[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 70331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-29818]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of extension of time limit for requesting additional 
nominations.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture intends to renew the charter of 
the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (Committee). 
The Committee provides advice to the Secretary on ways to encourage 
Federal and State beginning farmer programs to provide joint financing 
to beginning farmers and ranchers. A notice was published in the 
Federal Register on August 24, 2000, soliciting nominations of persons 
to serve on the Committee, and a September 25, 2000, deadline was 
established for accepting nominations. In order to obtain a sufficient 
pool of nominees, USDA is extending the deadline to December 7, 2000.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by December 7, 2000 to Mark 
Falcone, Designated Federal Official (DFO) for the Committee, at the 
address below.

ADDRESSES: Mark Falcone, DFO for the Advisory Committee on Beginning 
Farmers and Ranchers, Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 5438-S, STOP 0522, 
Washington, DC 20250-0522; telephone (202) 720-1632; FAX (202) 690-
1117; e-mail [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Falcone at (202) 720-1632.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 5 of the Agricultural Credit 
Improvement Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-554) required the Secretary of 
Agriculture to establish the Committee for the purpose of advising the 
Secretary on, among other issues, the development of a program of 
coordinated financial assistance to qualified beginning farmers and 
ranchers and methods of maximizing the number of new farming and 
ranching opportunities created through the program.
    The law requires that Committee members include representatives 
from the Farm Service Agency (FSA); State beginning farmer programs (as 
defined in section 309(i)(5) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act); commercial lenders; private nonprofit organizations 
with active beginning farmer or rancher programs; the Cooperative State 
Research, Education, and Extension Service; community colleges or other 
educational institutions with demonstrated experience in training 
beginning farmers or ranchers; and other entities or persons providing 
lending or technical assistance to qualified beginning farmers or 
ranchers. The Secretary has also appointed farmers and ranchers to the 
Committee.
    FSA is now accepting nominations of individuals to serve for a 2-
year term on the Committee, which is comprised of 18 individuals. One-
third of the existing Committee membership will be replaced when the 
Committee charter expires on November 25, 2000. No member, other than a 
USDA employee, can serve for more than 6 consecutive years.
    Nominations are being sought through the media, the Federal 
Register, and other appropriate methods. Persons nominated for the 
Committee will be required to complete and submit an Advisory Committee 
Membership Background Information Questionnaire (Form AD 755). The 
questionnaire is available on the Internet at http://www.fsa.usda. gov/
dafl/LoanForms.htm. Questionnaires can be completed on-line. However, 
nominees must print their completed forms from an Adobe PDF file and 
mail or fax them to the above address or fax number. The form may also 
be requested by telephone, fax, or e-mail. All inquiries and 
submissions should be made to Mark Falcone at the addresses and numbers 
listed above.
    Appointments to the Committee will be made by the Secretary of 
Agriculture. Equal opportunity practices, consistent with USDA 
policies, will be followed in all appointments to the Committee. To 
ensure that the recommendations of the Committee have taken into 
account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department, 
membership should include, to the extent practicable, individuals with 
demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, persons with 
disabilities, and senior citizens.

    Signed in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 2000.
Parks Shackelford,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 00-29818 Filed 11-21-00; 8:45 am]
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