0596-0010 2013 renewal supporting statement B v02-21-2013

The 2013 Supporting Statement B for OMB 0596-0010

Forest Industries Data Collection System

Note: Due to proposed changes to this Information Collection, with this submission the name of the collection associated with OMB control number 0596-0010 is being changed from Forest Industries, and Residential Fuelwood, and Post Data Collection Systems to Forest Industries Data Collection System.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

1. Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any sam­pling or other respondent selection method to be used. Data on the number of entities (e.g., establishments, State and local government units, households, or persons) in the universe covered by the collection and in the corre­sponding sample are to be provided in tabular form for the uni­verse as a whole and for each of the strata in the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the collection had been conducted previously, include the actual response rate achieved during the last collection.

Data is collected from all known primary wood-using mills including small, part-time mills as well as large corporate entities that use harvested wood in log or chip form, such as sawlogs, veneer logs, pulpwood, and pulp chips, to manufacture products such as lumber, paper, and biomass energy. All known pulpwood processors in the United States and Canadian that process wood material from the United States, are canvassed annually. All other known primary wood products industries (other than pulpwood processors) are canvassed every 2-5 years, depending on the State.

A total of 5,811 primary wood-using mills were canvassed during the 2013 – 2015 time period covered by this Information Collection Request (ICR). During the 2010-2012 time period, 7,157 primary wood-using mills were canvassed (Table 1). The reasons for the decrease in number of primary wood-using mills that were canvassed is; 1), The Southern States were canvassed twice during the 2010-2012 period and will only be canvassed once during the 2013-2015 period; and 2) The number of primary wood-using mills has continued to decrease as mills modernize and increase production, replacing smaller, less productive mills.

All known primary wood-using mills are contacted and/or accounted for during this survey. For respondents that are still in operation but cannot be contacted or decline to participate, historical information from previous mill responses, or other ancillary information (i.e. State district foresters knowledge of the mill’s operation) is used. If a respondent is deemed to be out of business, it is removed from future canvasses.

Table 1.—Number of primary wood-using mills by type of mill and data collection year

		Active OMB approval data collection year					Requested OMB approval data collection year
Survey type	Total	2010	2011	2012		Total	2013	2014	2015
Pulp and Composite Wood Panel Producers	513	166	171	176		466	152	162	152
Other Primary Wood Products Industries	6,644	3,000	1,319	2,325		5,345	1,502	3,104	739
Total	7,157	3,166	1,490	2,501		5,811	1,654	3,266	891

2. Describe the procedures for the collection of information including:

• Statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection,

• Estimation procedure,

• Degree of accuracy needed for the pur­pose described in the justification,

• Unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures, and

• Any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.

All known primary wood-using mills are contacted by phone, mail, e-mail, or personal mill visits. No stratification, sampling, or estimation procedures are used.

Only the pulp and composite wood panel mills (71 mills) in the Northern Region, and only the pulp mills in the Southern Region (81 mills) are canvassed on an annual cycle. All other mills are canvassed on a 2-5 year cycle, with the other primary wood products mills in the Southern Region canvassed every 2 years, other primary wood products mills in the North canvassed every 5 years, and the pulp, composite wood panel wood producer, and the other primary wood products mills in the west canvased every 5 years.

3. Describe methods to maximize response rates and to deal with issues of non-response. The accuracy and reliability of information collected must be shown to be adequate for intended uses. For collections based on sam­pling, a special justification must be provid­ed for any collection that will not yield "reli­able" data that can be generalized to the universe studied.

Respondents are provided several formats to provided information, using mail, phone, e-mail, or personal visits. These same methods are used for multiple follow up attempts to contact respondents. For respondents that are still in operation but cannot be contacted or decline to participate, historical information from previous mill responses are used. If a respondent is deemed to be out of business, it is removed from the canvass.

4. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Testing is encouraged as an effective means of refining collections of information to minimize burden and improve utility. Tests must be approved if they call for answers to identical questions from 10 or more respondents. A proposed test or set of tests may be submitted for approval separate­ly or in combination with the main collection of information.

No tests of procedures or methods are planned.

5. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on statistical aspects of the design and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.

Stratification, sampling, or estimation will not be utilized.

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