83 FR 24274 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 102 (May 25, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 102 (Friday, May 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24274-24275]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11214]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

May 21, 2018.
    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 should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC; New Executive Office Building, 725--17th Street NW, 
Washington, DC, 20503. 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.
    Comments regarding these information collections are best assured 
of having their full effect if received by June 25, 2018. 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.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Agricultural Resource Management, Chemical Use, and Post-
Harvest Chemical Use Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0218.
    Summary of Collection: The primary functions of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) are to prepare and issue State 
and national estimates of crop and livestock production, disposition, 
and prices and to collect information on related environmental and 
economic factors. Detailed economic and environmental data for various 
crops and livestock help to maintain a stable economic atmosphere and 
reduce the risk for production, marketing, and distribution operations. 
The Agricultural Resource Management Surveys (ARMS), are the primary 
source of information for the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a broad 
range of issues related to agricultural resource use, cost of 
production, and farm sector financial conditions. NASS uses a variety 
of survey instruments to collect the information in conjunction with 
these studies. General authority for these data collection activities 
is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204.
    Need and Use of the Information: ARMS is the only annual source of 
whole farm information available for objective evaluation of many 
critical issues related to agriculture and the rural economy, such as: 
Whole farm finance data, marketing information, input usage, production 
practices, and crop substitution possibilities. Without these data, 
decision makers cannot analyze and report on critical issues that 
affect farms and farm households when pesticide regulatory actions are 
being considered.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 131,619.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 105,615.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Irrigation and Water Management Survey (IWMS).
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0234.
    Summary of Collection: The Irrigation and Water Management Survey 
(IWMS) is a reinstatement of a previously conducted survey (2013 Farm 
and Ranch Irrigation Survey). The IWMS is a follow-on survey and in 
integral part of the 2017 Census of Agriculture which is conducted 
every five years under the authority of the Census of Agriculture Act 
of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-113). This law requires the Secretary of 
Agriculture to conduct a census of agriculture beginning in 2002 and 
every fifth year thereafter (prior to 1997 the census was conducted by 
the Department of Commerce). The 2018 IWMS will be obtaining data 
describing the irrigation activities of U.S. farm operations. Some of 
these activities are of National concern, such as the use of 
chemigation, fertigation and water-conserving practices of irrigators. 
The 2018 IWMS will play an important part in providing critically 
needed data to address these types of issues.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information from 
the IWMS on acres irrigated by land use category, acres and yields of 
irrigated and non-irrigated crops, quantity of water applied, method of 
application to selected crops, acres irrigated, quantity of water used 
by source, acres irrigated by type of water distribution systems, and 
number of irrigation wells and pumps. The primary purpose of IWMS is to 
provide detailed data relating to on-farm irrigation activities for use 
in preparing a wide variety of water-related local programs, economic 
models, legislative initiatives, market analyses, and feasibility 
studies. The absence of the study data would certainly affect 
irrigation policy decisions, federal programs, legislation, and impact 
studies would instead be subject to greater uncertainty and error.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 35,100.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Other (one-time).

[[Page 24275]]

    Total Burden Hours: 25,577.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-11214 Filed 5-24-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P