83 FR 18262 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 81 (April 26, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 81 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18262-18263]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08741]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 81 / Thursday, April 26, 2018 / 
Notices

[[Page 18262]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

April 23, 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 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 
and other forms of information technology.
    Comments regarding this information collection received by May 29, 
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 20503. Commentors 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) 720-8681.
    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.

Forest Service

    Title: Small Business Timber Set-Aside Program: Appeal Procedures 
on Recomputation of Shares.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-0141.
    Summary of Collection: The Forest Service (FS) administers the 
Small Business Timber Sale Set-Aside Program in cooperation with the 
Small Business Administration (SBA) under the authorities of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631), which establishes Federal policy 
regarding assistance provided to small businesses; the National Forest 
Management Act of 1976; the Administrative Procedures Act (5 U.S.C. 
522); and SBA's regulations found at 13 CFR part 121. The Set-Aside 
Program is designed to ensure that qualifying small business 
manufacturers can purchase a fair portion of National Forest System 
sawtimber offered for sale.
    Need and Use of the Information: Under the program, the FS must re-
compute the shares of timber sales to be set aside for qualifying small 
businesses every five years based on the actual volume of sawtimber 
purchased by small businesses. Re-computation of shares must occur if 
there is a change in manufacturing capability, if the purchaser size 
class changes, or if certain purchaser(s) discontinue operations. The 
appeal information is collected in writing and is possible, in most 
locations to be sent via email and attached documents to a Forest 
Service Officer. The collected information is reviewed by FS officials 
who use the information to render decisions related to re-computations 
of timber sale share to be set-aside for small business timber 
purchasers.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 40.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 800.

Forest Service

    Title: Qualified Product List for Wild Land Fire Chemicals.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-0182.
    Summary of Collection: The policy of the Forest Service (FS) is 
stated in Forest Service Handbook (FSH 5109.16, chapters zero code, 10, 
20, and 30), ``Use only evaluated, approved and qualified fire 
chemicals.'' This policy requires Agency to evaluate all wildland fire 
chemicals before use in fire management activities on lands managed by 
the FS. Additionally, FS needs to have available and utilize adequate 
types and quantities of qualified fire chemical products to accomplish 
fire management activities safely, efficiently, and effectively. To 
accomplish their objective, FS evaluates chemical products that may be 
used in direct wildland fire suppression operations prior to their use 
on lands managed by the FS. Safe products do not include ingredients 
that create an enhanced risk, in typical use, to either the 
firefighters involved or the public in general. Safety to the 
environment in terms of aquatic (fish, clean water) and terrestrial 
environments (wildlife, plants) is also considered.
    Need and Use of the Information: FS will collect the listing of 
individual ingredients and quantity of these ingredients in the 
formulation of a product being submitted for evaluation to test the 
products using various Technical Data Sheets and other forms. The 
entity submitting the information provides the FS with the specific 
ingredients used in its product and identifies the specific source of 
supply for each ingredient. The information collected is specific 
mixing requirements and hydration requirements of gum-thickened 
retardants. The information provided will allow the FS to search the 
List of Known and Suspected Carcinogens, as well as the Environment 
Protection Agency's List of Highly Hazardous Materials, to determine if 
any of the ingredients appear on any of these lists. Without the 
information FS would not be able to assess the safety of the wildland 
fire chemicals utilized on FS managed land, since the specific 
ingredients and the quantity of each ingredients used in a formulation 
would not be known.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 3.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (once).
    Total Burden Hours: 41.

[[Page 18263]]

Forest Service

    Title: Generic Information Collection and Clearance of Qualitative 
Feedback on Agency Service Delivery.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-0226.
    Summary of Collection: Executive Order 12862 directs Federal 
agencies to provide service to the public that matches or exceeds the 
best service available in the private sector. Improving Forest Service 
(FS) programs requires ongoing assessment of service delivery, by which 
we mean systematic review of the operation of a program compared to a 
set of explicit or implicit standards, as a means of contributing to 
the continuous improvement of the program.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information collection 
activity will garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in 
an efficient, timely manner, in accordance with the Administration's 
commitment to improving service delivery. By qualitative feedback we 
mean information that provides useful insights on perceptions and 
opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative 
results that can be generalized to the population of study. This 
feedback will provide insights into customer or stakeholder 
perceptions, experiences and expectations, provide an early warning of 
issues with service, or focus attention on areas where communication, 
training or changes in operations might improve delivery of products or 
services. These collections will allow for ongoing, collaborative and 
actionable communications between FS and its customers and 
stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to contribute directly to the 
improvement of program management.
    Feedback collected under this generic clearance will provide useful 
information, but it will not yield data that can be generalized to the 
overall population. This type of generic clearance for qualitative 
information will not be used for quantitative information collections 
that are designed to yield reliably actionable results, such as 
monitoring trends over time or documenting program performance. Such 
data uses require more rigorous designs that address: The target 
population to which generalizations will be made, the sampling frame, 
the sample design (including stratification and clustering), the 
precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed 
sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing 
potential non-response bias, the protocols for data collection, and any 
testing procedures that were or will be undertaken prior fielding the 
study. Depending on the degree of influence, the results are likely to 
have such collections may still be eligible for submission for other 
generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit; 
Not-for-profit Institutions and State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1,875,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 468,750.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-08741 Filed 4-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P