Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Additional Information To Be Collected Under the Uniform Grant Application Package for Discretionary Grant Programs for the Emergency Food Assistance Program Reach and Resiliency Grants, 51110-51111 [2021-19764]

Download as PDF 51110 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 14, 2021 / Notices [FR Doc. 2021–19722 Filed 9–13–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–30–C DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Additional Information To Be Collected Under the Uniform Grant Application Package for Discretionary Grant Programs for the Emergency Food Assistance Program Reach and Resiliency Grants Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: This Notice announces that the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) plans to add The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Reach and Resiliency Grants, as authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act, to its list of approved programs under the Uniform Grant Application for Non-Entitlement Discretionary Grants, as approved under OMB Control Number: 0584–0512 (Expiration Date: July 31, 2022); and that FNS intends to collect additional information for the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants outside of what is currently in the uniform package. This Notice solicits public comments on the additional information to be collected for the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants. SUMMARY: To be assured of consideration, written comments must be submitted or postmarked on or before September 14, 2021. 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 that were 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. Comments must be submitted through one of the following methods: • Preferred method: Submit information through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https:// tkelley on DSK125TN23PROD with NOTICES DATES: VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:55 Sep 13, 2021 Jkt 253001 www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submissions. • Email: Send comments to rachel.schoenian@usda.gov with a subject line ‘‘TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grant Information Collection.’’ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Schoenian, Food Distribution Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703–305–2937, or email rachel.schoenian@usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Utilizing funding and authority provided by Section 1001(b)(4) of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, P.L. 117–2), USDA is establishing a new grant program for State agencies that administer The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), aimed at helping strengthen TEFAP infrastructure and expand TEFAP’s reach into rural, remote, and/or lowincome communities that are underserved by TEFAP. TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants will be offered in two rounds. As planned, half of the funds ($50 million) will be offered to States in Fall 2021. Each TEFAP State agency will be able to apply for a fair share portion of the initial funding according to the TEFAP funding formula at 7 CFR 251.3(h). FNS will use lessons learned from the first round of Reach and Resiliency Grants to determine the best method for offering the second round. For the first round of grant funding, eligible entities will submit an application using FNS’ Uniform Grant Application for Discretionary Grant Programs (OMB Control Number: 0584– 0512, Expiration Date: July 31, 2022), which will include up to ten additional questions related to the goals of the Reach and Resiliency grants. These questions will be outlined in the Request for Applications for the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grant and be incorporated into the grant application template. State agencies will have the option to use the optional template or any other format to answer the questions. The additional questions included will relate to how TEFAP State agencies will utilize TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grant funding and how the State’s project will: (1) Strengthen infrastructure; and (2) expand reach into rural, remote, and/or low-income communities currently underserved by TEFAP in the State. This will include submission of data that identifies those underserved areas. Additional information that State agencies will also need to provide includes the names of PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 anticipated partners, the percentage of funds that will be kept at the State-level, and other information that ensures the proposed use of the grant complies with current program regulations. To measure impact of the grants and to determine whether the grants achieve their intended purposes, grantees will be required to provide narrative, biannual progress reports using the FNS–908 Performance Progress Report form, as a condition to accepting grant funding. In addition to this standard form, grantees will be asked to respond to two more questions related to progress made toward achieving the goals of the grant program, on a biannual basis. These questions may include updates to any data submitted in the grant application. The two additional questions will be outlined in the Request for Applications for the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grant. A template submission form will be provided to grantees to report this information, but they will have the option of reporting the information in any format they choose. With the additional information that will be requested, FNS estimates that each State agency will spend a total of approximately 53.58 hours completing the full grant application package. Under 0584–0512, FNS has 114,431 remaining burden hours and 23,293 remaining responses available for use. Under the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants, State agencies are expected to use 4,763.99 burden hours and 1,458 responses for the pre-award, post-award and recordkeeping burden, including the additional information to be collected. All three items make up the burden for the competitive grants that are submitted under 0584–0512. This purpose of this Notice is to solicit public comments on the additional information to be collected for the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants through the ten question application questionnaire and through the two question biannual progress reports for the grant program. 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 that were 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. E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM 14SEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 14, 2021 / Notices FNS will utilize these comments to adjust the information collection as necessary. Cynthia Long, Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service. [FR Doc. 2021–19764 Filed 9–13–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–30–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Information Collection: Urban Forest Engagement in Atlanta, GA Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA). ACTION: Notice; request for comment. AGENCY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the USDA Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with revisions of a currently approved information collection, Urban Forest Engagement in Atlanta, Georgia. DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before November 15, 2021 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. ADDRESSES: Commenters are encouraged to submit comments by email, if possible. You may submit comments by any of the following methods: • Email: cassandra.johnson@ usda.gov. • Mail: Cassandra Johnson Gaither, Forestry Sciences Lab, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602. • Hand Delivery/Courier: Cassandra Johnson Gaither, Forestry Sciences Lab, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602. • Facsimile: (706) 559–4266. The public may inspect comments received at Forestry Sciences Lab, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, during normal business hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to (706) 559– 4270 to facilitate entry to the building. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cassandra Johnson Gaither, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, by phone at (706) 559–4270 or email at cassandra.johnson@usda.gov. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the hearing-impaired (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays. tkelley on DSK125TN23PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Urban Forest Engagement in Atlanta, GA. OMB Number: 0596–0237. VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:55 Sep 13, 2021 Jkt 253001 Expiration Date of Approval: February 28, 2022. Type of Request: Extension with revisions of a currently approved information collection. Abstract: This information collection will continue to gather data on City of Atlanta residents’ interest in and engagement with the urban forest in the city. This information collection focuses more narrowly on urban forest patches, a collection or stand of trees, in public spaces. Engagement is defined as residents’ interest in and awareness of urban forest patches and resident participation in decisions about how the patches should be maintained or repurposed. The information collection also gathers data on social factors such as neighborhood transiency and perception of neighborhood conditions, conceptualized as collective efficacy and social cohesion. The neighborhood conditions data provides information on the broader context from which people make decisions about engaging with urban forest patches. If neighborhood transiency (i.e., frequent involuntary moving of people in and out of neighborhoods) is problematic in communities or people lack basic needs such as access to healthy foods or safe neighborhoods, it is unlikely that they would demonstrate a high degree of engagement with the city’s urban forest. This collection extends the existing information collection effort by examining the environmental justice implications of neighborhood-level decision making about the forest patches. Prior door-to-door data collection in south Atlanta neighborhoods revealed the presence of forest patches on vacant properties. However, there is little to no data on how residents perceive of these spaces or how residents might contribute to decision processes about the outcome of these spaces. This is an important question given the sites are providing ecological benefits such as stormwater mitigation. For the proposed data collection, survey questions were included on people’s awareness of forest patches on vacant properties near their neighborhoods and on potential barriers residents might face in contributing to decision making processes about the patches. Many contextual factors constrain people’s ability to engage in local-level environmental decision making, the procedural component of environmental justice. The data collected via this effort will provide important input on factors that might facilitate or constrain engagement and will inform the USDA Forest Service’s efforts to address Executive Order PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 51111 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, and Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low Income Populations. Data collection will center on south Atlanta neighborhoods adjacent to vacant land with forest patches. These neighborhoods are overwhelmingly African American, with poverty rates ranging from roughly 30 percent to 64 percent. The neighborhoods are also near multiple transportation companies, the activities of which compromise air quality. The survey will be conducted at the household, using proportionate-guided random sampling where the survey is left for the appropriate respondent to complete and is picked up later by a survey administrator. This methodology limits contact between the surveyor and the household but provides the inperson contact that is helpful for increasing response rates which are considerably lower in minority communities. Survey administrators will include USDA Forest Service social scientists, neighborhood residents trained in door-to-door data collection methods, and university college students. Researchers with USDA Forest Service Research & Development staff will analyze the data. If the information proposed herein is not collected, the opportunity to address environmental justice from a procedural perspective will be missed. The information collection also will assist the Agency in better understanding how urban green spaces in southern cities impact residents’ quality of life. Comparatively fewer Forest Service led studies have examined this topic for these populations. Type of Respondents: City of Atlanta residents. Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 600. Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1. Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 120 hours. Comment Is Invited: Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this collection of information is necessary for the stated purposes and the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical or scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the Agency’s estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM 14SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 14, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51110-51111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19764]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request: Additional Information To Be Collected Under the 
Uniform Grant Application Package for Discretionary Grant Programs for 
the Emergency Food Assistance Program Reach and Resiliency Grants

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This Notice announces that the United States Department of 
Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) plans to add The 
Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Reach and Resiliency Grants, 
as authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act, to its list of approved 
programs under the Uniform Grant Application for Non-Entitlement 
Discretionary Grants, as approved under OMB Control Number: 0584-0512 
(Expiration Date: July 31, 2022); and that FNS intends to collect 
additional information for the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants 
outside of what is currently in the uniform package. This Notice 
solicits public comments on the additional information to be collected 
for the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants.

DATES: To be assured of consideration, written comments must be 
submitted or postmarked on or before September 14, 2021.

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 that were 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.
    Comments must be submitted through one of the following methods:
     Preferred method: Submit information through the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submissions.
     Email: Send comments to [email protected] with a 
subject line ``TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grant Information 
Collection.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Schoenian, Food Distribution 
Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703-305-2937, or email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Utilizing funding and authority provided by 
Section 1001(b)(4) of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, P.L. 117-2), 
USDA is establishing a new grant program for State agencies that 
administer The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), aimed at 
helping strengthen TEFAP infrastructure and expand TEFAP's reach into 
rural, remote, and/or low-income communities that are underserved by 
TEFAP.
    TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants will be offered in two rounds. As 
planned, half of the funds ($50 million) will be offered to States in 
Fall 2021. Each TEFAP State agency will be able to apply for a fair 
share portion of the initial funding according to the TEFAP funding 
formula at 7 CFR 251.3(h). FNS will use lessons learned from the first 
round of Reach and Resiliency Grants to determine the best method for 
offering the second round.
    For the first round of grant funding, eligible entities will submit 
an application using FNS' Uniform Grant Application for Discretionary 
Grant Programs (OMB Control Number: 0584-0512, Expiration Date: July 
31, 2022), which will include up to ten additional questions related to 
the goals of the Reach and Resiliency grants. These questions will be 
outlined in the Request for Applications for the TEFAP Reach and 
Resiliency Grant and be incorporated into the grant application 
template. State agencies will have the option to use the optional 
template or any other format to answer the questions. The additional 
questions included will relate to how TEFAP State agencies will utilize 
TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grant funding and how the State's project 
will: (1) Strengthen infrastructure; and (2) expand reach into rural, 
remote, and/or low-income communities currently underserved by TEFAP in 
the State. This will include submission of data that identifies those 
underserved areas. Additional information that State agencies will also 
need to provide includes the names of anticipated partners, the 
percentage of funds that will be kept at the State-level, and other 
information that ensures the proposed use of the grant complies with 
current program regulations.
    To measure impact of the grants and to determine whether the grants 
achieve their intended purposes, grantees will be required to provide 
narrative, biannual progress reports using the FNS-908 Performance 
Progress Report form, as a condition to accepting grant funding. In 
addition to this standard form, grantees will be asked to respond to 
two more questions related to progress made toward achieving the goals 
of the grant program, on a biannual basis. These questions may include 
updates to any data submitted in the grant application. The two 
additional questions will be outlined in the Request for Applications 
for the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grant. A template submission form 
will be provided to grantees to report this information, but they will 
have the option of reporting the information in any format they choose.
    With the additional information that will be requested, FNS 
estimates that each State agency will spend a total of approximately 
53.58 hours completing the full grant application package. Under 0584-
0512, FNS has 114,431 remaining burden hours and 23,293 remaining 
responses available for use. Under the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency 
Grants, State agencies are expected to use 4,763.99 burden hours and 
1,458 responses for the pre-award, post-award and recordkeeping burden, 
including the additional information to be collected. All three items 
make up the burden for the competitive grants that are submitted under 
0584-0512.
    This purpose of this Notice is to solicit public comments on the 
additional information to be collected for the TEFAP Reach and 
Resiliency Grants through the ten question application questionnaire 
and through the two question biannual progress reports for the grant 
program. 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 that were 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.

[[Page 51111]]

    FNS will utilize these comments to adjust the information 
collection as necessary.

Cynthia Long,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-19764 Filed 9-13-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P

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