[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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