Notice2021-20856
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
Primary source
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Published
September 27, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentNational Agricultural Statistics Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Cost of Pollination Survey. This survey gathers data related to the costs incurred by farmers to improve the pollination of their crops through the use of honey bees and other pollinators.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 184 (Monday, September 27, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 184 (Monday, September 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53269-53270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20856]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently
Approved Information Collection
AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently
approved information collection, the Cost of Pollination Survey. This
survey gathers data related to the costs incurred by farmers to improve
the pollination of their crops through the use of honey bees and other
pollinators.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 26, 2021 to
be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0258, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bed1d3dcd1d8d8d7dddbccfed0dfcdcd90cbcddadf90d9d1c8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4c23212e232a2a252f293e0c222d3f3f62393f282d622b233a">[email protected]</span></a>. Include docket number
above in the subject line of the message.
<bullet> eFax: (855) 838-6382.
<bullet> Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions to:
David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Room 5336 South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-2024.
<bullet> Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: David Hancock,
NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 South
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin L. Barnes, Associate
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, (202) 720-2707. Copies of this information
collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from
David Hancock, NASS--OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388 or at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aec1c3ccc1c8c8c7cdcbdceec0cfdddd80dbddcacf80c9c1d8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c7a8aaa5a8a1a1aea4a2b587a9a6b4b4e9b2b4a3a6e9a0a8b1">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Cost of Pollination Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0258.
Type of Request: Intent to Seek Approval to Revise and Extend an
Information Collection for 3 years.
Abstract: The primary objective of the National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue state and national
estimates of crop and livestock production, prices, and disposition; as
[[Page 53270]]
well as economic statistics, environmental statistics related to
agriculture, and also to conduct the Census of Agriculture. Pollinators
(honey bees, bats, butterflies, hummingbirds, etc.) are vital to the
agricultural industry for pollinating numerous food crops for the
world's population. Concern for honey bee colony mortality has risen
since the introduction of Varroa mites in the United States in the late
1980s and the appearance of Colony Collapse Disorder in the past
decade.
In June 2014, the Obama Administration issued a Presidential
Memorandum directing federal agencies to take steps to protect and
restore domestic populations of pollinators. The memorandum established
the Pollinator Health Task Force (Task Force), which is co-chaired by
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and includes leaders from 14 executive branch
departments, agencies, and offices. The Task Force's plan involved
conducting research and collecting data for the following categories:
Status & Trends, Habitats, Nutrition, Pesticides, Native Plants,
Collections, Genetics, Pathogens, Decision Tools, and Economics. The
pollinators have been classified into Honey Bee, Native Bee, Wasp,
Moth/Butterfly, Fly, and Vertebrate. The departments that conducted the
bulk of the research were the Department of the Interior (DOI), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Science Foundation
(NSF), the Smithsonian Institute (SI), and the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA).
NASS was given the tasks of collecting economic data related to
honey bees and quantifying the number of colonies that were lost or
reduced. NASS is approved to conduct the annual Bee and Honey Inquiry
(operations with five or more colonies) and the quarterly Colony Loss
Survey (operations with five or more colonies) under OMB #0535-0153. In
2019, funding for the Cost of Pollination Survey were cut and the
survey was suspended. Under the 2022 Senate Appropriations Bill,
funding is provided for the reinstatement of the Cost of Pollination
Survey. Provided the Bill is signed into law as written; NASS will
resume data collection on this survey in 2022.
NASS will collect economic data from crop farmers who rely on
pollinators for their crops (fruits, nuts, vegetables, etc.). Data
relating to the targeted crops are collected for the total number of
acres that rely on honey bee pollination, the number of honey bee
colonies that were used on those acres, and any cash fees associated
with honey bee pollination. Crop Farmers are also asked if beekeepers
who were hired to bring their bees to their farm were notified of
pesticides used on the target acres, how many acres they were being
hired to pollinate, and how much they were being paid to pollinate the
targeted crops.
Authority: These data will be collected under the authority of 7
U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under this
authority are governed by Section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985
as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict
confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents. This
Notice is submitted in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (Pub. L. 104-113) and the Office of Management and Budget
regulations at 5 CFR part 1320. This survey is also conducted in
accordance with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act of 2018, Title III of Public Law 115-435, codified in 44
U.S.C. Ch. 35.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response. Publicity
materials and an instruction sheet for reporting via internet will
account for 5 minutes of additional burden per respondent. Respondents
who refuse to complete a survey will be allotted 2 minutes of burden
per attempt to collect the data.
Once a year, NASS will contact approximately 18,000 crop farmers
who rely on honey bees to pollinate their fruit, nut, vegetable, and
other crops. NASS will conduct the annual survey using a mail and
internet approach. This will be followed up with phone and personal
enumeration for non-respondents. NASS will attempt to obtain at least
an 80% response rate.
Respondents: Farmers.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 18,000.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: With an estimated
response rate of approximately 80%, we estimate the burden to be 5,340
hours.
Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, technological, or other forms of information
technology collection methods. All responses to this notice will become
a matter of public record and be summarized in the request for OMB
approval.
Signed at Washington, DC, September 17, 2021.
Kevin L. Barnes,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2021-20856 Filed 9-24-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P
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