22018 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 93 / Monday, May 13, 1996 / Notices

OMB Desk Officer: Jerry Coffey, (202)

395–7314.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

Acting DOC Forms Clearance Officer,

(202) 482–3272, Department of

Commerce, room 5312, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent

within 30 days of publication of this

notice to Jerry Coffey, OMB Desk

Officer, room 10201, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: May 7, 1996.

Linda Engelmeier,

Acting Departmental Forms Clearance

Officer, Office of Management and

Organization.

[FR Doc. 96–11820 Filed 5–10–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–F

Bureau of the Census

1997 Census of Agriculture

ACTION: Proposed agency information

collection activity; comment request.

SUMMARY: The Department of

Commerce, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and

respondent burden, invites the general

public and other Federal agencies to

take this opportunity to comment on

proposed and/or continuing information

collections, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before July 12, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Acting

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer,

Department of Commerce, Room 5327,

14th and Constitution Avenue, NW,

Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to: Joseph Reilly, Bureau of

the Census, AGFS Division, Room 437,

Iverson Mall, Washington, DC 20233.

Phone: (301) 763–8557.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

A census of agriculture is taken to

obtain measures of agricultural activity

and productivity for each county or

county equivalent and state in the

United States and the outlying areas.

The census of agriculture is conducted

on the same 5-year cycle as the other

economic censuses. The 1997 Census of

Agriculture covers all agricultural

operations in each state, the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam,

the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands which meet the census farm

definition. The farm definition for the

1997 Census of Agriculture for the 50

states is any place that produced and

sold, or normally would produce and

sell, $1,000 or more of agricultural

products during 1997. This is the

identical definition used for the 1992

Census of Agriculture. The

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico farm

definition has been changed from the

1992 definition, and will be the same as

the definition used in the United States.

The farm definition for Guam, the U.S.

Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth

of the Northern Mariana Islands will

stay at its 1992 level of $100 in sales.

To minimize respondent burden, the

Census Bureau limits the items asked on

the report forms for all farms to just

these basic subjects: land use and

ownership, irrigated land, crop acreages

and quantities harvested, livestock and

poultry inventories and value of

products sold, acres set aside under

Federal acreage-reduction programs,

payment for participation in Federal

farm programs, the amount received

from Commodity Credit Corporation

loans, number of injuries and deaths,

and operator characteristics.

Additionally, 25 percent of the report

forms include additional questions on

number of hired farm workers,

production expenses, fertilizer and

chemicals, machinery and equipment,

market value of land and buildings, and

income from farm-related sources. The

Census Bureau designs regionalized

report forms that are tailored for various

parts of the country and are specific to

the crops grown in a farmer’s particular

area.

The census of agriculture is

authorized by law under Title 13,

United States Code, sections 142(a) and

191. Individual farm operators are

guaranteed by this same law that their

individual information will be kept

confidential. The Census Bureau uses

the information only for statistical

purposes and publishes data only as

tabulated totals. The census of

agriculture is the only comprehensive

source of agricultural statistics at the

county level. These agricultural

statistics are used by Congress in

developing and changing farm

programs. Many national and state

programs are designed or allocated on

the basis of census data such as funds

for extension services, research, and soil

conservation projects. Private industry

uses census statistics to provide a more

effective production and distribution

system for the agricultural community.

II. Method of Collection

The 1997 Census of Agriculture for

the United States and the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will be

conducted primarily using mailout/

mailback procedures for data collection.

For Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands direct enumeration methods will

be used for data collection.

III. Data

OMB Number: Not Available.

Form Number: 97–A0101–97–A0111,

97–A0114, 97–A0201–97–A0216, 97–

0216(SP), 97–A1(G), 97–A1(VI), 97–

A1(NM), and 97–A46.

Type of Review: Regular.

Affected Public: Farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

3,590,000.

Estimated Time Per Response: 22.5

minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 1,346,250.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: $113.2

million over a 6-year cycle (1995–2000).

IV. Request for 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 shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (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 respondents, including through the

use of automated-collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval of this information collection;

they also will become a matter of public

record.

Dated: May 7, 1996.

Linda Engelmeier,

Acting Departmental Forms Clearance

Officer, Office of Management and

Organization.

[FR Doc. 96–11826 Filed 5–10–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P