[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70-71]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31258]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders on the Establishment of
the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at the Department of
Agriculture
AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public comment period for written stakeholder input.
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SUMMARY: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service (CSREES) is requesting written stakeholder input on the
establishment of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture
(Institute) at the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The establishment
of the Institute is mandated in section 251(f) of the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971(f)) as added by
section 7511(a)(4) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (FCEA) of
2008 (Pub. L. 110-246). All programs and authorities currently
delegated to CSREES will transfer to the Institute, no later than
October 1, 2009. By this notice, CSREES has been designated to act on
behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) in soliciting public
comment from interested parties regarding the establishment of the
Institute.
DATES: All written comments must be received by Friday, February 6,
2009, to be considered.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by CSREES-2008-0004, by
any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: [email protected]. Include CSREES-2008-0004 in the
subject line of the message.
Fax: (202) 720-0289.
Mail: Paper, disk or CD-ROM submissions should be submitted to:
Judy Rude; Communications Staff; Cooperative State Research, Education,
and Extension Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Mail Stop 2201;
1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250-2201.
[[Page 71]]
Hand Delivery/Courier: Judy Rude; Communications Staff; Cooperative
State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S. Department of
Agriculture; Room 4236; Waterfront Centre; 800 9th Street, SW.;
Washington, DC 20024.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the title
``Institute'' and CSREES-2008-0004. All comments received will be
posted to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal
information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judy Rude, (202) 720-4242 (phone),
(202) 690-0289 (fax), or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Additional Comment Procedures
Descriptions of the principles guiding deliberations relative to
establishing the Institute are available for review at http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/pdfs/Scientists,%20Educators,%20and%20Stakeholders%20Letter.pdf. Written
comments must be received by close of business, Friday, February 6,
2009, to be considered. All comments, when they become available, may
be reviewed on the CSREES Web page for six months.
Background and Purpose
The establishment of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture
is mandated in section 251(f) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971(f)), as added to section
7511(a)(4) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (FCEA) of 2008
(Pub. L. 110-246). The Secretary shall transfer to the Institute,
effective not later than October 1, 2009, the authorities (including
all budget authorities, available appropriations, and personnel),
duties, obligations, and related legal and administrative functions
prescribed by law or otherwise granted to the Secretary, the
Department, or any other agency or official of the Department under
capacity and infrastructure programs; competitive programs; the
research, education, economic, cooperative State research programs,
cooperative extension and education programs, international programs,
and other functions and authorities delegated by the Under Secretary
for Research, Education, and Economics (Under Secretary for REE) to the
Administrator of CSREES pursuant to section 2.66 of title 7, Code of
Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); and any and all other
authorities administered by the Administrator of CSREES. The terms
``capacity and infrastructure programs'' and ``competitive programs''
are defined in section 251(f)(1) (7 U.S.C.6971(f)(1)).
The Institute shall be headed by a Director, who shall be an
individual who is a distinguished scientist and appointed by the
President. The Secretary has determined that the Director shall report
to the Under Secretary for REE, who also holds the title of Chief
Scientist of USDA and is responsible for the coordination of research,
education, and extension activities of USDA. The Director shall serve
for a 6-year term, subject to reappointment for an additional 6-year
term; periodically report to the Under Secretary for REE with respect
to activities carried out by the Institute; and consult regularly with
the Under Secretary for REE to ensure, to the maximum extent
practicable, that research of the Institute is relevant to agriculture
in the United States and otherwise serves the national interest; and
that the research of the Institute supplements and enhances, and does
not supplant, research conducted or funded by other Federal agencies.
The Director shall exercise all of the authority provided to the
Institute by section 251(f) (7 U.S.C. 6971(f)); formulate and
administer programs in accordance with policies adopted by the
Institute, in coordination with the Under Secretary for REE; establish
offices within the Institute; establish procedures for the provision
and administration of grants by the Institute; and consult regularly
with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and
Economics Advisory Board.
The Director shall organize offices and functions within the
Institute to administer fundamental and applied research and extension
and education programs. The Director shall ensure the research
priorities established by the Under Secretary for REE through the
Research, Education and Extension Office are carried out by the offices
and functions of the Institute, where applicable. Per 7 U.S.C.
6971(e)(1), the Under Secretary for REE is required to organize within
the Office of the Under Secretary for REE six Divisions, to be known
collectively as the `Research, Education, and Extension Office', which
shall coordinate the research programs and activities of the
Department.
The Director shall determine an appropriate balance between
fundamental and applied research programs and functions to ensure
future research needs are met and designate staff, as appropriate, to
assist in carrying out this function. The Director shall promote the
use and growth of grants awarded through a competitive process and
designate staff, as appropriate, to assist in carrying out this
function. Finally, the Director shall ensure that the offices and
functions established within the Institute are effectively coordinated
for maximum efficiency.
Implementation Plans
CSREES plans to consider stakeholder input received from written
comments in developing a proposed organization for approval by USDA and
with an implementation date of not later than October 1, 2009.
Done at Washington, DC, this 29th day of December, 2008.
Colien Hefferan,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service.
[FR Doc. E8-31258 Filed 12-31-08; 8:45 am]
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