP projects areas.
    Need and use of the Information: FSA will collect information using 
several forms. The collected information will be used to determine if 
the person, land, and practices are eligible for participation in the 
respective program and to receive cost-share assistance. Information 
collection from eligible biomass owners, biomass conversion facilities, 
and producers meeting the requirements for matching payments, annual 
production payment assistance, establishment payments and BCAP project 
area designation is necessary in order to ensure the financial 
accountability needed to operate and administer the BCAP. Without the 
information, FSA will not be able to make eligibility determinations 
and compute payments in a timely manner.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 70,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total burden hours: 77,763.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-05033 Filed 3-12-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-05-P