Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-USDA Foods in Schools Cost Dynamics, 60616-60617 [2015-25444]
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60616
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 194 / Wednesday, October 7, 2015 / Notices
Signed by
Val Dolcini,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2015–25426 Filed 10–6–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request—USDA Foods in
Schools Cost Dynamics
Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
invites the general public and other
public agencies to comment on this
proposed information collection. This is
a new collection for a study of USDA
Foods in Schools Cost Dynamics.
DATES: Written comments on this notice
must be received on or before December
7, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on:
(a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the agency’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
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to: Dennis
Ranalli, Policy Analyst, Office of Policy
Support, Food and Nutrition Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101
Park Center Drive, Room 1014,
Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may
also be submitted via fax to the attention
of Dennis Ranalli at 703–305–2576 or
via email to dennis.ranalli@
fns.usda.gov. Comments will also be
accepted through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://
www.regulations.gov, and follow the
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:12 Oct 06, 2015
Jkt 238001
online instructions for submitting
comments electronically.
All written comments will be open for
public inspection at the office of the
Food and Nutrition Service during
regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m., Monday through Friday) at 3101
Park Center Drive, Room 1014,
Alexandria, Virginia 22301.
All responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for Office of Management and Budget
approval. All comments will be a matter
of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information
should be directed to Dennis Ranalli at
703–305–2149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: USDA Foods in Schools Cost
Dynamics.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New collection.
Abstract: USDA Foods play an
important role in school meals and may
contribute up to 20% of the foods
served in school meals through the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
States and School Food Authorities
(SFAs) receive a USDA Foods
entitlement to acquire products offered
through the USDA Foods program.
USDA Foods can be directly delivered
from USDA’s vendor to state
warehouses, distributors, buying
cooperatives, or SFAs. Fruits and
vegetables can be requisitioned through
the Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh
Fruit and Vegetable Program. Bulk
USDA Foods can be sent directly to a
processor to create final products for use
in school meals.
An SFA’s costs of using USDA Foods
begin with how it spends its
entitlement, which is managed by State
Distribution Agencies (SDAs). SFAs
incur additional costs to obtain USDA
Foods for procurement, storage,
distribution and administration. These
functions are performed by a variety of
agencies involved in this process (FNS,
SDAs, storage/distribution contractors,
SFAs and schools). SDAs may absorb
some of these costs. Finally, the model
of contracting with food processors may
affect the full cost of USDA Foods to
SFAs—whether the contract is a
payment for final product (with a rebate
or discount for the SFA) or a payment
for service, i.e., for transforming the
USDA Food into a final product.
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
While several USDA-funded studies
have examined SFA food purchasing
practices and have compared foods
purchased by SFAs with commercial
products, very little research has
focused specifically on the full cost of
USDA Foods used in school meals. The
most recent study on this topic, and the
model for the current study, is the State
Commodity Distribution System study
covering the 1985–86 school year.
The proposed study will examine the
variety of factors that determine the cost
and value of USDA Foods to local
school and school district food
programs. The objectives of the study
are to (1) identify distribution models
(including procurement, transportation,
storage and delivery) used by 49 states
and the District of Columbia to
distribute USDA Foods to schools; (2)
identify 4 to 10 procurement and
distribution models that represent the
state systems used in School Year (SY)
2015–16; and (3) develop cost estimates
for a group of USDA Foods, full
processed products made from USDA
Foods, and comparable commercial
products.
Affected Public: Respondent groups
include: (1) State officials with
responsibility for USDA Food provision
and (2) directors of school food
authorities.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
440–950. The proposed final samples
will include State Distribution Agencies
in up to 49 States and the District of
Columbia, and 112–280 unique SFAs,
depending on how many distribution
models are studied (Kansas is excluded
because it receives cash payments in
lieu of USDA foods). The number
studied will be determined on the basis
of the results of the survey of SDAs.
Estimated Frequency of Responses per
Respondent: All respondents will be
asked to respond to each instrument
only once.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
440–950, depending on the number of
distribution models studied.
Estimated Time per Response: 43
minutes (0.72 hours). The estimated
response time varies from 5 minutes for
notifications of the surveys to 360
minutes (6 hours), depending on the
survey and the respondent group, as
shown in the following table.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 308 to 693 hours.
E:\FR\FM\07OCN1.SGM
07OCN1
60617
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 194 / Wednesday, October 7, 2015 / Notices
Estimated
number of
respondents
Data collection
activity
Respondents
State ...................
Notify state officials of web
survey.
Self-Administered
Web Survey.
(Administrative
data on USDA
Food costs).
Notify state officials of in-person interview.
In-person interview of state
distribution
agency (Additional information on USDA
Food costs).
Notify local and
tribal officials of
web survey.
Self-Administered
Web Survey.
(Administrative
data on USDA
Food costs).
Phone Follow-up
Survey.
(Administrative
data on USDA
Food costs).
State education
agency financial officer.
Non-respondents
50
1
50
0.08
4
3
1
3
0.08
0.2
State education
agency financial officer.
State education
agency financial officer.
State education
agency financial officer.
47
1
47
1.0
47
8–20
1
8–20
0.25
2–5
8–20
1
8–20
6
48–120
112–280
1
112–280
0.08
9.0–22.4
12–30
1
12–30
0.08
1.0–2.4
100–250
1
100–250
0.75
75.0–187.5
Nonrespondents
20–50
1
20–50
0.08
1.6–4.0
Foodservice director.
80–200
1
80–200
1.5
120–300
............................
............................
440–950
1
440–950
0.72
308–693
State ...................
State ...................
State ...................
Local and Tribal ..
Local and Tribal ..
Grand Total
Foodservice director.
Non-respondents
Foodservice director.
Dated: September 30, 2015.
Telora T. Dean,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–25444 Filed 10–6–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Revision of Land Management Plan for
Carson National Forest; Counties of
Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, and Taos,
New Mexico
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to revise the
Carson National Forest Land
Management Plan and prepare an
associated Environmental Impact
Statement.
AGENCY:
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
ACTION:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:12 Oct 06, 2015
Jkt 238001
describes the documents (Assessment
Report of Ecological, Social, and
Economic Conditions, Trends, and
Sustainability for the Carson NF;
Summaries of Public Meetings; and
Carson NF’s Needs to Change
Management Direction of Its Existing
1986 Forest Plan) available for review
and how to obtain them; summarizes
the needs to change the existing forest
plan; provides information concerning
public participation and engagement,
including the process for submitting
comments; provides an estimated
schedule for the planning process,
including the time available for
comments, and includes the names and
addresses of agency contacts who can
provide additional information.
Comments concerning the Needs
to Change and Proposed Action
provided in this Notice will be most
useful in the development of the draft
revised plan and draft EIS if received by
November 20, 2015. The agency expects
to release a draft revised plan and draft
EIS, developed through a collaborative
public engagement process, by late Fall/
Winter 2016 and a final revised plan
and final EIS by Spring 2018.
DATES:
As directed by the National
Forest Management Act, the USDA
Forest Service is revising the existing
Carson National Forest’s Land
Management Plan (hereafter referred to
as forest plan) through development of
an associated National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). This Notice
SUMMARY:
Frequency of
response
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Total annual
responses
Average hours
per response
Total annual
burden
estimate
(hours)
Affected public
Send written comments to
Carson National Forest, Attn: Plan
Revision, 208 Cruz Alta Road, Taos,
New Mexico 87571. Comments may also
be sent via email to carsonplan@
fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kevin Naranjo, Forest Planner, 575–
758–6221. 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.
More information on the planning
process can also be found on the Carson
National Forest’s Web site at
www.fs.usda.gov/goto/carsonforestplan.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:
Name and Address of the Responsible
Official
James Duran, Forest Supervisor,
Carson National Forest, 208 Cruz Alta,
Taos, New Mexico 87571.
Nature of the Decision To Be Made
The Carson National Forest (NF) is
preparing an EIS to revise the existing
forest plan. The EIS process is meant to
inform the Forest Supervisor so he can
E:\FR\FM\07OCN1.SGM
07OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 194 (Wednesday, October 7, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60616-60617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25444]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request--USDA Foods in Schools Cost Dynamics
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) invites the general public and other
public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection.
This is a new collection for a study of USDA Foods in Schools Cost
Dynamics.
DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received on or before
December 7, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency'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 use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology.
Comments may be sent to: Dennis Ranalli, Policy Analyst, Office of
Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302.
Comments may also be submitted via fax to the attention of Dennis
Ranalli at 703-305-2576 or via email to dennis.ranalli@fns.usda.gov.
Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
Go to https://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions
for submitting comments electronically.
All written comments will be open for public inspection at the
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive,
Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22301.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will
be a matter of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to Dennis Ranalli at 703-305-2149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: USDA Foods in Schools Cost Dynamics.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New collection.
Abstract: USDA Foods play an important role in school meals and may
contribute up to 20% of the foods served in school meals through the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP). States and School Food
Authorities (SFAs) receive a USDA Foods entitlement to acquire products
offered through the USDA Foods program. USDA Foods can be directly
delivered from USDA's vendor to state warehouses, distributors, buying
cooperatives, or SFAs. Fruits and vegetables can be requisitioned
through the Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable
Program. Bulk USDA Foods can be sent directly to a processor to create
final products for use in school meals.
An SFA's costs of using USDA Foods begin with how it spends its
entitlement, which is managed by State Distribution Agencies (SDAs).
SFAs incur additional costs to obtain USDA Foods for procurement,
storage, distribution and administration. These functions are performed
by a variety of agencies involved in this process (FNS, SDAs, storage/
distribution contractors, SFAs and schools). SDAs may absorb some of
these costs. Finally, the model of contracting with food processors may
affect the full cost of USDA Foods to SFAs--whether the contract is a
payment for final product (with a rebate or discount for the SFA) or a
payment for service, i.e., for transforming the USDA Food into a final
product.
While several USDA-funded studies have examined SFA food purchasing
practices and have compared foods purchased by SFAs with commercial
products, very little research has focused specifically on the full
cost of USDA Foods used in school meals. The most recent study on this
topic, and the model for the current study, is the State Commodity
Distribution System study covering the 1985-86 school year.
The proposed study will examine the variety of factors that
determine the cost and value of USDA Foods to local school and school
district food programs. The objectives of the study are to (1) identify
distribution models (including procurement, transportation, storage and
delivery) used by 49 states and the District of Columbia to distribute
USDA Foods to schools; (2) identify 4 to 10 procurement and
distribution models that represent the state systems used in School
Year (SY) 2015-16; and (3) develop cost estimates for a group of USDA
Foods, full processed products made from USDA Foods, and comparable
commercial products.
Affected Public: Respondent groups include: (1) State officials
with responsibility for USDA Food provision and (2) directors of school
food authorities.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 440-950. The proposed final
samples will include State Distribution Agencies in up to 49 States and
the District of Columbia, and 112-280 unique SFAs, depending on how
many distribution models are studied (Kansas is excluded because it
receives cash payments in lieu of USDA foods). The number studied will
be determined on the basis of the results of the survey of SDAs.
Estimated Frequency of Responses per Respondent: All respondents
will be asked to respond to each instrument only once.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 440-950, depending on the number
of distribution models studied.
Estimated Time per Response: 43 minutes (0.72 hours). The estimated
response time varies from 5 minutes for notifications of the surveys to
360 minutes (6 hours), depending on the survey and the respondent
group, as shown in the following table.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 308 to 693 hours.
[[Page 60617]]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total annual
Data collection Estimated Frequency of Total annual Average hours burden
Affected public activity Respondents number of response responses per response estimate
respondents (hours)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State........................... Notify state State education 50 1 50 0.08 4
officials of web agency financial
survey. officer.
State........................... Self-Administered Non-respondents... 3 1 3 0.08 0.2
Web Survey.
(Administrative State education 47 1 47 1.0 47
data on USDA Food agency financial
costs). officer.
State........................... Notify state State education 8-20 1 8-20 0.25 2-5
officials of in- agency financial
person interview. officer.
State........................... In-person State education 8-20 1 8-20 6 48-120
interview of agency financial
state officer.
distribution
agency
(Additional
information on
USDA Food costs).
Local and Tribal................ Notify local and Foodservice 112-280 1 112-280 0.08 9.0-22.4
tribal officials director.
of web survey.
Local and Tribal................ Self-Administered Non-respondents... 12-30 1 12-30 0.08 1.0-2.4
Web Survey.
(Administrative Foodservice 100-250 1 100-250 0.75 75.0-187.5
data on USDA Food director.
costs).
Phone Follow-up Nonrespondents.... 20-50 1 20-50 0.08 1.6-4.0
Survey.
(Administrative Foodservice 80-200 1 80-200 1.5 120-300
data on USDA Food director.
costs).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grand Total................. .................. .................. 440-950 1 440-950 0.72 308-693
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated: September 30, 2015.
Telora T. Dean,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-25444 Filed 10-6-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
