An opportunity to influence future USDA research, extension priorities?
Andy
______________________________________________________________________
Date: 06/26/1998 07:03 am (Friday)
Subject: (Fwd) July 9 Public Meeting
DATE: June 25, 1998
TO: Persons Who Use or Conduct Agricultural Research,
Education, or Extension Activities
FROM: I. Miley Gonzalez
Under Secretary
Research, Education, and Economics
SUBJECT: Public Meeting on Thursday, July 9, 1998
Attached for your information is a notice that appeared in the June
25th Federal Register announcing that the Cooperative State
Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) will host a
public meeting on Thursday, July 9, 1998, in the Jefferson Auditorium
at USDA to solicit input from stakeholders regarding the newly
authorized Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (the
Initiative).
The Initiative, which is Section 401 of the Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 recently passed by
Congress, became law when President Clinton signed the bill on
Tuesday, June 23. The Initiative presents an important opportunity
for USDA to utilize its competitive grants authority to solve
problems of importance to U.S. agriculture to ensure world food
security. The Federal Register notice is attached.
Please join us to share your views about the priorities that USDA
should consider addressing with this new program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons wishing to orally present
comments at this meeting are requested to pre-register by contacting
Ms. Sarah Poythress at (202) 720-4423, by fax at (202) 720-8987 or by
e-mail to spoythress@reeusda.gov. Participants may reserve a 5-minute
comment period when they register. More time may be available,
depending on the number of people wishing to make a presentation and
the time needed for questions, following the presentations.
Reservations will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Attachment
==========================================================
[Federal Register: June 25, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 122)]
[Notices]
[Page 34628-34629]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jn98-57]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service;
Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Initiative for
Future Agriculture and Food Systems; Public Meeting
AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform
Act of 1998, creates a new research, education, and extension
program called the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems
(the Initiative). By this notice, the Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), acting on behalf of the
Secretary of Agriculture, is soliciting public comment from persons
who conduct or use agricultural research, extension or education
regarding the priorities to be addressed by this new program as
required by Section 401(f)(1)(D) of the Act. The Initiative is
authorized with mandatory funds at the level of $120 million per
year from fiscal year 1999 through fiscal year
[[Page 34629]]
2003. This funding will support competitive research, education, and
extension grants as well as activities carried out under the
Alternative Agricultural Research and Commercialization Act of 1990.
The Secretary of Agriculture is soliciting public comment
regarding establishing priorities for the research, education, and
extension grant purposes of the Initiative. Statutory purposes of the
grant program are defined as ``critical emerging agricultural issues
related to:
(i) Future food production;
(ii) Environmental quality and natural resource management; or
(iii) Farm income'' which also address ``priority mission areas
related to:
(A) Agricultural genome;
(B) Food safety, food technology, and human nutrition;
(C) New and alternative uses and production of agricultural
commodities and products;
(D) Agricultural biotechnology;
(E) Natural resource management, including precision agriculture;
and
(F) Farm efficiency and profitability, including the viability and
competitiveness of small- and medium-sized dairy, livestock, crop, and
other commodity operations.''
The meeting is open to the public. Written comments and
suggestions on issues that may be considered in the meeting may be
submitted to the CSREES Docket Clerk at the address below.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Thursday, July 9, 1998, from 9:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Jefferson Auditorium,
United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20250.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons wishing to orally present
comments at this meeting are requested to pre-register by contacting
Ms. Sarah Poythress at (202) 720-4423, by fax at (202) 720-8987 or by
e-mail to spoythress@reeusda.gov. Participants may reserve a 5-minute
comment period when they register. More time may be available,
depending on the number of people wishing to make a presentation and
the time needed for questions, following the presentations.
Reservations will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis.
All other attendees may register at the meeting. Written comments may
also be submitted for the record at the meeting or mailed to Ms. Sarah
Poythress, USDA/CSREES, Room 305A, Jamie L. Whitten Federal Building,
1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-2201. Please
provide three copies of the comments. Written comments must be
received by Friday, July 24, 1998, to be considered. All comments and
the official transcript of the meeting, when it becomes available,
will be available for review for six months at the address listed
above from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Participants who require a sign language interpreter or other
special accommodations should contact Ms. Poythress as directed above.
Done in Washington, DC, on this 23rd day of June, 1998. Colien
Hefferan, Acting Administrator, Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service. [FR Doc. 98-17109 Filed 6-24-98;
8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-22-P
________________________________
Sarah B. Poythress
Office of the Administrator
CSREES/USDA, 305-A WHITT
e-mail: spoythress@reeusda.gov
telephone: 202-720-4423
***************************************
Randy Williams
National Program Leader, Economic Development
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
Room 3869 South Building, MDC 0915
Washington, DC 20250-0900
Phone: 202/720-7948
FAX: 202/690-3162
E-mail: rwilliams@reeusda.gov
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