Reply Letter to APS

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service

April 11, 2017

Gwyn A. Beattie

American Phytopathological Society, Public Policy Board Chair

Professor Robert Earle Buchanan, Professor of Bacteriology

Iowa State University

Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology

Dear Ms. Beattie and Dr. Buchanan,

Thank you for your letter of support and sharing the specific uses that the American Phytopathological Society (APS) has for the NASS Agricultural Surveys Program (0535-0213) data. NASS takes a great deal of pride in providing timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture. In your comments you wrote “The APS encourages strong support for NASS and its work, which is of critical importance and value to U.S. farmers, and requests that the NASS budget be maintained, and if at all possible, increased to ensure the continuation of these vital surveys.” We are very appreciative of your support.”

In addition to this OMB renewal request, NASS will be renewing our Agricultural Resource Management Surveys (ARMS) and our Chemical Use Surveys (0535-0218) beginning this fall. This group of surveys will expire on July 31, 2018.

We will keep you informed any future modifications to these survey programs.

Again, many thanks!

Joe Parsons

Agricultural Statistics Board, Chairman

U.S. Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service

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