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Request for Approval

Under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback”

(OMB Control Number: 0710-0018)

Title Of Information Collection: Red River Navigation Transportation Rate Survey

Purpose: The Vicksburg District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Red River Waterway Commission request approval of a survey instrument that collects information from business owners to analyze the benefits associated with continued navigation from Red River Mile 106 to 158. Specifically, this survey will assist in analyzing how the businesses located in extreme Northwest Louisiana, Southwest Arkansas, Eastern Texas, and Eastern Oklahoma currently transport their commodities and how the option of a navigable waterway would affect those movements. The primary question to be answered is: What are the commodities currently being shipped and by modes by businesses located in the project Study area? A second question that the survey intends to answer is: How would the availability of a navigable waterway affect how you move or receive your commodities and would the businesses benefit from cost savings?

Description Of Respondents: The sampling strategy is to contact all business that currently move commodities via rail and truck that could shift to barge via the Red River. We are also contacting all shipping companies carrying these commodities to compare data, collect vessel characteristics, and understand the types of facilities requested. This is approximately 30 recipients.

Type Of Collection (Check One):

☐ Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form ☐ Customer Satisfaction Survey

☐ Usability Testing (e.g. Website or Software) ☐ Small Discussion Group

☐ Focus Group ☒ Other: Survey

Certification:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

I certify all six of the above to be true.

Name: Katy Breaux___ Date: 1/19/2017

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected?

☐ Yes ☒ No

2. If yes above, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☒ N/A

3. If yes to Question 1, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☒ N/A

Gifts Or Payments: Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, or a token of appreciation) provided to participants?

☐ Yes ☒ No

Burden Hours
Category of Respondent:	No. of Respondents:	Participation Time (minutes)	Burden (hours)
Private Sector	30	:45	22.5
Total	30	Average = :45	22.5

Federal Cost: The estimated cost to the Federal government is 1 person conducting 30 surveys at 45 minutes each times $80 per hour = $1,800.

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

Selection Of Targeted Respondents:

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe?

☒ Yes ☐ No

2. If the answer is yes above, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If the answer is No above, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

The survey will go out to all businesses and government agencies that USACE has knowledge of with operations in the Northwest Louisiana, Southwest Arkansas, Eastern Texas, and Eastern Oklahoma.

Administration Of The Instrument:

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

☐ Web-based or other forms of Social Media

☒ Telephone

☒ In-person

☐ Mail

☐ Other, explain:

The survey will be sent out by mail. Follow-ups with organizations who have not completed the survey will be attempted by phone.

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used?

☒ Yes ☐ No

Vicksburg economists (Contractors) will conduct interviews by phone if required. In instances where phone interviews are conducted, respondents will be read the Agency Disclosure Notice as listed on the survey instrument prior to beginning the survey.