[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 132 (Thursday, July 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 39364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16123]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 132 / Thursday, July 10, 2014 / 
Notices  

[[Page 39364]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Departmental Management; Public Meeting on Criteria for 
Eligibility for Participation in the BioPreferred[supreg] Program

AGENCY: Departmental Management, Office of Procurement and Property 
Management, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a public 
meeting on August 1, 2014, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in Room 107A, 
Whitten Building and lasting until all comments are heard but not later 
than 5:00 p.m. for interested stakeholders to discuss the issue of 
incorporating previously excluded mature market products into the 
BioPreferred Program. USDA is seeking information from stakeholders on 
how to evaluate products for their eligibility to participate in the 
BioPreferred Program.

DATES: August 1, 2014.
    Meeting Location: Room 107A, Whitten Building at the USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, 20024. Pre-registration for 
the meeting is not required but would be helpful, particularly if you 
wish to make a presentation. If you wish to register to attend please 
do so at this Web site: http://www.biopreferred.gov and state whether 
or not you wish to be recognized to make a formal presentation. The 
Whitten Building is located directly across from the USDA South 
Building, between 12th and 14th Streets, and Independence Avenue and 
Jefferson Drive. Enter through the Jefferson Drive entrance to the 
building. This is the entrance facing the National Mall.
    Please have a driver's license or government issued Photo ID to 
present to building security. The nearest Metro station is 
``Smithsonian,'' which is located at the Northeast corner of the South 
Building. Room 107-A is located on the first floor of the Whitten 
Building, adjacent to the large patio in the center of the building. 
Again, it is advisable that you register for the meeting even if you do 
not intend to speak as this approved list will be with the guards. 
Failure to register could result in your delayed entrance.
    Those unable to attend the public meeting in person may listen to 
the meeting by calling 800-981-3173. The pass code is ``6557''. 
Participants using the audio bridge may submit questions or comments 
during the meeting via [email protected] or at a webinar address, 
the exact link of which will be sent to participants via email after 
registering.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Buckhalt, BioPreferred Program 
Manager, Department of Agriculture, Office of Procurement and Property 
Management, Reporters Building, Room 361, 300 7th Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20024, (202) 205-4008 or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171) established a program for the 
procurement of USDA designated biobased products by Federal agencies 
and a voluntary program for the labeling of USDA Certified Biobased 
Products. USDA refers to the Federal procurement preference program and 
the voluntary labeling program together as the BioPreferred[supreg] 
Program. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm 
Bill) (Pub. L. 110-246) and the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm 
Bill) (Pub. L. 113-79) continued the BioPreferred Program and made 
changes to the procedures for its implementation.
    The 2014 Farm Bill amends Section 9002 to include a directive that 
the BioPreferred Program shall ``promote biobased products, including 
forest products, that apply an innovative approach to growing, 
harvesting, sourcing, procuring, processing, manufacturing, or 
application of biobased products regardless of the date of entry into 
the marketplace.'' Thus, products that were previously considered to be 
mature market products (those that had a significant market share prior 
to 1972) and were ineligible for the BioPreferred Program, will now be 
included in the program if manufacturers demonstrate that they apply an 
``innovative approach'' in the life cycle of their product. Working in 
conjunction with the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, as required by 
the 2014 Farm Bill (Section 9002(h)), USDA is developing a process to 
evaluate the eligibility of biobased products for the BioPreferred 
Program based on the use of ``innovative approaches'' within the life 
cycle of the products.
    USDA is holding a public meeting to gather input from interested 
stakeholders on ``innovation.''

    Dated: July 2, 2014.
Gregory L. Parham,
Assistant Secretary for Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-16123 Filed 7-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-93-P