Terms of Clearance:
This information collection is approved for 1 year only. NASS and OMB have agreed on the following actions and deliverables in advance of the next submission of the ARMS ICR to OMB:
1. NASS will hold a meeting with the OIRA desk officer no later than the end of February, 2012 to discuss the information collection request agency preparation and OIRA review process. This will not be a discussion on the purpose of ARMS, but a project management and review discussion. The PRA and implementation regulations will be reviewed by the OIRA desk officer. Submission schedules, staff assignments and responsibilities for docket preparation will be reviewed.
2. OIRA expects that information collection instruments will not be printed in advance of PRA clearance in the future, and that the agencyÂs scheduling will allow at least 120+ days for public comment and OIRA review, as described in the PRA (60 day public notice + 30 day public notice + 30 day review period prior to OIRAÂs being required to respond to the request).
3. The supporting statements for the next ARMS ICR will reference specific actions taken to address NAS 2007 report recommendations. A comprehensive response to the NAS 2007 report will be presented to the OIRA desk officer in draft form no later than the end of February, 2012 and in final form within the next ARMS ICRÂs supplemental materials. This response will include a schedule of actions with estimated date of completion, staff assignment, priority ranking, and completion status.
4. Supporting statement A will be revised to reference, with limited exception, only the current ARMS information collection procedures. Supporting statement questions B.1 and B.2 will be revised to describe the sampling frame and raking process such that population controls source and raking weights will be clearly identified. Recalibration of weights to adjust for nonresponse bias and transmission of those weights to data users will be discussed.
5. Instruments will be revised. Each instrument should have the information required by the PRA to be communicated to the potential participant. This includes purpose, use, authority for collection, privacy statute citation, voluntary/mandatory nature, estimated average burden, and contact for public to inquire about the information collection. This language in the current documents is incomplete and internally inconsistent.
6. Testing procedures, analysis and recommendations for the mail vs. in person instruments and the use of propensity scoring for targeted follow up will be discussed with the OIRA desk officer at least 30 days prior to submission of the next ARMS ICR to ROCIS.
7. NASS (and ERS, as appropriate) will brief OIRA at least 30 days prior to the submission of the next ARMS ICR to report completion of the stipulations above.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
12/31/2012
36 Months From Approved
12/31/2011
135,583
0
101,367
79,731
0
61,568
0
0
0
The Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) is the primary source of information for the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a broad range of issues related to agricultural resource use, costs of production, and farm sector financial conditions. ARMS is the only annual source of whole farm information available for objective evaluation of many critical issues related to agriculture and the rural economy. Through the use of the Chemical Use questionnaires NASS is able to collect data and create the only comprehensive data base regarding on farm chemical usage. This is essential for the Food Quality Protection Act of 1938.
US Code:
43 USC 1905
Name of Law: Grazing Fees
US Code:
18 USC 1905
Name of Law: Disclosure of Confidential Information
US Code:
7 USC 2204
Name of Law: General Duties of Secretary
US Code:
7 USC 7998
Name of Law: Estimates of Farm Income
US Code:
7 USC 136i-2
Name of Law: Collection if pesticide use informatioin
US Code:
7 USC 2276
Name of Law: Confidentiality of Information
US Code:
7 USC 1441
Name of Law: Price Support Levels
US Code:
7 USC 35
Name of Law: Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938
US Code:
7 USC 3601.1
Name of Law: General Statement of Public Information
PL:
Pub.L. 107 - 347 503(a)
Name of Law: CIPSEA
PL:
Pub.L. 104 - 170 101
Name of Law: Food Quality Protection Act of 1996
US Code:
36 USC 222.51
Name of Law: Grazing Fees
The new average annual burden is expected to be 79,731 hours. The increase of 18,163 hours from the current burden of 61,568 hours is due to adjustments in sample sizes and the reinstatement of some of the annual surveys that had been postponed due to previous budget cuts. The increase in sample sizes for ongoing surveys, is primarily due to the rotation of target crops being surveyed each year.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form QID 113310 Agricultural Resource Management, Chemical Use, and Post-harvest Chemical Use Surveys
Assessing the Effect of Calibration on Nonresonse Bias in 2008.pdf
PIA - NASS UNIX MA Oct. 2011.doc
0218-arms-2011_PartB.docx
Non-Responses