[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 198 (Tuesday, October 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59161-59162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25858]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service


Public Meeting With All Interested Parties To Comment on the 
Activities of the Resource Conservation and Development Program.

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources 
Conservation Service (NRCS) will hold a meeting to solicit comments on 
the activities of the Resource Conservation and Development Program 
(RC&D). Section 2504 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 
2002 (P.L. 107-171) requires that the Secretary of Agriculture, in 
consultation with the National Association of Resource Conservation and 
Development Councils (NAR&DC), evaluate the RC&D Program to determine 
whether it is effectively meeting the needs of, and purposes identified 
by, States, units of Government, Indian Tribes, non-profit 
organizations, and councils participating in, or served by the program. 
The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through NRCS, will conduct this 
evaluation, and submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate a report describing the results of the 
evaluation, together with any recommendations of the Secretary for 
continuing, terminating, or modifying the program, by June 30, 2005.
    As part of this evaluation, NRCS is conducting public meetings with 
all interested parties to solicit comments on the activities of the 
program. Comments will be solicited on, and should be limited to, the 
following topics: (1) RC&D Program effectiveness in meeting the needs 
of the States, units of Government, Indian Tribes, non-profit 
organizations and RC&D councils served by the program; (2) RC&D Program 
effectiveness in developing community leadership conservation; (3) RC&D 
Program elements that best serve regional conservation and development 
needs; and (4) RC&D Program elements that can be strengthened to better 
serve

[[Page 59162]]

regional conservation and development needs. The first of six planned 
meetings is scheduled for October 25, 2003, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. 
Subsequent meeting dates and locations will be announced at a later 
date.

EFFECTIVE DATES: The meeting will be held October 25, 2003, from 10:15 
a.m. to 12:15 p.m. It will be held at The John Carver Inn, 25 Summer 
Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360-3438. Written comments may also 
be submitted, no later than November 15, 2003 to: Terry D'Addio, 
National RC&D Program Manager, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
14th & Independence Ave., SW., Room 6013, South Building, Washington, 
DC, 20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Terry D'Addio, Natural Resources 
Conservation Service, (202) 720-0557; fax: (202) 690-0639; e-mail: 
terry.d'[email protected].

    Signed in Washington, DC, on October 1, 2003.
Bruce I. Knight,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 03-25858 Filed 10-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P