This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

65386

Vol. 69, No. 218

Friday, November 12, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 1260 

[Docket No. LS–04–09] 

Beef Promotion and Research; 

Reapportionment

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: This proposed rule would 

adjust representation on the Cattlemen’s 

Beef Promotion and Research Board 

(Board), established under the Beef 

Promotion and Research Act of 1985 

(Act), to reflect changes in cattle 

inventories and cattle and beef imports 

that have occurred since the most recent 

Board reapportionment rule became 

effective in 2002. These adjustments are 

required by the Beef Promotion and 

Research Order (Order) and would 

result in a decrease in Board 

membership from 108 to 104, effective 

with the Department of Agriculture’s 

(Department) appointments for terms 

beginning early in the year 2006.

DATES: Written comments must be 

received by December 13, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send any written comments 

to Kenneth R. Payne, Chief, Marketing 

Programs Branch, Room 2638–S, 

Livestock and Seed Program, 

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), 

USDA, STOP 0251, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–

0251. 

Comments may be sent by facsimile to 

(202) 720–1125 and by electronic mail 

to BeefComments@usda.gov or http://

www.regulations.gov. Comments 

received may be inspected between 8 

a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except holidays, at the above 

office. State that your comments refer to 

Docket No. LS–04–09. Additionally, the 

comments and the proposed rule may be 

found at http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/

mpb/rp-beef.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth R. Payne, Chief, Marketing 

Programs Branch on (202) 720–1115, fax 

(202) 720–1125, or by e-mail at 

Kenenth.Payne@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Executive Order 12866 

The Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) has waived the review process 

required by Executive Order 12866 for 

this action. 

Executive Order 12988 

This proposed rule has been reviewed 

under Executive Order 12988, Civil 

Justice Reform. It is not intended to 

have retroactive effect. 

Section 11 of the Act provides that 

nothing in the Act may be construed to 

preempt or supersede any other program 

relating to beef promotion organized 

and operated under the laws of the 

United States or any State. There are no 

administrative proceedings that must be 

exhausted prior to any judicial 

challenge to the provisions of this rule. 

The Regulatory Flexibility Act and the 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

Pursuant to the requirements set forth 

in the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) 

(5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 601 et 

seq.). The Administrator of AMS has 

considered the economic effect of this 

action on small entities and has 

determined that this proposed rule will 

not have a significant economic impact 

on a substantial number of small 

entities. The purpose of RFA is to fit 

regulatory actions to the scale of 

businesses subject to such actions in 

order that small businesses will not be 

unduly burdened. 

In the January 30, 2004, issue of 

‘‘Cattle,’’ the Department’s National 

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 

estimates that in 2004 the number of 

cattle operations in the United States 

totaled about 1.1 million. The majority 

of these operations subject to the Order, 

7 CFR 1260.101 et seq., are considered 

small businesses under the criteria 

established by the Small Business 

Administration. 

The proposed rule imposes no new 

burden on the industry. It only adjusts 

representation on the Board to reflect 

changes in domestic cattle inventory 

and cattle and beef imports. This action 

would adjust representation on the 

Board, established under the Act. The 

adjustments are required by the Order 

and would result in a decrease in Board 

membership from 108 to 104. 

Background and Proposed Action 

The Board was initially appointed 

August 4, 1986, pursuant to the 

provisions of the Act (7 U.S.C. 2901 et 

seq.) and the Order issued thereunder. 

Domestic representation on the Board is 

based on cattle inventory numbers, and 

importer representation is based on the 

conversion of the volume of imported 

cattle, beef, or beef products into live 

animal equivalencies. 

Section 1260.141(b) of the Order 

provides that the Board shall be 

composed of cattle producers and 

importers appointed by the Department 

from nominations submitted by certified 

producer organizations. A producer may 

only be nominated to represent the unit 

in which that producer is a resident. 

Section 1260.141(c) of the Order 

provides that at least every 3 years and 

not more than every 2 years, the Board 

shall review the geographic distribution 

of cattle inventories throughout the 

United States and the volume of 

imported cattle, beef, and beef products 

and, if warranted, shall reapportion 

units and/or modify the number of 

Board members from units in order to 

reflect the geographic distribution of 

cattle production volume in the United 

States and the volume of cattle, beef, or 

beef products imported into the United 

States. 

Section 1260.141(d) of the Order 

authorizes the Board to recommend to 

the Department modifications in the 

number of cattle per unit necessary for 

representation on the Board.

Section 1260.141(e)(1) provides that 

each geographic unit or State that 

includes a total cattle inventory equal to 

or greater than 500,000 head of cattle 

shall be entitled to one representative 

on the Board. Section 1260.141(e)(2) 

provides that States that do not have 

total cattle inventories equal to or 

greater than 500,000 head shall be 

grouped, to the extent practicable, into 

geographically-contiguous units, each of 

which have a combined total inventory 

of not less than 500,000 head. Such 

grouped units are entitled to at least one 

representative on the Board. Each unit 

that has an additional one million head 

of cattle within a unit qualifies for 

additional representation on the Board 

as provided in § 1260.141(e)(4). As 

provided in § 1260.141(e)(3), importers 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 218 / Friday, November 12, 2004 / Proposed Rules 65387

are represented by a single unit, with 

the number of Board members based on 

a conversion of the total volume of 

imported cattle, beef, or beef products 

into live animal equivalencies. 

The initial Board appointed in 1986 

was composed of 113 members. 

Reapportionment based on a 3-year 

average of cattle inventory numbers and 

import data, reduced the Board to 111 

members in 1990 and 107 members in 

1993 before the Board was increased to 

111 members in 1996. The Board was 

decreased to 110 members in 1999, 108 

members in 2001, and will be decreased 

to 104 members with appointments for 

terms effective early in 2006. 

The current Board representation by 

States or units has been based on an 

average of the January 1, 1999, 2000, 

and 2001 inventory of cattle in the 

various States as reported by NASS of 

the Department. Current importer 

representation has been based on a 

combined total average of the 1998, 

1999, and 2000 live cattle imports as 

published by the Foreign Agricultural 

Service of the Department and the 

average of the 1998, 1999, and 2000 live 

animal equivalents for imported beef 

products. 

Recommendations concerning Board 

reapportionment were approved by the 

Board at its June 24, 2004, meeting. In 

considering reapportionment, the Board 

reviewed cattle inventories as well as 

cattle, beef, and beef product import 

data for the period January 1, 2002, to 

January 1, 2004. The Board 

recommended that a 3-year average of 

cattle inventories and import numbers 

should be continued. The Board 

determined that an average of the 

January 1, 2002, 2003, and 2004 

Department cattle inventory numbers 

would best reflect the number of cattle 

in each State or unit since publication 

of the 2001 reapportionment rule. 

The Board reviewed the February 24, 

2004, Department’s Economic Research 

Service circular, ‘‘Livestock, Dairy, and 

Poultry Outlook,’’ to determine proper 

importer representation. The Board 

recommended the use of a combined 

total of the average of the 2001, 2002, 

and 2003 cattle import data and the 

average of the 2001, 2002, and 2003 live 

animal equivalents for imported beef 

products. The method used to calculate 

the total number of live cattle 

equivalents was the same as that used 

in the previous reapportionment of the 

Board. The recommendation for 

importer representation is based on the 

most recent 3-year average of data 

available to the Board at its June 24, 

2004, meeting to be consistent with the 

procedures used for domestic 

representation. 

The Board’s recommended 

reapportionment plan would decrease 

the number of representatives on the 

Board from 108 to 104. Four States—

Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, and 

Wyoming—lose one member each. The 

States and units affected by the 

reapportionment plan and the current 

and proposed member representation 

per unit are as follows: (Units are listed 

with the State makeup recommended by 

the Board.)

States 

Current

representation 

Proposed 

representation 

1. Minnesota ..... 3 2 

2. Montana ........ 3 2 

3. Nebraska ...... 7 6 

4. Wyoming ....... 2 1 

The 2004 nomination and 

appointment process was in progress 

while the Board was developing its 

recommendations. Thus, the Board 

reapportionment as proposed by this 

rulemaking would be effective, if 

adopted, with 2005 nominations and 

appointments that will be effective early 

in the year 2006.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 1260 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Advertising, Agricultural 

research, Imports, Marketing agreement, 

Meat and meat products, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements.

For reasons set forth in the preamble, 

it is proposed that 7 CFR part 1260 be 

amended as follows:

PART 1260—BEEF PROMOTION AND 

RESEARCH 

1. The authority citation for 7 CFR 

part 1260 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.

2. In § 1260.141, paragraph (a) and the 

table immediately following it, are 

revised to read as follows:

§ 1260.141 Membership of Board. 

(a) Beginning with the 2005 Board 

nominations and the associated 

appointments effective early in the year 

2006, the United States shall be divided 

into 39 geographical units and 1 unit 

representing importers, and the number 

of Board members from each unit shall 

be as follows:

CATTLE AND CALVES 1

State/unit (1,000 Head) Directors 

1. Alabama ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,390 1 

2. Arizona ................................................................................................................................................................. 843 1 

3. Arkansas .............................................................................................................................................................. 1,857 2 

4. California .............................................................................................................................................................. 5,217 5 

5. Colorado .............................................................................................................................................................. 2,700 3 

6. Florida .................................................................................................................................................................. 1,757 2 

7. Idaho .................................................................................................................................................................... 2,000 2 

8. Illinois ................................................................................................................................................................... 1,367 1 

9. Indiana ................................................................................................................................................................. 857 1 

10. Iowa ................................................................................................................................................................... 3,517 4 

11. Kansas ............................................................................................................................................................... 6,533 7 

12. Kentucky ............................................................................................................................................................ 2,350 2 

13. Louisiana ........................................................................................................................................................... 853 1 

14. Michigan ............................................................................................................................................................ 1,003 1 

15. Minnesota .......................................................................................................................................................... 2,467 2 

16. Mississippi ......................................................................................................................................................... 1,063 1 

17. Missouri ............................................................................................................................................................. 4,400 4 

18. Montana ............................................................................................................................................................. 2,433 2 

19. Nebraska ........................................................................................................................................................... 6,283 6 

20. Nevada .............................................................................................................................................................. 507 1 

21. New Mexico ....................................................................................................................................................... 1,547 2 

65388 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 218 / Friday, November 12, 2004 / Proposed Rules 

CATTLE AND CALVES 1—Continued

State/unit (1,000 Head) Directors 

22. New York ........................................................................................................................................................... 1,420 1 

23. North Carolina ................................................................................................................................................... 910 1 

24. North Dakota ..................................................................................................................................................... 1,867 2 

25. Ohio ................................................................................................................................................................... 1,233 1 

26. Oklahoma .......................................................................................................................................................... 5,233 5 

27. Oregon ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,400 1 

28. Pennsylvania ..................................................................................................................................................... 1,637 2 

29. South Dakota ..................................................................................................................................................... 3,767 4 

30. Tennessee ......................................................................................................................................................... 2,227 2 

31. Texas ................................................................................................................................................................. 13,833 14 

32. Utah ................................................................................................................................................................... 887 1 

33. Virginia ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,607 2 

34. Wisconsin .......................................................................................................................................................... 3,333 3 

35. Wyoming ............................................................................................................................................................ 1,387 1 

36. Northwest ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................ 1 

Alaska ............................................................................................................................................................... 12 ........................

Hawaii ............................................................................................................................................................... 153 ........................

Washington ....................................................................................................................................................... 1,117 ........................

Total ........................................................................................................................................................... 1,408 ........................

37. Northeast ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................ 1 

Connecticut ....................................................................................................................................................... 57 ........................

Delaware ........................................................................................................................................................... 24 ........................

Maine ................................................................................................................................................................ 94 ........................

Massachusetts .................................................................................................................................................. 50 ........................

New Hampshire ................................................................................................................................................ 40 ........................

New Jersey ....................................................................................................................................................... 45 ........................

Rhode Island .................................................................................................................................................... 6 ........................

Vermont ............................................................................................................................................................ 285 ........................

Total ........................................................................................................................................................... 600 ........................

38. Mid-Atlantic ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................ 1 

District of Columbia .......................................................................................................................................... 0 ........................

Maryland ........................................................................................................................................................... 240 ........................

West Virginia .................................................................................................................................................... 400 ........................

Total ........................................................................................................................................................... 640 ........................

39. Southeast ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................ 2 

Georgia ............................................................................................................................................................. 1,260 ........................

South Carolina .................................................................................................................................................. 430 ........................

Total ........................................................................................................................................................... 1,690 ........................

40. Importer 2 ........................................................................................................................................................... 8,378 8 

1 2002, 2003, and 2004 average of January 1 cattle inventory data. 

2 2001, 2002, and 2003 average of annual import data. 

* * * * *

Dated: November 5, 2004. 

A.J. Yates, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service.

[FR Doc. 04–25198 Filed 11–10–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2004–19443; Directorate 

Identifier 2004–CE–32–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; EXTRA 

Flugzeugbau GmbH Model EA–300 and 

EA–300/S Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to 

supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 

98–03–14, which applies to certain 

EXTRA Flugzeugbau GmbH (EXTRA) 

Model EA–300 and EA–300/S airplanes. 

AD 98–03–14 currently requires you to 

inspect the upper longeron cutoutbridge for cracks, repairing any cracks 

found, and modifying this area. This 

proposed AD would retain the actions of 

AD 98–03–14 and incorporate new 

service information. For owner/

operators of the affected airplanes that 

were able to do the modification 

required in AD 98–03–14, no further 

action would be required. This 

proposed AD results from mandatory 

continuing airworthiness information 

(MCAI) issued by the airworthiness 

authority for Germany. We are issuing 

this proposed AD to detect and correct 

cracks in the upper longeron cutoutbridge, which could cause the upper 

longeron cutout-bridge to fail resulting 

in structural damage to the fuselage.