[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34683-34684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16910]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service
[No. LS-97-003]


Sheep Promotion, Research, and Information

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of referendum results.

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

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing that 
the sheep producers, sheep feeders, and importers of sheep and sheep 
products who voted in a second national referendum on October 1, 1996, 
have not approved the proposed Sheep and Wool Promotion, Research, 
Education, and Information Order (Order).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph L. Tapp, Chief, Marketing 
Programs Branch, Livestock and Seed Division, AMS, USDA, Room 2606-S; 
P.O. Box 96456; Washington, D.C. 20090-6456.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Sheep Promotion, Research, 
and Information Act of 1994 (Act), 7 U.S.C. 7101 et seq., the 
Department of Agriculture conducted a referendum on October 1, 1996, 
among eligible sheep producers, sheep feeders, and importers of sheep 
and sheep products to determine if the proposed Order would become 
effective.
    Before an order can become effective, the Act requires that it be 
approved either by a majority of producers, feeders, and importers 
voting in the referendum, or by voters who account for at least two-
thirds of the production represented by persons voting in the 
referendum. Of the 11,880 valid ballots cast in the October 1, 1996, 
referendum, 5,603 (47 percent) favored the Order and 6,277 (53 percent) 
opposed the Order. Additionally, of those persons voting in the 
referendum who cast a valid ballot, those who favored the Order 
accounted for 33 percent of the total production represented by voters 
and those who opposed it accounted for 67 percent.
    Therefore, based on the referendum results, the Secretary of 
Agriculture has determined that neither the required majority of voters 
who were producers, feeders, and importers, nor voters who accounted 
for at least two-thirds of the production represented by persons voting 
in the referendum, have voted to approve the Order.
    The provisions of the Order and the implementing regulations are 
currently either suspended or postponed. A termination Order will be 
issued the Federal Register.

[[Page 34684]]



                            October 1, 1996, State-by-State Sheep Referendum Results                            
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                        Total   
               State                 Yes votes     No votes   Total votes   Yes volume   No volume      volume  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALABAMA...........................           14            7           21          536          264          800
ALASKA............................            2            0            2          150            0          150
ARIZONA...........................           25           20           45        11864        26198        38062
ARKANSAS..........................           23            6           29          412          391          803
CALIFORNIA........................          376          142          518       251769       200997       452766
COLORADO..........................          171          142          313       227550       349351       576901
CONNECTICUT.......................           12            4           16         1017         9168        10185
DELAWARE..........................            2            1            3          195           40          235
FLORIDA...........................           11            2           13          498          100          598
GEORGIA...........................           24            8           32          475        80295        80770
HAWAII............................            0            0            0            0            0            0
IDAHO.............................          106           74          180       119748        81505       201253
ILLINOIS..........................          224          133          357        10901         9378        20279
INDIANA...........................          223          122          345        11067        12356        23423
IOWA..............................          353          552          905        78253       125264       203517
KANSAS............................          171          255          426        15753        57142        72895
KENTUCKY..........................           64           12           76         3004          784         3788
LOUISIANA.........................           12            1           13          377          160          537
MAINE.............................           17           11           28         1004         1427         2431
MARYLAND..........................           64           25           89         3956         2962         6918
MASSACHUSETTS.....................           16           19           35         1347        97713        99060
MICHIGAN..........................          151           68          219        21479        74260        95739
MINNESOTA.........................          251          269          520        19569        81629       101198
MISSISSIPPI.......................           47            5           52          809           28          837
MISSOURI..........................          125          122          247         8699        16023        24722
MONTANA...........................          314          677          991       130731       286167       416898
NEBRASKA..........................          125          200          325        15011        34826        49837
NEVADA............................           10           28           38        17102       130879       147981
NEW HAMPSHIRE.....................           35           10           45          609          865         1474
NEW JERSEY........................           22           33           55         2454        84712        87166
NEW MEXICO........................           83          112          195        52378        97078       149456
NEW YORK..........................           77          163          240         3646       278898       282544
NORTH CAROLINA....................           68            9           77         3453           74         3527
NORTH DAKOTA......................          102          223          325        17019        66487        83506
OHIO..............................          356          240          596        17475        50098        67573
OKLAHOMA..........................           64           34           98         6549         8433        14982
OREGON............................           91          291          382        16760       242485       259245
PENNSYLVANIA......................          180          189          369        12444        14573        27017
RHODE ISLAND......................           18            3           21          387        30767        31154
SOUTH CAROLINA....................           12            4           16        26515         8383        34898
SOUTH DAKOTA......................          127          867          994        67609       279773       347382
TENNESSEE.........................           83           18          101         2639          586         3225
TEXAS.............................          546          442          988       384676       471467       856143
UTAH..............................          132           28          160       115384        40477       155861
VERMONT...........................           46           26           72         1464        52516        53980
VIRGINIA..........................           91           63          154         7780         3288        11068
WASHINGTON........................          174           86          260        41803        62693       104496
WEST VIRGINIA.....................          111           26          137         7619         1884         9503
WISCONSIN.........................          145          152          297        13180        17314        30494
WYOMING...........................          107          353          460       201865       422983       624848
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.........................         5603         6277        11880      1956984      3915141      5872125
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Dated: June 23, 1997.
Barry L. Carpenter,
Director, Livestock and Seed Division.
[FR Doc. 97-16910 Filed 6-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P