[Federal Register: March 10, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 45)]
[Notices]
[Page 10220]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10mr09-27]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of the Secretary
Notice of the Specialty Crop Committee's Stakeholder Listening
Session
AGENCY: Research, Education, and Economics, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of stakeholder listening session.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5
U.S.C. App 2, the United States Department of Agriculture announces a
stakeholder listening session of the Specialty Crop Committee, under
the auspices of the National Agricultural Research, Extension,
Education, and Economics Advisory Board.
DATES: The Specialty Crop Committee will hold the stakeholder listening
session on March 13, 2009 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The stakeholder listening session of the Specialty Crop
Committee will take place at the headquarters of the Florida Fruit and
Vegetable Growers Association, 800 Trafalgar Court, Suite 200,
Maitland, FL 32751.
The public may file written comments before or up to two weeks
after the listening session with the contact person identified in this
notice at: The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education,
and Economics Advisory Board Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Room 344-A, Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250-2255.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Mertz, Acting Executive
Director, National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and
Economics Advisory Board; telephone: (202) 720-3684; fax: (202) 720-
6199; or e-mail: bmertz@csrees.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Specialty Crop Committee was established
in accordance with the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004
under Title III, Section 303 of Public Law 108-465, as amended under
the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, under Title VII,
Section 7103 of Public Law 110-246. This Committee is a permanent
committee of the National Agricultural Research Extension, Education,
and Economics Advisory Board (the Board). The Committee's charge is to
study the scope and effectiveness of research, extension, and economics
programs affecting the specialty crop industry. The congressional
legislation defines ``specialty crops'' as fruits, vegetables, tree
nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops (including floriculture). In order
to carry out its responsibilities effectively, the Committee is holding
a stakeholder listening session. The listening session will elicit
stakeholder input from industry and state representatives, national
organizations and institutions, local producers, and other groups about
topics of relevance to research, extension or economics programs on
which the Specialty Crop Committee is charged to report through the
Board to the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress. Several panel
sessions will be organized to stimulate discussion, each relating to
one or more specific issues delineated in the Committee's charge. Each
panel will be followed with questions by Committee members and
opportunity for brief presentations and general discussion from the
floor. Also, written comments by attendees and other interested
stakeholders will be welcomed as additional public input before and up
to two weeks following the listening sessions. All statements will
become part of the official public record of the Board's Specialty Crop
Committee.
Done at Washington, DC this 12th day of February 2009.
Katherine Smith,
Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics.
[FR Doc. E9-4983 Filed 3-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-03-P