[Federal Register: May 14, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 94)]
[Notices]
[Page 26804]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14my04-16]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Farm Service Agency
Conference Entitled ``Conservation Reserve Program: Planting for
the Future''
AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of a scientific conference on the Conservation Reserve
Program.
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SUMMARY: USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Department of
Interior's U.S. Geological Survey are hosting a national conference on
the future of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)--the Nation's
largest conservation program.
DATES: June 6-9, 2004. An optional field trip is planned for June 9,
2004, depending on attendee interest. Details will be announced at the
conference.
ADDRESSES: The conference will be held at the University Park Holiday
Inn, Fort Collins, Colorado. The field trip, if held, will be to the
Pawnee National Grasslands and neighboring CRP fields, about 30 miles
west of Fort Collins, Colorado. Transportation and directions for the
field trip will be provided at the conference.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexander Barbarika, Natural Resources
Analysis Group, Economic Policy and Analysis Group, Farm Service
Agency, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, STOP 0516, Washington, DC
20250-0516; telephone: (202) 720-7093; FAX (202) 690-2186; email:
Alexander.Barbarika@usda.gov.
Persons with disabilities who require special accommodation to
attend or participate in the conference should contact Laurie
Montgomery, telephone: (202) 205-7832; email:
laurie.montgomery@usda.gov, by May 31, 2004.
Conference Registration: Conference attendees may register in
advance or at the conference. Registration is $250 per person if
completed by May 21, 2004, and $275 after May 21, 2004. Because space
will be limited, advance registration is recommended. Cost of the field
trip, if held, will be $20 for bus transportation and lunch, for those
registering early, and $35 for those registering for the field trip
after May 21, 2004. Conference details, including registration, meeting
agenda, and hotel accommodations are available on FSA's Web site at:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/crpconf.asp or from Alexander Barbarika at
(202) 720-7093; email: Alexander.Barbarika@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: First established in 1985, the CRP is a
voluntary program encouraging farmers to implement conservation
practices on environmentally-sensitive agricultural land to reduce soil
erosion, protect water quality and enhance wildlife habitat. About 35
million acres are currently enrolled. Over 16 million acres of CRP
contracts expire in 2007 and over 6 million acres expire in 2008.
Determining the future direction of the CRP is thus critical.
FSA Administrator James R. Little says ``This conference provides
an exciting opportunity for CRP experts to help shape the future of the
Nation's largest conservation program. I'm quite pleased that we will
be focusing on results and the need to use the best science and data
available for policy development. Science-based understanding is
crucial for effective CRP policy development.'' Rigorous CRP analysis
will inform producers, legislators, budget overseers, and other
decision-makers on how best to manage the CRP to maximize agricultural
and environmental benefits at minimum taxpayer cost.
Noted conservationist Aldo Leopold once wrote that the complexity
of the land organism is the outstanding discovery of the twentieth
century. Building on that theme, over 40 speakers drawn from academia,
State and Federal agencies, and diverse interest groups will present
expert insights into the CRP's known impacts, impacts still needing
research and quantification, and how science can strongly inform future
CRP policy.
Depending on attendee interest, FSA and USGS will host an optional
field trip to the Pawnee National Grasslands and neighboring CRP
fields, about 30 miles west of Fort Collins. The 190,000-acre grassland
reserve provides a rare, sizeable example of native grass species.
Signed in Washington, DC on April 29, 2004.
James R. Little,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 04-10922 Filed 5-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P