[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59047-59048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24012]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 182 / Thursday, September 19, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 59047]]



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, 
USDA.

ACTION: Notice of listening session.

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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. As part of the Agency's 
ongoing stakeholder input processes, CSREES is soliciting input and 
comments on the effectiveness of existing family, consumer, and 
nutrition research, extension, and education programs administered by 
CSREES in meeting current and future challenges in the United States' 
food and agriculture system. As part of this effort, CSREES is planning 
to conduct a listening session in Kansas City, MO.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: The listening session will be held on Tuesday, 
October 8, 2002, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Crown 
Center; 2345 McGee Street, Kansas City, MO 64108. Attendees must make 
their own hotel arrangements.
    To aid participants in scheduling their attendance, the following 
schedule is anticipated for the listening session.

8:30 a.m.-9 a.m.--Introductory Remarks and Background.
9 a.m.-12 p.m.--Scheduled 5-Minute Comment Periods.
1 p.m.-4 p.m.--Scheduled 5-Minute Comment Periods.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons wishing to present oral 
comments at this meeting are requested to pre-register by contacting 
Cindy Zluticky at (816) 252-5051, by fax at (816) 252-5575 or by e-mail 
to [email protected].
    Written comments also may be submitted for the record by mailing 
to: CSREES Listening Session; University Outreach and Extension-Jackson 
County; 1507 South Nolan Road; Independence, Missouri 64055-1307. 
Please provide three copies of the comments. Comments also may be faxed 
or sent via e-mail to Cindy Zluticky.
    Information gathered from the Listening Session will be available 
for review on the CSREES Web page (http://www.reeusda.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose of This Listening Session

    In previous listening sessions, CSREES has sought input on a broad 
array of the Agency's program activities. The purpose of this listening 
session is to allow CSREES partners and stakeholders an opportunity to 
provide comments on the effectiveness of the existing family and 
consumer economics, human development, housing, and nutrition research, 
extension, and education programs administered by the Agency through 
its portfolio of competitive, formula-funded, and targeted national 
initiative programs. CSREES is specifically seeking comments on 
programs such as, but not limited to, the Hatch Act and Smith-Lever Act 
formula programs, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, 
the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk Program, and the National 
Research Initiative Nutrition Program. Presenters are encouraged to 
identify areas of program strengths, gaps in current programs that need 
to be filled, future program directions, methods to integrate research 
and extension programs, and potential partnerships with Federal, State, 
local and private cooperative organizations.

Making Reservations To Attend This Listening Session

    When making a reservation for a 5-minute oral comment period, 
participants should provide a title for their presentation. More time 
may be available in the comment session, depending on the number of 
people wishing to make a presentation. Reservations will be confirmed 
on a first-come, first-served basis. Although pre-registration is not 
required to attend the listening session, it is strongly recommended to 
ensure that adequate accommodations are available. Participants who 
require a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations 
should contact Cindy Zluticky as directed above.

Background on Listening Sessions and CSREES Programs

    Section 102(b) of AREERA (7 U.S.C. 7612) 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 this ongoing 
effort, CSREES conducts listening sessions to solicit input and 
comments on the effectiveness of the existing agricultural research, 
education and extension programs (such as the programs listed above) 
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 the 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

[[Page 59048]]

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 of 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.
    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 germplasm 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 and West Virginia State College; the 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 and West Virginia State 
College. 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); the Initiative for 
Future Agriculture and Food Systems authorized under section 401 of 
AREERA (7 U.S.C. 7621); the Integrated Research, Education, and 
Extension Competitive Grants Program authorized under section 406 of 
AREERA (7 U.S.C. 7626); the 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)); the Higher Education 
Challenge Grants Program authorized under section 1417(b)(1) of NARETPA 
(7 U.S.C. 3152(b)(1)); the Secondary Agriculture Education Challenge 
Grants Program authorized under section 1417(j) of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 
3152(j)); and the 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).

    Done at Washington, DC, this 13th day of September, 2002.
Colien Hefferan,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service.
[FR Doc. 02-24012 Filed 9-18-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P