[Federal Register: September 19, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 180)]
[Notices]
[Page 54960-54961]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19se05-105]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Revisions to a
Currently Approved Information Collection; Comment Request
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of renewal of a currently approved collection (OMB No.
1006-0001).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us)
intends to submit a request for renewal of an existing approved
information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
Crop Acreage and Yields and Water Distribution (Water User Crop Census
Report [Form 7-332], and Crop and Water Data [Form 7-2045]), OMB
Control Number: 1006-0001. We request your comments on the proposed
forms and specific aspects of this information collection.
DATES: Your written comments must be received on or before November 18,
2005.
ADDRESSES: You may send written comments to the Bureau of Reclamation,
Attention: D-5300, PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007. You may request
copies of the proposed forms by writing to the above address or by
contacting Stephanie McPhee at: (303) 445-2897.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie McPhee at:
(303) 445-2897.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are currently in the process of
collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop
a way to utilize USDA's existing information collection(s) to gather
the data required for our purposes. However, this collaboration effort
will not be completed before the expiration of the crop census forms in
this information collection. Consequently, this information collection
is being renewed as an interim measure to ensure a means exists for
collection of the crop data necessary to perform our functions. We
anticipate that the collaboration process with the USDA will be
complete before further renewal of this information collection is
required.
Title: Crop Acreage and Yields and Water Distribution.
Abstract: The annual crop census is taken on certain Reclamation
projects primarily for use as a tool in administering, managing, and
evaluating various aspects of the Federal reclamation program. The
census is used to assist in the administration of repayment and water
service contracts, which are used to repay the irrigators' obligation
to the Federal government. The census will provide data to facilitate
the required 5-year review of ability-to-pay analysis, which is being
incorporated into new repayment and water service contracts. The basis
for these reviews is an audit by the Office of the Inspector General,
Department of the Interior.
Data from the census are utilized to determine class 1 equivalency
computation; i.e., determining the number of acres of class 2 and class
3 land that are required to be equivalent in productivity to class 1
land.
In recent years, the census has provided data which are used to
administer international trade agreements, such as the North American
Free Trade Agreement. Data from the census are also used by the Office
of the Inspector General, Government Accountability Office, and the
Congressional Research Service to independently evaluate our program
and to estimate the impacts of proposed legislation. These data are
supplied to other Federal and State agencies to evaluate the program
and provide data for research.
Frequency: Annually.
Respondents: Irrigators and water user entities in the 17 Western
states who receive irrigation water service from Bureau of Reclamation
facilities. Also included are entities who receive other water
services, such as municipal and industrial water through Bureau of
Reclamation facilities.
Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 1,325.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.0.
Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 1,325.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,075 hours.
Estimate of Burden for Each Form:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Burden Annual burden
estimate per Number of Annual number on
Form No. form (in respondents of responses respondents
hours) (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Water User Crop Census Report (Form 7-332)...... 0.25 1,100 1,100 275
Crop and Water Data (Form 7-2045)............... 8.00 225 225 1,800
-----------------
TOTAL....................................... 8.25 1,325 1,325 2,075
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 54961]]
Comments.
Comments are invited on:
(a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of our functions, including whether the
information will have practical use;
(b) The accuracy of our burden estimate for the proposed collection
of information, including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(c) Ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents.
We will summarize all comments received regarding this notice. We
will publish that summary in the Federal Register when the information
collection request is submitted to OMB for review and approval.
Department of the Interior practice is to make comments, including
names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review.
Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address
from public disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by
law. There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold a
respondent's identity from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If
you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will make all
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.
Dated: August 29, 2005.
Roseann Gonzales,
Director, Office of Program and Policy Services, Denver Office.
[FR Doc. 05-18536 Filed 9-16-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P