[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 9, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32735-32736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13798]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of the Specialty Crop Committee's Stakeholder Listening 
Session

AGENCY: Research, Education, and Economics, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of stakeholder listening session.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 
U.S.C. App 2, the United States Department of Agriculture announces a 
stakeholder listening session of the Specialty Crop Committee, under 
the auspices of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 
Education, and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEE).

DATES: The Specialty Crop Committee will hold the stakeholder listening 
session on June 9, 2010 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The stakeholder listening session of the Specialty Crop 
Committee will take place at the Le Rivage Hotel, 4800 Riverside 
Boulevard, Sacramento, California 95822.
    The public may file written comments before or up to two weeks 
after the listening session with the contact person identified in this 
notice at: The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, 
and Economics Advisory Board Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Room 344-A, Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-2255.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Kelly, Acting Executive 
Director, National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and 
Economics Advisory Board; telephone: (202) 720-4421; fax: (202) 720-
6199; or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Specialty Crop Committee was established 
in accordance with the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 
under Title III, Section 303 of Public Law 108-465, as amended under 
the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, under Title VII, 
Section 7103 of Public Law 110-246. This Committee is a permanent 
committee of the National Agricultural Research Extension, Education, 
and Economics Advisory Board. The Committee's charge is to

[[Page 32736]]

study the scope and effectiveness of research, extension, and economics 
programs affecting the specialty crop industry. The congressional 
legislation defines ``specialty crops'' as fruits, vegetables, tree 
nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops (including floriculture). In order 
to carry out its responsibilities effectively, the Committee is holding 
a stakeholder listening session. The listening session will elicit 
stakeholder input from industry and state representatives, researchers 
and educators, national organizations and institutions, local 
producers, and other groups about topics of relevance to research, 
extension or economics programs on which the Specialty Crop Committee 
is charged to report through the Board to the Secretary of Agriculture 
and Congress. The list of specific topics of interest is available on 
the Committee charge on the NAREEE Web site (http://nareeeab.ree.usda.gov). In addition, the Committee seeks input on the 
Specialty Crop Research Initiative priorities and program 
administration, as well as its interaction with any research undertaken 
by the state administered Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funded 
through the USDA. Several panel sessions will be organized to stimulate 
discussion, each relating to one or more specific issues delineated in 
the Committee's charge. Each panel will be followed with questions by 
Committee members and opportunity for brief presentations and general 
discussion from the floor. An open session for further brief 
presentations will be also be scheduled. Succinct written comments by 
attendees and other interested stakeholders will be welcomed as 
additional public input before and up to two weeks following the 
listening sessions. All statements will become part of the official 
public record of the Board's Specialty Crop Committee.
    In order to encourage input from a wide array of interested parties 
and stakeholders from diverse regions of the country, the Committee 
will host an additional listening session focused on the same topics. 
This session will be held in Sacramento, CA on June 10, 2010. Details 
regarding this meeting will be announced in the near future.

    Done at Washington, DC, June 2, 2010.
Ann M. Bartuska,
Acting Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics.
[FR Doc. 2010-13798 Filed 6-8-10; 8:45 am]
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