[Federal Register: December 19, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 244)]
[Notices]
[Page 77802-77803]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19de02-80]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of data collection submission.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Sec. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us)
has forwarded a request for renewal (with revisions) 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 revised Crop
Acreage and Yields and Water Distribution Forms and specific aspects of
the information collection.
DATES: Your written comments must be received on or before January 21,
2003.
ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the information collection to the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior, 725
17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503. A copy of your comments should
also be sent to Ms. Diana Trujillo, Bureau of Reclamation, Water
Resources Office, D-5300, PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or for a copy
of the forms contact Diana Trujillo, Bureau of Reclamation, (303) 445-
2914.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is notice that a request for review,
comment, and approval of a revised currently approved collection has
been forwarded to OMB. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting comments on this collection of information was
published on July 17, 2002 (67 FR 46998). No public comments were
received by Reclamation.
We have revised the currently approved collection to reflect
industry standards concerning units used to measure yields for certain
crops (i.e., using pounds instead of bales for cotton lint and using
pounds instead of tons for hops). Other changes include:
[sbull] In Section II-e on both forms, ``Acres irrigated by'', we
are adding the option to choose ``Flood'' along with the
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current options of ``Sprinkler'' and ``Drip''.
[sbull] In Section II-g on both forms, ``Acres not irrigated'', we
are adjusting the format of the box to allow checkmark indications for
the options of ``dry cropped'', ``fallow'', and ``idle'', in addition
to the number of acres.
[sbull] Within each subsection (i.e., Cereals, Forage, Vegetables,
etc.) in Section III on both forms, ``Crop Production'', we are placing
the items in alphabetical order.
[sbull] In Section III on both forms, we are moving ``Cantaloupe'',
``Watermelon'', and ``Honey Ball, Honeydew, etc.'' from the
``Vegetables'' subsection to the ``Fruits'' subsection.
[sbull] In Section I on Form 7-332, ``Irrigator Information'', we
are including a box that asks for the respondent's telephone number so
any potential questions may be directed to that person.
[sbull] We are removing the footnotes to both forms and
incorporating the footnotes within the body of the instructions that
accompany each form.
There have been editorial changes to the current Form 7-332 and
Form 7-2045, and to the instructions that accompany these forms. These
changes have been made to increase the respondents' understanding of
the forms and understanding of the instructions to the forms. The
proposed changes will be included starting with the 2003 Crop Acreage
and Yields and Water Distribution information collection.
Title: Crop Acreage and Yields and Water Distribution.
Forms: Form 7-332, Water User Crop Census Report; and Form 7-2045,
Crop and Water Data.
Abstract: The annual crop census is taken on all Bureau of
Reclamation projects, along with collection of related statistics,
primarily for use as a tool in administering, managing, and evaluating
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
factors, i.e., 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, General Accounting 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.
Description of 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.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Estimated completion time: Form 7-332, 15 minutes; Form 7-2045, 480
minutes.
Annual responses: Form 7-332, 25,000 responses; Form 7-2045, 225
responses.
Annual burden hours per form: Form 7-332, 6,250; Form 7-2045,
1,800.
Total Annual burden hours: 8,050.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the Bureau of Reclamation, including whether the information will have
practical utility; (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,
utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (d) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who
are to respond, including increased use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
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: November 12, 2002.
Wayne Deason,
Associate Director, Office of Policy.
[FR Doc. 02-31925 Filed 12-18-02; 8:45 am]