[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 122 (Monday, June 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33826-33828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15983]



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Part V





Department of Agriculture





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Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service



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Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders on Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Education Grant Programs; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 122 / Monday, June 25, 2001 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders on Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Education Grant Programs Administered by the Cooperative 
State Research, Education, and Extension Service

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.

ACTION: Notice of listening sessions.

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SUMMARY: Section 102(b) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) (7 U.S.C. 7612) requires the 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) 
in establishing priorities for agricultural research, extension, and 
education activities conducted or funded by CSREES to solicit and 
consider input and recommendations from persons who conduct or use 
agricultural research, extension, or education. CSREES is planning to 
conduct listening sessions in four different geographic locations in 
the United States over the next six months to solicit stakeholder 
input. As part of this stakeholder input process, CSREES also will be 
soliciting input and comments on the effectiveness of existing 
agricultural research, education, and extension programs administered 
by CSREES in meeting current and future challenges to the United 
States' food and agriculture system. This notice announces the first 
two listening sessions. The remaining two listening sessions will be 
announced in the Federal Register at a later date. They will be held in 
the southern and western regions of the United States.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: The first listening session will be held on 
Thursday, July 12, 2001, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Lancaster 
Host Resort and Conference Center; 2300 Lincoln Highway East; 
Lancaster, PA 17602. Attendees must make their own hotel arrangements. 
A block of sleeping rooms at a conference rate is being held until June 
30, 2001, listed under the name of USDA. Rooms can be reserved by 
calling the hotel directly at 717-299-5500.
    The second listening session will be held on Thursday, July 26, 
2001, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 
Minneapolis airport; 7901 34th Avenue South; Bloomington, MN 55425. 
Attendees must make their own hotel arrangements. A block of sleeping 
rooms at a conference rate is being held until June 27, 2001, listed 
under the name of USDA. Rooms can be reserved by calling the hotel 
directly at 952-854-2101.
    To aid participants in scheduling their attendance, the following 
schedule is anticipated for each listening session:

8:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m.--Introductory Remarks and Background.
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.--Scheduled 5-Minute Comment Periods.
1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.--Breakout Group Meetings.
3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.--Reports from Breakout Group Meetings and General 
Discussion.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons wishing to present oral 
comments at these meetings and/or attend the afternoon breakout 
sessions are requested to pre-register by contacting Ms. Mary H. 
Humphreys at (202) 720-6012, by fax at (202) 720-6199 or by e-mail to 
[email protected]. CSREES is particularly interested in receiving 
comments during the 5-minute comment periods that address one or more 
of the topics listed in the ``Topics to Address'' section below. When 
making a reservation for a 5-minute comment period, participants should 
provide a title for their presentation. More time may be available in 
the morning session, 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. To facilitate the afternoon breakout sessions, it is 
requested that participants pre-register for one of the five breakout 
sessions listed below. Although pre-registration is not required to 
attend the listening sessions, it is strongly recommended to ensure 
that adequate accommodations are available. Written comments also may 
be submitted for the record by mailing to: Ms. Mary Humphreys; Office 
of the Administrator; Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
Extension Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; STOP 2201; 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-2201. Please provide 
three copies of the comments. Comments also may be faxed or sent via e-
mail to Ms. Humphreys.
    The initial two, as well as subsequent, listening sessions will 
follow the same general format and comments from all sessions will be 
compiled and considered. All written comments from the July 12 and July 
26 sessions must be received by November 15, 2001, to be considered. 
Information gathered from the Listening Sessions will be available for 
review on the CSREES web page (http://www.reeusda.gov). Participants 
who require a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations 
should contact Ms. Humphreys as directed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Purpose

    Section 102(b) of AREERA requires that CSREES, in establishing 
priorities for agricultural research, extension, and education 
activities conducted or funded by CSREES, solicit and consider input 
and recommendations from persons who conduct or use agricultural 
research, extension, or education. As part of these listening sessions, 
CSREES simultaneously will be soliciting input and comments on the 
effectiveness of the existing agricultural research, education and 
extension programs administered by CSREES in meeting current and future 
challenges in the food and agricultural sciences.
    Section 1402 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA), 7 U.S.C. 3101, specifies that 
the purposes of agricultural research, extension, and education are to 
(1) enhance competitiveness of the United States agriculture and food 
industry in an increasingly competitive world environment; (2) increase 
the long-term productivity of the United States agriculture and food 
industry while maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base on 
which rural America and the United States agricultural economy depend; 
(3) develop new uses and new products for agricultural commodities, 
such as alternative fuels, and develop new crops; (4) support 
agricultural research and extension to promote economic opportunity in 
rural communities and to meet the increasing demand for information and 
technology transfer throughout the United States agriculture industry; 
(5) improve risk management in the United States agriculture industry; 
(6) improve the safe production and processing of, and adding value to, 
United States food and fiber resources using methods that maintain the 
balance between yield and environmental soundness; (7) support higher 
education in agriculture to give the next generation of Americans the 
knowledge, technology, and applications necessary to enhance the 
competitiveness of United States agriculture; and (8) maintain an 
adequate, nutritious, and safe supply of food to meet human nutritional 
needs and requirements.

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    Section 1404 of NARETPA, 7 U.S.C. 3103, defines ``Food and 
Agricultural Sciences'' as meaning basic, applied, and developmental 
research, extension, and teaching activities in food and fiber, 
agricultural, renewable natural resources, forestry, and physical and 
social sciences, including activities relating to the following: (1) 
Animal Health, production, and well-being, (2) Plant health and 
production, (3) Animal and plant germ plasm collection and 
preservation, (4) Aquaculture, (5) Food safety, (6) Soil and water 
conservation and improvement, (7) Forestry, horticulture, and range 
management, (8) Nutritional sciences and promotion, (9) Farm 
enhancement, including financial management, input efficiency, and 
profitability, (10) Home economics, (11) Rural human ecology, (12) 
Youth development and agricultural education, including 4-H clubs, (13) 
Expansion of domestic and international markets for agricultural 
commodities and products, including agricultural trade barrier 
identification and analysis, (14) Information management and technology 
transfer related to agriculture, (15) Biotechnology related to 
agriculture, and (16) The processing, distributing, marketing, and 
utilization of food and agricultural products.
    CSREES currently supports agricultural research, extension and 
education activities through a broad array of programs which includes 
both formula funded and competitively awarded grant programs. The 
formula funded programs include the agricultural research programs 
authorized under the Hatch Act (7 U.S.C. 361a et seq.) for the State 
Agricultural Experiment Stations; section 1445 of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 
3222) for the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions including Tuskegee 
University; McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Act (16 U.S.C. 582a 
et seq.); and section 1433 of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 3195) for the Animal 
Health and Disease Research program. The agricultural extension 
programs are funded under section 3 of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 
343) for the cooperative extension services at the 1862 Land-Grant 
Institutions; section 3(d) of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343(d)) for 
targeted, national programs; and section 1444 of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 
3221) for the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions including Tuskegee 
University. West Virginia State College also receives funding for 
agricultural research and extension programs. Section 534(a) of the 
Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note) 
authorizes funding for the 1994 Institutions to strengthen their 
teaching programs in food and agricultural sciences.
    The CSREES competitive grant programs include the National Research 
Initiative authorized under section 2(b) of the Competitive, Special, 
and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i); Initiative for 
Future Agriculture and Food Systems authorized under section 401 of 
AREERA (7 U.S.C. 7621); Integrated Research, Education, and Extension 
Competitive Grants Program authorized under section 406 of AREERA (7 
U.S.C. 7626); Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate 
Fellowship Grants Program authorized under section 1417(b)(6) of 
NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(6)); Higher Education Challenge Grants 
Program authorized under section 1417(b)(1) of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 
3152(b)(1)); Secondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grants Program 
authorized under section 1417(j) of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 3152(j)); and 
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program authorized under 
section 1455 of NAREPTA (7 U.S.C. 3241). In addition, sections 535 and 
536 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 
U.S.C. 301 note) authorize competitive capacity building and research 
grant programs for the 1994 Institutions. Further information about 
CSREES grant programs is available through the CSREES web page at 
http://www.reeusda.gov as the above list of CSREES grant programs is 
not exhaustive.
    A majority of the agricultural research, extension, and education 
activities funded by CSREES are conducted through the 1862 Land-Grant 
Institutions which were established under the First Morrill Act (7 
U.S.C. 301 et seq.); the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions under the Second 
Morrill Act (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.); and the 1994 Institutions under the 
Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 
note).

Topics to Address

    To ensure that Federally-supported agricultural research, extension 
and education activities remain effective in addressing priorities in 
United States food and agriculture, CSREES specifically is requesting 
input and recommendations on the following topic areas from persons who 
conduct or use agricultural research, extension and education. However, 
comments are not limited to these topics.
    (1) The use of agricultural research, extension, and education 
programs to generate the science and educational programs necessary to 
address challenges facing United States food and fiber production.
    (2) The development of human capacity (e.g., scientists, educators, 
and extension agents and specialists) in the food and agricultural 
sciences.
    (3) The changes which should and could be made, if any, in the 
current funding mechanisms (i.e., formula funded and competitive 
grants) to more efficiently and effectively engage the agricultural 
research, extension, and education system in meeting the modern 
challenges to United States food and fiber production.
    (4) The most effective methods for ensuring that agricultural 
research, education, and extension programs address the highest 
priority needs of the United States food and fiber system.
    (5) The best means by which agricultural research, education, and 
extension programs can quickly respond to rapidly emerging challenges 
to the United States food and fiber system.
    (6) The coordination of agricultural research, education, and 
extension activities with the activities of other Federal agencies to 
use scientific advances in other fields (e.g., health, information 
technology, geospatial, and sociological research) as well as 
disseminate information through educational and outreach programs.
    (7) The application of agricultural research, education, and 
extension programs to economic development and revitalization needs of 
rural America.
    Written comments should be submitted as directed in the For Further 
Information Contact section of this notice.

Breakout Session Workgroup Meetings

    CSREES will conduct Breakout Session Workgroup Meetings at each 
listening session in the afternoon in the following specific subject 
areas: (1) Developing 21st Century Plant, Animal, and Forest Production 
System, (2) Revitalizing Rural America, (3) Managing and Conserving 
Natural Resources, (4) Linking Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health, (5) 
Improving Opportunities for Family and Youth Development, and (6) 
Developing Human Capacity in Agricultural Research, Extension and 
Education for the 21st Century. Listening session participants are 
encouraged to pre-register for one of these sessions as noted under the 
For Further Information Contact section of this notice. The Breakout 
Session Workgroups will provide an opportunity for participants to 
address the above topics in relation to specific issues related to the 
food and agricultural sciences. Each Breakout

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Session Workgroup will provide a summary of their discussions to the 
overall group.

    Done at Washington, DC, this 20th day of June 2001.
Colien Hefferan,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service.
[FR Doc. 01-15983 Filed 6-21-01; 1:08 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P