Notice2026-07103
Information Collection: State Forest Law and Policy
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 13, 2026
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a new information collection request (ICR), State Forest Law and Policy (OMB 0596-NEW). This collection will obtain information regarding how States and U.S. Territories regulate and incentivize forest management on private and State lands.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 70 (Monday, April 13, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 70 (Monday, April 13, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18814-18815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07103]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection: State Forest Law and Policy
AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and
organizations on a new information collection request (ICR), State
Forest Law and Policy (OMB 0596-NEW). This collection will obtain
information regarding how States and U.S. Territories regulate and
incentivize forest management on private and State lands.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before June 12, 2026
to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will
be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to
Gregory Frey, Research Forester, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research
Station, 3041 East Cornwallis Rd., Durham, NC 27713. Comments also may
be submitted by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e78095828088959ec982c98195829ea792948386c9808891"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="33544156545c414a1d561d5541564a73464057521d545c45">[email protected]</span></a>. Please include
``Comments re: ``State Forest Law and Policy'' in the subject line.
Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available
to the public through relevant websites and upon request. For this
reason, please do not include in your comments information of a
confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or
proprietary information. If you send an email comment, your email
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the
internet. Please note that responses to this public comment request
containing any routine notice about the confidentiality of the
communication will be treated as public comments that may be made
available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine
notice.
The public may request an electronic copy of the draft supporting
statement and/or any comments received be sent via return email.
Requests should be emailed to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8cebfee9ebe3fef5a2e9a2eafee9f5ccf9ffe8eda2ebe3fa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="690e1b0c0e061b10470c470f1b0c10291c1a0d08470e061f">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Frey, Research Forester, USDA
Forest Service, by phone at 919-549-4025, or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6d0a1f080a021f144308430b1f08142d181e090c430a021b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fe998c9b99918c87d09bd0988c9b87be8b8d9a9fd0999188">[email protected]</span></a>.
Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech
disability may call 711 to reach the Telecommunications Relay Service
then provide the phone number of the person named as a point of contact
for further information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: State Forest Law and Policy.
OMB Number: 0596-NEW.
Expiration Date of Approval: N/A.
Type of Request: New information collection.
Abstract: This new collection will address how States and U.S.
Territories regulate and incentivize forest management on private and
state lands. Congress has authorized the USDA Forest Service to collect
and generate information including about how laws, public policies,
regulations, and other factors influence and affect the use, ownership,
and management of forest lands.
Legislation authorizing the development and dissemination of such
science-based information includes the Forest and Rangeland Renewable
Resources Planning Act of 1974, the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, and the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978. Further, the
Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 directs the Forest Service
to coordinate and work cooperatively with state agencies, and such
coordination and cooperation may be facilitated by having a greater
understanding of the state-level policy context for forestry. Also, the
Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 directs
agencies to evaluate how agency programs, policies, and regulations
contribute to agency missions, and understanding state-level programs,
policies, and regulations can provide information relevant to this
goal. The information proposed to be collected under this approval
contributes to USDA Forest Service mission and strategic goals,
including to sustain our Nation's forests.
Information will be collected on various topics, organized as
``Modules,'' which are planned to be re-collected on multi-year cycles.
Modules include:
(1) State financial incentive payment programs for private forests
(2) State regulation of forest management and timber harvests,
including Forest Practices Acts, rules, and voluntary practices
(3) Resilient forest management policies and practices
We will collect information from knowledgeable individuals at State
or Territory forestry or natural resource agencies; State or Territory
tax agencies; State or Territory Cooperative Extension services, or
related organizations. These individuals will be identified through
contacts and correspondence with State or Territory Foresters or their
representatives.
This information is valuable for a number of purposes:
(1) As a basic dataset for researchers to evaluate the impact of
policies.
(2) For forest users and managers to understand what is allowed in
their State or Territory and opportunities to enhance productivity,
economic returns, and provision of ecosystem services.
(3) For policymakers to understand how policies and programs differ
from State to State.
(4) For the USDA Forest Service to generate a baseline of
information and periodic monitoring updates for national and
international reporting considerations.
Notably, some of this information is available by reading State
statutory and administrative codes (laws and regulations). However,
interpretation and implementation can be variable by State or laws and
regulations can interact, which can lead people to misconstrue how
forests are regulated, incentivized, and managed in practice.
Knowledgeable in-state contacts can help verify researchers'
interpretations or help identify and synthesize information from
multiple sources in the state. Furthermore, considerations other than
the law itself can impact how policies and programs work in practice.
For example, a program might be authorized by a law but not funded
through appropriations. Finally, various important aspects may not be
easily discernible from the legislative, administrative, or other
written record.
[[Page 18815]]
For example, State agencies may have records of how many landowners or
land acres enroll in a certain program but not otherwise publish this
information. In any event, this information is maintained in highly
variable formats from State to State, and our information request will
help standardize in a single place. In situations where we are easily
able to generate preliminary information for each state, we will
attempt to provide this information to respondents for verification in
order to reduce the time burden, rather than ask them to provide new
information.
Affected Public: State and Territory government officials.
Estimate of Burden per Response: The time required to respond will
be variable, depending on whether or not the State or Territory keeps
information in a format that is easily translatable to the ICR. Time
required could range from 0.5 to 8 hours per individual involved. We
anticipate an average of 3 hours per individual.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 150 (one to four
individuals in each State or Territory).
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 450 hours.
Comment is Invited: Comment is invited on: (1) whether this
collection of information is necessary for the stated purposes and the
proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether
the information will have practical or scientific utility; (2) the
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of
information, 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 respondents, including the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
All comments received in response to this notice, including names
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record.
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission request for
Office of Management and Budget approval.
Valerie Hipkins,
Deputy Chief, Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 2026-07103 Filed 4-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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