59576 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 192 / Tuesday, October 5, 2004 / Notices 

Background 

FSIS administers the Egg Products 

Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 1031–1056). 

The Agency’s current activities are 

intended to prevent the distribution in 

domestic and foreign commerce, as 

human food, of unwholesome, 

adulterated, or misbranded pasteurized 

egg products.

For the past several years, FSIS and 

the Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) have been developing a joint and 

coordinated strategy to more effectively 

deal with egg safety. Pursuant to this 

coordinated strategy, FDA recently 

published a proposed rule that would 

require shell egg producers to 

implement measures to prevent SE from 

contaminating eggs on the farm (69 FR 

56823, Sept. 22, 2004). FSIS, in turn, is 

focusing its pathogen reduction efforts 

on egg products plants and egg handling 

operations that pasteurize shell eggs. 

To better evaluate potential 

mitigations for reducing the public 

health impact of SE and Salmonella

spp., as well as improve the safety of 

pasteurized shell eggs and liquid egg 

products, FSIS has developed two draft 

quantitative risk assessments on SE in 

shell eggs and Salmonella spp. in liquid 

egg products. These draft risk 

assessments build upon the 1998 joint 

FSIS–FDA Salmonella Enteritidis Risk 

Assessment (SERA), which was 

developed to establish the risk of SE in 

shell eggs and Salmonella spp. in liquid 

egg products to human health and to 

identify and evaluate potential risk 

reduction strategies. However, the 1998 

SERA did not have sufficient data to 

provide a scientific basis for FSIS to 

develop egg safety standards for egg 

products. 

Since 1998, new data have become 

available that has allowed FSIS to 

develop risk assessments that are more 

useful for developing FSIS performance 

standards for SE in pasteurized shell 

eggs and Salmonella spp. in liquid egg 

products. This new information 

includes data collected from a national 

baseline survey conducted by FSIS to 

measure Salmonella levels in liquid egg 

products and data collected by the 

University of Nebraska on the lethality 

kinetics of Salmonella spp. in a wide 

variety of liquid egg products. These 

draft risk assessments provide important 

data that the Agency intends to use in 

deciding what pathogen reduction 

lethality standards to propose for the 

processing of pasteurized shell eggs and 

pasteurized egg products. 

FSIS requests comment on these draft 

risk assessments and will hold a public 

meeting to discuss and seek input on 

them on October 22, 2004, at (see

ADDRESSES above). The draft risk 

assessments will be made available for 

review on October 15, 2004, when they 

will be posted on the FSIS Web site. 

Additional Public Notification 

Public awareness of all segments of 

rulemaking and policy development is 

important. Consequently, in an effort to 

ensure that the public and in particular 

minorities, women, and persons with 

disabilities, are aware of this notice, 

FSIS will announce it on-line through 

the FSIS Web page located at http://

www.fsis.usda.gov.

FSIS also will make copies of this 

Federal Register publication available 

through the FSIS Constituent Update, 

which is used to provide information 

regarding FSIS policies, procedures, 

regulations, Federal Register notices, 

FSIS public meetings, recalls, and other 

types of information that could affect or 

would be of interest to our constituents 

and stakeholders. The update is 

communicated via Listserv, a free e-mail 

subscription service consisting of 

industry, trade, and farm groups, 

consumer interest groups, allied health 

professionals, scientific professionals, 

and other individuals who have 

requested to be included. The update 

also is available on the FSIS Web page. 

Through Listserv and the Web page, 

FSIS is able to provide information to a 

much broader, more diverse audience.

Done in Washington, DC, on: September 

29, 2004. 

Barbara J. Masters, 

Acting Administrator.

[FR Doc. 04–22302 Filed 10–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Oregon Coast Provincial Advisory 

Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Oregon Coast Province 

Advisory Committee will meet in 

Corvallis, OR, October 14, 2004. The 

theme of the meeting is Introduction/

Overview/Business Planning. The 

agenda includes: PAC Subcommittee 

Updates, RiverPrize Update, Special 

Forest Products, 2005 Meeting Theme/

Agenda/Dates, Public Comment and 

Round Robin.

DATES: The meeting will be held 

October 14, 2004, beginning at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Siuslaw National Forest 

Headquarters, 4077 SW. Research Way, 

Corvallis, Oregon, 97333.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joni 

Quarnstrom, Public Affairs Specialist, 

Siuslaw National Forest, 541–750–7075, 

or write to Siuslaw National Forest 

Supervisor, P.O. Box 1148, Corvallis, 

OR 97339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting is open to the public. Council 

Discussion is limited to Forest Service/

BLM staff and Council Members. Lunch 

will be on your own. A public input 

session will be at 2 p.m. for fifteen 

minutes. The meeting is expected to 

adjourn around 3 p.m.

Dated: September 29, 2004. 

Michael A. Harvey, 

Assistant Recreational Staff.

[FR Doc. 04–22341 Filed 10–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Tehama County Resource Advisory 

Committee

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Tehama County Resource 

Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in 

Red Bluff, California. Agenda items to 

be covered include: (1) Introductions, 

(2) approval of minutes, (3) public 

comment, (4) chairman report, (5) new 

members welcome, (6) review of 

projects funded to date, (7) general 

discussion, (8) next agenda.

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

October 14, 2004 from 9 a.m. and end 

at approximately 12 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Lincoln Street School, Conference 

Room A, 1135 Lincoln Street, Red Bluff, 

CA. Individuals wishing to speak or 

propose agenda items must send their 

names and proposals to Jim Giachino, 

DFO, 825 N. Humboldt Ave., Willows, 

CA 95988.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bobbin Gaddini, Committee 

Coordinator, USDA, Mendocino 

National Forest, Grindstone Ranger 

District, P.O. Box 164, Elk Creek, CA 

95939. (530) 968–5329; Email 

ggaddini@fs.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting is open to the public. 

Committee discussion is limited to 

Forest Service staff and Committee 

members. However, persons who wish 

to bring matters to the attention of the 

Committee may file written statements 

with the Committee staff before or after 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 192 / Tuesday, October 5, 2004 / Notices 59577

the meeting. Public input sessions will 

be provided and individuals who made 

written requests by October 12, 2004 

will have the opportunity to address the 

committee at those sessions.

Dated: September 29, 2004. 

James F. Giachino, 

Designated Federal Official.

[FR Doc. 04–22324 Filed 10–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service 

Integrated Resource Contracts FS–

2400–13 and FS–2400–13T

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of interim contracts, 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is 

implementing Integrated Resource 

Contracts, FS–2400–13, for use when 

timber products are measured after 

harvest, and FS–2400–13T, for use 

when timber products are measured 

before harvest. The contracts are for use 

in stewardship end result contracting 

pursuant to section 323 of Public Law 

108–7, the Consolidated Appropriations 

Resolution (16 U.S.C. 2104 note), when 

the value of timber exceeds the cost of 

service work. Except for additions 

addressing new stewardship contracting 

authorities, both contracts parallel the 

recently revised Timber Sale Contracts 

FS–2400–6 and FS–2400–6T which 

became effective upon notice in the 

Federal Register on May 6, 2004 (69 FR 

25367). The Integrated Resource 

Contracts are available electronically 

and in paper copy, as provided in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

Comments received will be considered 

when the Forest Service prepares the 

final Integrated Resource Contracts.

DATES: Comments must be received in 

writing on or before November 4, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments by 

mail to USDA Forest Service, Director 

Forest Management, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Mail Stop 1103, 

Washington, DC 20250–0003; via e-mail 

to: 

integratedresourcecontracts@fs.fed.us;

or via facsimile to (202) 205–1045. 

Comments may also be submitted via 

the World Wide Web Internet Web site 

at: http://www.regulations.gov. All 

comments including names and 

addresses when provided are placed in 

the record and are available for public 

inspection and copying. The Integrated 

Resource Contracts are available for 

public review on the Forest Service 

World Wide Web/Internet site at: http:/

/www.fs.fed.us/forestmanagement/

projects/stewardship/contracts.

Alternatively, these can be viewed in 

the office of the Director of Forest 

Management, Third Floor, Northwest 

Wing, Yates Building, 201 14th Street, 

SW., Washington, DC. Visitors are 

encouraged to call ahead to (202) 205–

0893 to facilitate entry into the building.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Fitzgerald, Forest Management 

Staff, (202) 205–1753, or Lathrop Smith, 

Forest Management Staff, (202) 205–

0858.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Section 323 of Public Law 108–7, the 

Consolidated Appropriations Resolution 

(16 U.S.C. 2104 note), established new 

authorities for stewardship contracting 

not addressed in existing Forest Service 

timber sale contract forms. In general, 

the new authorities allow the Forest 

Service to enter into stewardship 

contracts with public or private entities 

or persons to perform services to 

achieve land management goals for 

National Forest System lands that meet 

local and rural community needs. By 

combining components of both service 

and timber sale contracts into a single 

integrated resource contract the value of 

timber or other forest products removed 

can be used as an offset against the cost 

of services received. Integrated Resource 

Contracts FS–2400–13 and FS–2400–

13T are for use with stewardship end 

result contracting when the value of 

timber exceeds the cost of service work. 

Except where they deviate to address 

the new authorities and the limitation of 

compensation in the event of a 

sovereign act that would affect a 

stewardship contract, the FS–2400–13 

and FS–2400–13T contracts parallel the 

recently revised Timber Sale Contracts 

FS–2400–6 and FS–2400–6T which 

became effective upon notice in the 

Federal Register on May 6, 2004 (69 FR 

25367). The revisions were the first 

substantive changes to the standard 

timber sale contract provisions in over 

30 years. A notice with request for 

comment on the proposed FS–2400–6 

and FS–2400–6T contract revisions was 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 19, 2003 (68 FR 70758). The 

Forest Service made appropriate 

changes to the contracts in response to 

the public comments and those are 

incorporated in the FS–2400–13 and 

FS–2400–13T contracts as well. Timber 

Sale Contracts FS–2400–6 and FS–

2400–6T are available on the World 

Wide Web/Internet site at: http://

www.fs.fed.us/forestmanagement/

infocenter/newcontracts/index.shtml.

Description of Interim Integrated 

Resource Contracts FS–2400–13 and 

FS–2400–13T 

Integrated Resource Contracts FS–

2400–13 and FS–2400–13T were 

patterned after the FS–2400–6 and FS–

2400–6T contracts respectively. 

However, in order to address new 

authorities in section 323 of Public Law 

108–7, the Consolidated Appropriations 

Resolution (16 U.S.C. 2104 note), the 

following conditions and provisions 

were added to the Integrated Resource 

Contracts: 

1. E/ET2.2 Stewardship Credits.

These are credits that the contractor will 

establish for performing stewardship 

work. These may be used to pay for 

included timber value subject to certain 

limits set in the contract.

2. E/ET.2.2.1 Progress Estimate. This 

requires the Forest Service to make 

timely estimates of a contractor’s 

progress on stewardship projects. 

3. E/ET.2.2.2 Excess Stewardship 

Credits. In the event that stewardship 

credits exceed the value of timber, the 

Forest Service may either add more 

timber, or make a cash payment to the 

contractor for unused stewardship 

credits. 

4. E/ET.2.2.3 Excess Timber Value.

In the event that the value of included 

timber exceeds the value of mandatory 

stewardship projects, the Forest Service 

may authorize additional optional 

projects if any were identified and/or 

require a cash payment from the 

contractor for excess timber value. 

5. E/ET.2.2.4 Cash Payment for 

Stewardship Projects. In lieu of 

providing timber for established 

stewardship credits, Forest Service may 

elect to provide the contractor a cash 

payment. 

6. G/GT.3.1.1 Technical Proposal.

This replaces B/BT6.311 Plan of 

Operations in the FS–2400–6 and FS–

2400–6T timber sale contracts. Bidders 

will be required to submit a technical 

proposal detailing how they will 

perform the contract work. This 

provision makes the technical proposal 

from the accepted bidder a binding part 

of the contract. 

7. G/GT.9 Stewardship Projects. This 

provision requires the contractor to 

perform all mandatory stewardship 

projects listed in the specific conditions 

section of the contract and addresses 

procedures for identifying optional 

projects to include. 

8. G/GT.9.1 Refund of Unused 

Stewardship Credits. This provision 

provides for making a refund to the 

contractor for any unused stewardship 

credits in event that the Contracting 

Officer requests that the contractor