60-day Federal Register Notice

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2012 / Notices

Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time, Monday
through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
following business will be conducted:
(1) Welcome; (2) Review and approval
of minutes from last meeting; (3) Review
of proposed projects; (4) Public
Comment. Anyone who would like to
bring related matters to the attention of
the committee may file written
statements with the committee staff
before or after the meeting. The agenda
will include time for people to make
oral statements of three minutes or less.
Individuals wishing to make an oral
statement should request in writing by
September 14, 2012 to be scheduled on
the agenda. Written comments and
requests for time for oral comments
must be sent to De Soto Ranger District,
654 West Frontage Road, Wiggins, MS
39577, or by email to
[email protected], or via facsimile
to 601–528–6193. A summary of the
meeting will be posted at:
www.fs.usda.gov/main/pts/home within
21 days of the meeting.
Meeting Accommodations: If you are
a person requiring reasonable
accommodation, please make requests
in advance for sign language
interpreting, assistive listening devices
or other reasonable accommodation for
access to the facility or proceedings by
contacting the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. All
reasonable accommodation requests are
managed on a case by case basis.
Dated: August 23, 2012.
Ron Smith,
Designated Federal Official.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Idaho Counties Risk
Management Program Building, 3100
South Vista Avenue, Boise, Idaho.

ADDRESSES:

Agenda
topics will include review and approval
of project proposals, and is an open
public forum.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Kim
Pierson, Designated Federal Official, at
(208) 347–0301 or email
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dated: August 22, 2012.
Keith B. Lannom,
Forest Supervisor, Payette National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2012–21539 Filed 8–30–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Siuslaw Resource Advisory Committee
AGENCY:
ACTION:

Forest Service, USDA.

Notice of Meeting.

The Siuslaw Resource
Advisory Committee will meet in
Corvallis, OR. The purpose of the
meeting is RAC FY13 Business, Elect
Chairperson, Set FY13 Overhead Rate,
Information Share, Public Forum, 2013
Project Review, Project Selections.

SUMMARY:

The meeting will be held
September 17, 2012 beginning at 9:00
a.m.

DATES:

Joni
Quarnstrom, Siuslaw National Forest,
541/750–7075 or write to Forest
Supervisor, Siuslaw National Forest,
3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR
97331.

Notice of Southwest Idaho Resource
Advisory Committee Meeting
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meeting.

AGENCY:

EMCDONALD on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Notice of Request for Extension of a
Currently Approved Information
Collection

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Forest Service

Pursuant to the authorities in
the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(Pub. L. 92–463) and under the Secure
Rural Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act of 2000, as amended,
(Pub. L. 110–343), the Boise, Payette,
Salmon-Challis, Sawtooth, and
Wallowa-Whitman National Forests’
Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory

SUMMARY:

15:22 Aug 30, 2012

Thursday, September 13, 2012,
beginning at 10:00 a.m.

DATES:

The meeting will be held at
the Corvallis Forestry Sciences Lab and
Siuslaw National Forest, 3200 SW
Jefferson Way, Room 20 A, B, C,
Corvallis, OR 97331.

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

ADDRESSES:

[FR Doc. 2012–21263 Filed 8–30–12; 8:45 am]

ACTION:

Committee will conduct a business
meeting. The meeting is open to the
public.

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A public
input period will begin before 2013
project review. The meeting is expected
to adjourn at 5:00 p.m.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Dated: August 23, 2012.
Jeremiah C. Ingersoll,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2012–21264 Filed 8–30–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

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Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Business-Cooperative
Service.
ACTION: Proposed collection; Comments
requested.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the Rural BusinessCooperative Service’s (RBS) intention to
request an extension for a currently
approved information collection in
support of the program for Business and
Industry Guaranteed Loans.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by October 30, 2012 to be
assured of consideration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Lewis, Business and Industry
Loan Servicing Branch, Rural BusinessCooperative Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, STOP 3224, 1400
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–3224, telephone
(202) 690–0797, or by email to
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Business and Industry
Guaranteed Loan Servicing.
OMB Number: 0570–0016.
Expiration Date of Approval:
November 30, 2012.
Type of Request: Extension of
Paperwork Burden.
Abstract: The purpose of the Business
and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program
is to improve, develop, or finance
business, industry, and employment
and to improve the economic and
environmental climate in rural
communities. This purpose is achieved
by bolstering the existing private credit
structure through the guarantee of
quality loans which will provide lasting
community benefits. The information
requested is necessary and vital in order
for the Agency to make prudent credit
and financial decisions.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average .85 hours per
response.
Respondents Number: 3,800.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
3,800.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 1.
Estimated Number of Responses:
23,703.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 20,452.
Copies of this information collection
can be obtained from Jeanne Jacobs,
SUMMARY:

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2012 / Notices
Regulations and Paperwork
Management Branch at (202) 692–0040.
Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of RBS, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of
RBS’s estimate of the burden of 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 to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who are to respond, including
through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology. Comments may be sent to
Jeanne Jacobs, Regulations and
Paperwork Management Branch, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development, STOP 0742, 1400
Independence Ave. SW., Washington,
DC 20250.
All responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approval. All comments
will also become a matter of public
record.
Dated: August 27, 2012.
John C. Padalino,
Acting Administrator, Rural BusinessCooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–21597 Filed 8–30–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

EMCDONALD on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
chapter 35).
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: American Community Survey
Methods Panel Tests.
OMB Control Number: 0607–0936
Form Number(s): ACS–1, ACS–1(SP),
ACS–1PR, ACS–1PR(SP), ACS
CATI(HU), ACS CAPI(HU), ACS
(Internet).
Type of Request: Revision of a
currently approved collection.
Burden Hours: 276,645.
Number of Respondents: 444,150.

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15:22 Aug 30, 2012

Jkt 226001

Average Hours per Response: 34
minutes.
Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census
Bureau requests authorization from the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) to conduct the American
Community Survey (ACS) Methods
Panel tests. The ACS collects detailed
socioeconomic data from about 3.5
million households in the United States
and 36,000 in Puerto Rico each year.
Resulting tabulations from that data
collection are provided on a yearly
basis. The ACS allows the Census
Bureau to provide timely and relevant
housing and socio-economic statistics
for even small levels of geography.
An ongoing data collection effort with
an annual sample of this magnitude
requires continuous research, testing
and evaluations aimed at improving
questionnaire content and data
collection operations. The ACS Methods
Panel is a research program that is
designed to address and respond to
emerging issues and survey needs.
During the 2013–2015 period, the
Methods Panel may include testing
methods for increasing survey
efficiencies, reducing survey cost,
lessening respondent burden, and
improving response rates. Testing may
also include methods that might
increase data quality. At this time, plans
are in place to propose several tests: a
2013 Questionnaire Design Test, a 2015
ACS Content Test, and a series of
Internet tests. Because we cannot
anticipate issues that may arise in the
production survey or from the proposed
studies, we may conduct additional
testing as needed. Additional testing
would focus on methods for reducing
data collection costs, improving data
quality or testing new questions that
have an urgent need to be included on
the ACS.
In September through December 2010,
the Census Bureau conducted the 2010
ACS Content Test that included testing
revisions to current ACS questions as
well as two new questions (Computer
ownership and Internet usage, and
Parental Place of Birth). During the
Content Test, the Census Bureau
determined that the ACS paper
questionnaire did not contain enough
space to accommodate certain
configurations of proposed content
changes. While selected content from
the test does fit on the current form, we
need to be proactive to accommodate
future content requests on the ACS mail
questionnaire. In the 2013 ACS
Questionnaire Design Test, we will
study the impact of a longer (36-page)
questionnaire against our current 28page form. The experimental treatments
are noted below, but we have not

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53171

finalized the forms for this test at the
time. We will also study whether
changing the size of the form to a
standard size (8.5 x 11) booklet has an
impact on response, compared to both
the 28- and 36-page forms. The results
of this testing will help the Census
Bureau to decide which questionnaire
format change has the least negative
impact on response and data quality.
Because the 8.5 × 11 questionnaire
will be roughly 44-pages long, we
cannot fold the form before mailing it as
we do with the current 36-page
questionnaire. Thus, this test will also
include an experimental panel where a
36-page questionnaire is mailed flat
(without folding) so that we can cleanly
determine the effect of questionnaire
size versus folding.
This test will also include several
changes to make the questionnaire more
compatible with optical character
recognition software, including altering
the response box formats for numeric
write-in fields to allow them to be
captured automatically rather than
keyed. This part of the test will allow us
to examine any changes to response
behavior as well as to estimate
anticipated cost savings from the
automatic capture. Lastly, this test will
include a test of variations in the
relationship question and the marital
status series per the OMB initiative to
ensure these questions are inclusive of
all relationship types and partnerships.
Based on the results of this testing, a
secondary, follow-up test may be
needed to refine the questionnaire
identified as the best alternative from
this test.
Second, in response to Federal
agencies’ requests for new and revised
ACS questions, the Census Bureau plans
to conduct the 2015 ACS Content Test.
We will determine the changes to the
current ACS content and the addition of
new content through the OMB
Interagency Committee for the ACS in
2013. OMB must approve requests for
content changes prior to testing. The
objective of the 2015 ACS Content Test,
for both new and existing questions, is
to determine the impact of changing
question wording, response categories,
and redefinition of underlying
constructs on the quality of the data
collected. The Census Bureau proposes
to evaluate changes to the questions by
comparing the revised questions to the
current ACS questions, or for new
questions, to compare the performance
of question versions to each other as
well as to other well-known sources of
such information. We plan to design the
test similar to past content tests, using
two experimental panels to compare
current versus revised content. We will

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