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Notices Federal Register

70427

Vol. 69, No. 233

Monday, December 6, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection 

Program

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, 

Department of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals.

SUMMARY: Section 2503 of the Farm 

Security and Rural Investment Act of 

2002 (Pub. L. 107–171) amended the 

Food Security Act of 1985 to include the 

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection 

Program (FRPP), formerly known as the 

Farmland Protection Program (FPP). 

Congress delegated authority to 

administer FRPP to the Chief of the 

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

(NRCS). NRCS, on behalf of the 

Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) 

and using its authorities, requests 

proposals from Federally recognized 

Indian tribes, States, units of local 

government, and nongovernmental 

organizations to cooperate in the 

acquisition of conservation easements 

on farms and ranches. Eligible land 

includes farm and ranch land that has 

prime, unique, or other productive soil, 

or that contains historical or 

archaeological resources. These lands 

must also be subject to a pending offer 

from eligible entities for the purpose of 

protecting topsoil by limiting 

conversion of that land to 

nonagricultural uses. Over $78 million 

in FRPP funds is available to purchase 

conservation easements in fiscal year 

2005.

DATES: Proposals must be received in 

the NRCS State Office by April 5, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Written proposals must be 

sent to the appropriate NRCS State 

Conservationist, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, USDA. The 

telephone numbers and addresses of the 

NRCS State Conservationists are in the 

appendix of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Denise Coleman, NRCS; phone: (202) 

720–3527; fax: (202) 720–4265; or email: denise.coleman@usda.gov; 

Subject: FRPP or consult the NRCS Web 

site at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/

programs/farmbill/2002/

PubNotcChron.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Urban sprawl continues to threaten 

the Nation’s farm and ranch land, as 

social and economic changes over the 

past three decades have influenced the 

rate at which land is converted to nonagricultural uses. Population growth, 

demographic changes, preferences for 

larger lots, expansion of transportation 

systems, and economic prosperity have 

contributed to increases in agricultural 

land conversion rates. The amount of 

farm and ranch land lost to 

development and the quality of 

farmland being converted are significant 

concerns. In most States, prime 

farmland is being converted at two to 

four times the rate of other, lessproductive agricultural land. 

There continues to be an important 

national interest in the protection of 

farmland. Land use devoted to 

agriculture provides an important 

contribution to environmental quality, 

protection of the Nation’s historical and 

archaeological resources, and scenic 

beauty. 

Availability of Funding 

Effective on the publication date of 

this notice, NRCS announces the 

availability of up to $78 million for 

FRPP, until September 30, 2005. The 

NRCS State Conservationist must 

receive proposals for participation 

within 120 days of the date of this 

notice. State, Tribal, and local 

governmental entities and 

nongovernmental organizations may 

apply. Selection will be based on the 

criteria established in this notice and 

additional criteria developed by the 

applicable State Conservationist. 

Pending offers by an eligible entity must 

be for acquiring an easement for 

perpetuity, except where State law 

prohibits a permanent easement. 

Under the FRPP, NRCS may provide 

up to 50 percent of the appraised fair 

market value of the conservation 

easement. Landowner donations up to 

25 percent of the appraised fair market 

value of the conservation easement may 

be considered part of the entity’s 

matching offer. For the entity, two costshare options are available when 

providing its matching offer. One option 

is for the entity to provide, in cash, at 

least 25 percent of the appraised fair 

market value of the conservation 

easement. The second option is for the 

entity to provide, in cash, at least 50 

percent of the purchase price of the 

conservation easement. The second 

option may be preferable to an entity in 

the case of a large bargain sale by the 

landowner. If the second option is 

selected, the NRCS share cannot exceed 

the entity’s contribution. 

The following two examples illustrate 

how these two cost-share options may 

function. Under Option 1, where 25 

percent of the appraised fair market 

value is selected by the entity, the total 

appraised fair market value of the 

conservation easement is $1 million. 

The landowner chooses to donate 40 

percent of the appraised fair market 

value, resulting in the actual easement 

purchase price being $600,000. In this 

case, the cooperating entity contributes 

$250,000, and NRCS contributes 

$350,000. Option 2, where 50 percent of 

the purchase price is selected, would 

occur when a landowner makes a large 

charitable donation, where 25% of the 

appraised fair market value exceeds 50 

percent of the purchase price. For 

example, the total appraised fair market 

value of the conservation easement is $1 

million. The landowner chooses to 

donate 60 percent of the appraised fair 

market value, resulting in the actual 

easement purchase price being 

$400,000. In this case, NRCS and the 

cooperating entity both contribute 

$200,000. 

Definitions 

For the purposes of this notice, the 

following definitions apply: 

Chief means the Chief of NRCS, 

USDA. 

Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)

is a Government-owned and operated 

entity that was created to stabilize, 

support, and protect farm income and 

prices. CCC is managed by a Board of 

Directors, subject to the general 

supervision and direction of the 

Secretary of Agriculture, who is an exofficio director and chairperson of the 

Board. CCC provides the funding for 

FRPP, and NRCS administers FRPP on 

its behalf. 

70428 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 233 / Monday, December 6, 2004 / Notices 

Conservation Easement means a 

voluntary, legally recorded restriction, 

in the form of a deed, on the use of 

property, in order to protect resources 

such as agricultural lands, historic 

structures, open space, and wildlife 

habitat. 

Conservation Plan is the document 

that—

(1) Applies to highly erodible 

cropland; 

(2) Describes the conservation system 

applicable to the highly erodible 

cropland, and describes the decisions of 

the person with respect to location, land 

use, tillage systems, and conservation 

treatment measures and schedules;

(3) Is approved by the local soil 

conservation district in consultation 

with the local committees established 

under Section 8 (b)(5) of the Soil 

Conservation and Domestic Allotment 

Act (16 U.S.C. 5909h(b)(5)) and the 

Secretary, or by the Secretary. 

Eligible entities means Federally 

recognized Indian Tribes, States, units 

of local government, and certain nongovernmental organizations, which have 

a farmland protection program that 

purchases agricultural conservation 

easements for the purpose of protecting 

topsoil by limiting conversion to nonagricultural uses of the land. 

Additionally, to be eligible for FRPP, the 

entity must have pending offers, for 

acquiring conservation easements for 

the purpose of protecting agricultural 

land from conversion to nonagricultural uses. 

Eligible land is privately owned land 

on a farm or ranch that has prime, 

unique, Statewide, or locally important 

soil, or contains historical or 

archaeological resources, and is subject 

to a pending offer by an eligible entity. 

Eligible land includes cropland, 

rangeland, grassland, and pasture land, 

as well as forest land that is an 

incidental part of an agricultural 

operation. Incidental forest land is less 

than fifty percent of the entire area 

under easement. Other incidental land 

that would not otherwise be eligible, but 

when considered as part of a pending 

offer, may be considered eligible, if 

inclusion of such land would 

significantly augment protection of the 

associated farm or ranch land. 

Fair market value is ascertained 

through standard real property appraisal 

methods. Fair market value is the 

amount in cash, for which in all 

probability the property would have 

sold on the effective date of the 

appraisal, after a reasonable exposure of 

time on the open competitive market, 

from a willing and reasonably 

knowledgeable seller to a willing and 

reasonably knowledgeable buyer. 

Neither the seller nor the buyer act 

under any compulsion to buy or sell, 

giving due consideration to all available 

economic uses of the property at the 

time of the appraisal. In valuing 

conservation easements, the appraiser 

estimates both the fair market value of 

the whole property before the easement 

acquisition and the fair market value of 

the remainder property after the 

conservation easement has been 

imposed. The difference between these 

two values is deemed the value of the 

conservation easement. 

Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG)

is the official document for NRCS 

guidelines, criteria, and standards for 

planning and applying conservation 

treatments and conservation 

management systems. The FOTG 

contains detailed information on the 

conservation of soil, water, air, plant, 

and animal resources applicable to the 

local area for which it is prepared. 

Historical and archaeological 

resources must be: 

(1) Listed in the National Register of 

Historic Places (established under the 

National Historic Preservation Act 

(NHPA), 16 U.S.C. 470, et seq.), or 

(2) Formally determined eligible for 

listing in the National Register of 

Historic Places (by the State Historic 

Preservation Officer (SHPO) or Tribal 

Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) 

and the Keeper of the National Register 

in accordance with Section 106 of the 

NHPA), or 

(3) Formally listed in the State or 

Tribal Register of Historic Places of the 

SHPO (designated under Section 101 

(b)(1)(B) of the NHPA) or the THPO 

(designated under Section 101(d)(1)(C) 

of the NHPA). 

Land Evaluation and Site Assessment 

System (LESA) is the land evaluation 

system approved by the NRCS State 

Conservationist used to rank land for 

farm and ranch land protection 

purposes, based on soil potential for 

agriculture, as well as social and 

economic factors, such as location, 

access to markets, and adjacent land 

use. (For additional information see the 

Farmland Protection Policy Act 

regulation at 7 CFR part 658.) 

Landowner means a person, persons, 

estate, corporation, or other business or 

nonprofit entity having fee title 

ownership of farm or ranch land. 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service is an agency of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture. 

Non-governmental organization is 

defined as any organization that: 

(1) Is organized for, and at all times 

since the formation of the organization, 

has been operated principally for one or 

more of the conservation purposes 

specified in clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) 

of section 170(h)(4)(A) of the Internal 

Revenue Code of 1986; 

(2) Is an organization described in 

section 501(c)(3) of that Code that is 

exempt from taxation under 501(a) of 

that Code; 

(3) Is described in section 509(a)(2) of 

that Code; or is described in section 

509(a)(3) of that Code; and is controlled 

by an organization described in section 

509(a)(2) of that Code. 

Other productive soils are soils that 

are contained on farm or ranch land that 

is identified as farmland of Statewide or 

local importance and is used for the 

production of food, feed, fiber, forage, or 

oilseed crops. The appropriate State or 

local government agency determines 

Statewide or locally important farmland 

with concurrence from the State 

Conservationist. Generally, these 

farmlands produce high yields of crops 

when treated and managed according to 

acceptable farming methods. In some 

States and localities, farmlands of 

Statewide and local importance may 

include tracts of land that have been 

designated for agriculture by State law 

or local ordinance. 7 CFR part 657, sets 

forth the process for designating soils as 

Statewide or locally important. 

Pending offer is a written bid, 

contract, or option extended to a 

landowner by an eligible entity to 

acquire a conservation easement before 

the legal title to these rights has been 

conveyed for the purpose of limiting 

non-agricultural uses of the land.

Prime and unique farmland are 

defined separately, as follows: 

(1) Prime farmland is land that has the 

best combination of physical and 

chemical characteristics for producing 

food, feed, fiber, forage, oilseed, and 

other agricultural crops with minimum 

inputs of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, and 

labor, without intolerable soil erosion, 

as determined by the Secretary. 

(2) Unique farmland is land other 

than prime farmland that is used for the 

production of specific high-value food 

and fiber crops, as determined by the 

Secretary. It has the special combination 

of soil quality, location, growing season, 

and moisture supply needed to 

economically produce sustained high 

quality or high yields of specific crops 

when treated and managed according to 

acceptable farming methods. Examples 

of such crops include citrus, tree nuts, 

olives, cranberries, fruits, and 

vegetables. Additional information on 

the definition of prime, unique, or other 

productive soil can be found in 7 CFR 

part 657 and 7 CFR part 658. 

State Technical Committee means a 

committee established by the Secretary 

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 233 / Monday, December 6, 2004 / Notices 70429

a State pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 3861 and 

7 CFR part 610, subpart C. 

State Conservationist means the 

NRCS employee authorized to direct 

and supervise NRCS activities in a State, 

the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the 

Virgin Islands), or the Pacific Basin Area 

(Guam, American Samoa, and the 

Commonwealth of the Northern 

Marianna Islands). 

Overview of the Farm and Ranch Lands 

Protection Program 

The CCC, acting through NRCS, will 

accept proposals submitted to the NRCS 

State Offices from eligible entities, 

including federally recognized Indian 

tribes, States, units of local government, 

and nongovernmental organizations that 

have pending offers for acquiring 

conservation easements for the purposes 

of protecting topsoil by limiting 

nonagricultural use of the land and/or 

protecting historical and archaeological 

sites on farm and ranch lands. 

All proposals must be submitted to 

the appropriate NRCS State 

Conservationist within 120 days from 

the date of this notice. The NRCS State 

Conservationist may consult with the 

State Technical Committee (established 

pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 3861) to evaluate 

the merits of the proposals. 

The NRCS State Conservationist will 

review and evaluate the proposals based 

on State, tribal, or local government or 

nongovernmental organization 

eligibility, land eligibility, and the 

extent to which the proposal adheres to 

FRPP objectives. Proposals must include 

adequate proof of a pending offer for the 

subject land. Adequate proof includes a 

written bid, contract, commitment, or 

option extended to a landowner. 

Pending offers based upon appraisals 

completed and signed by State-certified 

or licensed appraisers will receive 

higher priority for FRPP funding. 

Proposals submitted directly to the 

NRCS National Office will not be 

accepted and will be returned to the 

submitting entity. 

National and State Ranking Criteria 

Funding awards to participants will 

be based on National and State criteria. 

Below is a list of national criteria that 

will be used by the NRCS State 

Conservationist to evaluate proposals: 

• Acreage of prime and important 

farm and ranch land estimated to be 

protected; 

• Acreage of prime and important 

farm and ranch land converted to 

nonagricultural uses; 

• Number or acreage of historic and 

archaeological sites estimated to be 

protected on farm or ranch lands; 

• Total acres needing protection; 

• FRPP cost per acre; 

• Rate of land conversion; 

• Percentage of funding guaranteed to 

be provided by cooperating entities; 

• History of cooperating entities’

commitments to conservation planning 

and implementing conservation 

practices; 

• Participating entities’ histories of 

acquiring, managing, holding, and 

enforcing easements (including average 

annual farmland protection easement 

expenditures over the past five years, 

accomplishments, and staff); 

• Amount of FRPP funding requested; 

and 

• Participating entities’ estimated 

unfunded backlog of conservation 

easements on acres eligible for FRPP 

assistance. 

The NRCS State Conservationist will 

combine the above-mentioned NRCS 

National criteria with NRCS State 

ranking criteria. The following examples 

of NRCS State ranking criteria may be 

used to evaluate and rank specific 

parcels, including, but not limited to, 

proximity to protected clusters, viability 

of the agricultural operations, parcel 

size, type of land use, maximum cost 

expended per acre, and an entity’s 

commitment to assuring farm and ranch 

succession and transfer to viable 

farming operations. State ranking 

criteria will be developed on a State-byState basis and will be available to 

interested participating entities before 

proposal submission. Interested entities 

should contact their State 

Conservationist for a complete listing of 

applicable National and State ranking 

criteria, and program implementation 

guidelines.

The NRCS State Conservationist will 

make awards to eligible entities based 

on available funds, prior to June 1, 2005. 

Once selected, eligible entities must 

work with the appropriate NRCS State 

Conservationist to finalize and sign 

cooperative agreements, incorporating 

all FRPP requirements. 

The conveyance document (i.e., 

conservation easement deed or 

conservation easement deed template) 

used by the eligible entity must be 

reviewed and approved by the USDA 

Office of General Counsel before being 

recorded. Since title to the easement is 

held by an entity other than the United 

States, the conveyance document must 

contain a clause that all rights conveyed 

by the landowner under the document 

will become vested in the United States 

should the cooperating entity abandon, 

fail to enforce, or attempt to terminate 

the conservation easement. 

As a condition of participation, all 

highly erodible land in the easement 

shall be included in a conservation plan 

for the future management of the land. 

The conservation plan will be 

developed using the standards and 

specifications of the NRCS Field Office 

Technical Guide and 7 CFR part 12, 

unless otherwise determined by the 

State Conservationist, in partnership 

with the eligible entity. The 

conservation plan will be implemented 

in a timely manner, as determined by 

the State Conservationist, prior to the 

easement being recorded. 

Organization and Land Eligibility 

Selection Criteria 

To be eligible, a Federally recognized 

Indian tribe, State, unit of local 

government, or nongovernmental 

organization must have a farmland 

protection program that purchases 

conservation easements for the purpose 

of protecting prime, unique, or other 

productive soil or historical and 

archaeological resources by limiting 

conversion of farm or ranch land to 

nonagricultural uses. As a condition of 

receiving FRPP funds, the cooperating 

entity shall not use FRPP funds to place 

an easement on a property in which 

cooperating entity’s employee, board 

member, or immediate family member 

of an employee or board member has a 

property interest. 

Criteria for Proposal Evaluation 

Proposals must contain the 

information set forth below in order to 

receive consideration for assistance: 

1. Organization and programs: Eligible 

entities must describe their farmland 

protection program, and their record of 

acquiring and holding permanent 

agricultural land protection easements 

or other interests. 

Information provided in the proposal 

should:

(a) Demonstrate a commitment to 

long-term conservation of agricultural 

lands through the use of voluntary 

easements that protect farmland from 

conversion to nonagricultural uses; 

(b) Demonstrate the capability to 

acquire, manage, and enforce easements; 

(c) Demonstrate the number and 

ability of staff that will be dedicated to 

monitoring easement stewardship; 

(d) Demonstrate the availability of 

funds for the easement(s) proposed to be 

acquired. The purchase price may not 

exceed the appraised fair market value 

of the conservation easement. If a 

landowner donation is included in the 

entity’s match, the entity must 

demonstrate the availability of 25 

percent of the appraised fair market 

value or 50 percent of the purchase 

price; and 

(e) Include pending offer(s). A 

pending offer is a written bid, contract, 

70430 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 233 / Monday, December 6, 2004 / Notices 

commitment, or option extended to a 

landowner by an eligible entity to 

acquire a conservation easement that 

limits nonagricultural uses of the land 

before the legal title to these rights has 

been conveyed. The primary purpose of 

the pending offers must be for the 

purchase of development rights in order 

to protect topsoil by limiting conversion 

to nonagricultural uses. Pending offers 

having appraisals completed and signed 

by State-certified general appraisers will 

receive higher funding priority by the 

NRCS State Conservationist. Appraisals 

completed and signed by a Statecertified or licensed general appraiser 

must contain a disclosure statement by 

the appraiser. The disclosure statement 

should include at a minimum the 

following: The appraiser accepts full 

responsibility for the appraisal, the 

enclosed statements are true and 

unbiased, the value of the land is 

limited by stated assumptions only, the 

appraiser has no interest in the land, 

and the appraisal conforms to the 

Uniform Standards of Professional 

Appraisal Practice or the Uniform 

Appraisal Standards for Federal Land 

Acquisitions. 

2. Lands to be acquired: The proposal 

must describe the lands to be acquired 

with funding from FRPP. Specifically, 

the proposal must include the 

following: 

(a) A map showing the proposed 

protected area(s); 

(b) The amount and source of funds 

currently available for each easement to 

be acquired; 

(c) The criteria used to set the 

acquisition priorities; and 

(d) A detailed description of the land 

parcels, including:

(i) The priority of the offers; 

(ii) The names of the landowners; 

(iii) The address and location maps of 

the parcels; 

(iv) The size of the parcels, in acres; 

(v) The acres of the prime, unique, or 

State-wide and locally important soil in 

the parcels; 

(vi) The number or acreage of 

historical or archaeological sites, if any, 

proposed to be protected, and a brief 

description of the sites’ significance; 

(vii) A map showing the location of 

other protected parcels in relation to the 

land parcels proposed to be protected; 

(viii) Estimated cost of the 

easement(s): The consideration to be 

paid to any landowners for the 

conveyance of any lands or interests in 

lands cannot be more than the fair 

market value of the land or interests 

conveyed, as determined by an 

appraiser licensed in the State, in which 

the parcel is located. 

(ix) An example of the cooperating 

entity’s proposed easement deed used to 

prevent agricultural land conversion; 

(x) Indication of the accessibility to 

markets; 

(xi) Indication of an existing 

agricultural infrastructure, on- and offfarm, and other support system(s); 

(xii) Statement regarding the level of 

threat from urban development; 

(xiii) A description of the eligible 

entity’s farmland protection strategy and 

how the FRPP proposal submitted by 

the entity corresponds to the entity’s 

strategic plan; 

(xiv) Other factors from an evaluation 

and assessment system used to set 

priorities. If the eligible entity used the 

LESA system or a similar land 

evaluation system as its tool, include 

the scores for the land parcels slated for 

acquisition; 

(xv) Other partners involved in 

acquisition of the easement and their 

estimated financial contribution; and 

(xvi) Other information that may be 

relevant as determined by the NRCS 

State Conservationist. 

Ranking Considerations 

When the NRCS State Office has 

assessed organization eligibility and the 

merits of each proposal, the NRCS State 

Conservationist will determine whether 

the farm or ranch land is eligible for 

financial assistance from FRPP. NRCS 

will use the National and State criteria, 

which may include a LESA system or 

other similar system, to evaluate the 

land and rank the parcels. 

NRCS will only consider enrolling 

eligible land in the program that is of 

sufficient size and has boundaries that 

allow for efficient management of the 

area. The land must have access to 

markets for its products and an 

infrastructure appropriate for 

agricultural production. NRCS will not 

enroll land in FRPP that is owned in fee 

title by an agency of the United States, 

is publicly-owned land, or land that is 

already subject to an easement or deed 

restriction that limits non-agricultural 

conversion of farm and ranch land. 

NRCS will not enroll otherwise 

eligible lands if NRCS determines that 

the protection provided by the FRPP 

would not be effective because of on-site 

or off-site conditions. For example, as it 

relates to on-site conditions, a proposal 

may nominate a parcel that contains 

hazardous material, or it may nominate 

a parcel that contains or may allow over 

two percent impervious surface 

coverage on the land under easement. 

The presence of hazardous waste or the 

extensive impervious surface coverage 

will likely cause NRCS to determine 

that the use of FRPP funds is not 

appropriate. As it relates to off-site 

conditions, NRCS may avoid acquiring 

land that is surrounded by a developed 

area or slated to be zoned for 

development by a local government. 

NRCS will place a priority on 

acquiring easements that provide 

permanent protection from conversion 

to nonagricultural use. NRCS will place 

a higher priority on easements acquired 

by entities that have extensive 

experience in managing and enforcing 

easements. NRCS may place a higher 

priority on lands and locations that help 

create a large tract of protected area for 

viable agricultural production and that 

are under increasing urban development 

pressure. NRCS may place a higher 

priority on lands and locations that 

correlate with the efforts of Federal, 

State, Tribal, local, or nongovernmental 

organizations’ efforts that have 

complementary farmland protection 

objectives (e.g., open space or watershed 

and wildlife habitat protection). NRCS 

may place a higher priority on lands 

that provide special social, economic, 

and environmental benefits to the 

region. A higher priority may be given 

to certain geographic regions where the 

enrollment of particular lands may help 

achieve National, State, and regional 

goals and objectives, or enhance existing 

government or private conservation 

projects. 

Cooperative Agreements 

The CCC, through NRCS, enters into 

a cooperative agreement with a selected 

eligible entity to document participation 

in FRPP. The cooperative agreement 

will address, among other subjects: 

(1) The easement type, terms, and 

conditions; 

(2) The management and enforcement 

of the rights acquired;

(3) The role and responsibilities of 

NRCS and the cooperating entity; 

(4) The responsibilities of the 

easement manager on lands acquired 

with FRPP assistance; and 

(5) Other requirements deemed 

necessary by the CCC, acting through 

NRCS, to protect the interests of the 

United States. The cooperative 

agreement will also include an 

attachment listing the pending offers 

accepted in FRPP, landowners’ names, 

addresses, location map(s), and other 

relevant information. Interested entities 

should contact their State 

Conservationist for a copy of a draft 

cooperative agreement before submitting 

an application.

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 233 / Monday, December 6, 2004 / Notices 70431

Signed in Washington, DC, on November 

12, 2004. 

Bruce I. Knight, 

Vice President, Commodity Credit 

Corporation and Chief, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service.

NRCS State Conservationists 

Alabama: Robert N. Jones, 3381 Skyway 

Drive, Post Office Box 311, Auburn, 

AL 36830; phone: (334) 887–4500; 

fax: (334) 887–4552; 

robert.jones@al.usda.gov.

Alaska: Shirley Gammon, Atrium 

Building, Suite 100, 800 West 

Evergreen, Atrium Building, Suite 

100, Palmer, AK 99645–6539; phone: 

(907) 761–7760; fax: (907) 761–7790; 

sgammon@ak.nrcs.usda.gov.

Arizona: Michael Somerville, Suite 800, 

3003 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, 

AZ 85012–2945; phone: (602) 280–

8808; fax: (602) 280–8809 or 8805; 

msomerville@az.nrcs.usda.gov.

Arkansas: Kalven L. Trice, Federal 

Building, Room 3416, 700 West 

Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, AR 

72201–3228; phone: (501) 301–3100; 

fax: (501) 301–3194; 

kalven.trice@ar.usda.gov.

California: Charles W. Bell, Suite 4164, 

430 G Street, Davis, California 95616–

4164; phone: (530) 792–5600; fax: 

(530) 792–5790; 

charles.bell@ca.usda.gov.

Colorado: James Allen Green, Room 

E200C, 655 Parfet Street, Lakewood, 

CO 80215–5521; phone: (720) 544–

2810; fax: (720) 544–2965; 

allen.green@co.usda.gov.

Connecticut: Margo L. Wallace, 344 

Merrow Road, Tolland, Connecticut 

06084; phone: (860) 871–4011; fax: 

(860) 871–4054; 

margo.wallace@ct.usda.gov.

Delaware: Ginger Murphy, Suite 101, 

1203 College Park Drive, Suite 101, 

Dover, DE 19904–8713; phone: (302) 

678–4160; fax: (302) 678–0843; 

ginger.murphy@usda.gov.

Florida: T. Niles Glasgow, 2614 N.W. 

43rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32606–

6611, or Post Office Box 141510, 

Gainesville, FL 32606–6611; phone: 

(352) 338–9500; fax: (352) 338–9574; 

niles.glasgow@fl.usda.gov.

Georgia: Leonard Jordan, Federal 

Building, Stop 200, 355 East Hancock 

Avenue, Athens, GA 30601–2769; 

phone: (706) 546–2272; fax: (706) 

546–2120; 

leonard.jordan@ga.usda.gov.

Guam: Joan B. Perry, Director, Pacific 

Basin Area, Suite 301, FHB Building, 

400 Route 8, Mongmong, G U 96910; 

phone: (671) 472–7490; fax: (671) 

472–7288; joan.perry@pb.usda.gov.

Hawaii: Lawrence Yamamoto, Room 4–

118, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Post 

Office Box 50004, Honolulu, HI 

96850–0002; phone: (808) 541–2600; 

fax: (808) 541–1335; 

larry.yamamoto@hi.nrcs.usda.gov.

Idaho: Richard W. Sims, Suite C, 9173 

West Barnes Drive, Boise, ID 83709; 

phone: (208) 378–5700; fax: (208) 

378–5735; richard.sims@id.usda.gov.

Illinois: William J. Gradle, 2118 W. Park 

Court, Champaign, IL 61821; phone: 

(217) 353–6600; fax: (217) 353–6676; 

bill.gradle@il.usda.gov.

Indiana: Jane E. Hardisty, 6013 Lakeside 

Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46278–

2933; phone: (317) 290–3200; fax: 

(317) 290–3225; 

jane.hardisty@in.usda.gov.

Iowa: Richard VanKlaveren, 693 Federal 

Building, Suite 693, 210 Walnut 

Street, Des Moines, IA 50309–2180; 

phone: (515) 284–6655; fax: (515) 

284–4394; rvanklaveren@ia.usda.gov.

Kansas: Harold Klaege, 760 South 

Broadway, Salina, KS 67401–4642; 

phone: (785) 823–4565; fax: (785) 

823–4540; harold.klaege@ks.usda.gov.

Kentucky: David G. Sawyer, Suite 110, 

771 Corporate Drive, Lexington, KY 

40503–5479; phone: (859) 224–7350; 

fax: (859) 224–7399; 

dsawyer@ky.usda.gov.

Louisiana: Donald W. Gohmert, 3737 

Government Street, Alexandria, LA 

71302; phone: (318) 473–7751; fax: 

(318) 473–7626; 

don.gohmert@la.usda.gov.

Maine: Joyce Swartzendruber, Suite 3, 

967 Illinois Avenue, Bangor, ME 

04401; phone: (207) 990–9100, ext. 3; 

fax: (207) 990–9599; 

joyce.swartzendruber@me.usda.gov.

Maryland: David P. Doss, John Hanson 

Business Center, Suite 301, 339 

Busch’s Frontage Road, Annapolis, 

MD 21401–5534; phone: (410) 757–

0861; fax: (410) 757–0687; 

david.doss@md.usda.gov.

Massachusetts: Cecil B. Currin, 451 

West Street, Amherst, MA 01002–

2995; phone: (413) 253–4351; fax: 

(413) 253–4375; 

cecil.currin@ma.usda.gov.

Michigan: John Bricker, Suite 250, 3001 

Coolidge Road, East Lansing, MI 

48823–6350; phone: (517) 324–5270; 

fax: (517) 324–5171; 

john.bricker@mi.usda.gov.

Minnesota: William Hunt, Suite 600, 

375 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 

55101–1854; phone: (651) 602–7900; 

fax: (651) 602–7913 or 7914; 

william.hunt@mn.usda.gov.

Mississippi: Homer L. Wilkes, Suite 

1321, Federal Building, 100 West 

Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269–

1399; phone: (601) 965–5205; fax: 

(601) 965–4940; 

homer.wilkes@ms.nrcs.usda.gov.

Missouri: Roger A. Hansen, Parkade 

Center, Suite 250, 601 Business Loop 

70, West Columbia, MO 65203–2546; 

phone: (573) 876–0901; fax: (573) 

876–9439; 

roger.hansen@mo.usda.gov.

Montana: David White, Federal 

Building, Room 443, 10 East Babcock 

Street, Bozeman, MT 59715–4704; 

phone: (406) 587–6811; fax: (406) 

587–6761, dwhite@mt.nrcs.usda.gov.

Nebraska: Stephen K. Chick, Federal 

Building, Room 152, 100 Centennial 

Mall, North Lincoln, NE 68508–3866; 

phone: (402) 437–5300; fax: (402) 

437–5327; steve.chick@ne.usda.gov.

Nevada: Livia Marques, Building F, 

Suite 201, 5301 Longley Lane, Reno, 

NV 89511–1805; phone: (775) 784–

5863; fax: (775) 784–5939; 

livia.marques@nv.usda.gov.

New Hampshire: Theresa Chadwick, 

Federal Building, 2 Madbury Road, 

Durham, NH 03824–2043; phone: 

(603) 868–7581; fax: (603) 868–5301; 

theresa.chadwick@nh.nrcs.usda.gov.

New Jersey: Anthony J. Kramer, 1370 

Hamilton Street, Somerset, NJ 08873–

3157; phone: (732) 246–1171; fax: 

(732) 246–2358; 

tkramer@nj.nrcs.usda.gov.

New Mexico: Rosendo Trevino III, Suite 

305, 6200 Jefferson Street, NE., 

Albuquerque, NM 87109–3734; 

phone: (505) 761–4400; fax: (505) 

761–4481; 

rosendo.trevino@nm.usda.gov.

New York: Joseph R. DelVecchio, Suite 

354, 441 South Salina Street, 

Syracuse, NY 13202–2450; phone: 

(315) 477–6504; fax: (315) 477–6550; 

joseph.delvecchio@ny.usda.gov.

North Carolina: Mary K. Combs, Suite 

205, 4405 Bland Road, Raleigh, NC 

27609–6293; phone: (919) 873–2101; 

fax: (919) 873–2156; 

mary.combs@nc.usda.gov.

North Dakota: J.R. Flores, Room 278, 

220 E. Rosser Avenue, Post Office Box 

1458, Bismarck, ND 58502–1458; 

phone: (701) 530–2000; fax: (701) 

530–2110; jr.flores@nd.usda.gov.

Ohio: John Wilson (Acting), Room 522, 

200 North High Street, Columbus, OH 

43215–2478; phone: (614) 255–2500; 

fax: (614) 255–2548; 

john.wilson@oh.usda.gov.

Oklahoma: M. Darrel Dominick, USDA 

Agri-Center Building, Suite 203, 100 

USDA, Stillwater, OK 74074–2655; 

phone: (405) 742–1204; fax: (405) 

742–1126; 

darrel.dominick@ok.usda.gov.

Oregon: Robert Graham, Suite 1300, 101 

SW. Main Street, Portland, OR 97204–

3221; phone: (503) 414–3200; fax: 

(503) 414–3103; 

bob.graham@or.usda.gov.

70432 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 233 / Monday, December 6, 2004 / Notices 

Pennsylvania: Robin E. Heard, Suite 

340, 1 Credit Union Place, Harrisburg, 

PA 17110–2993; phone: (717) 237–

2200; fax: (717) 237–2238; 

robin.heard@pa.usda.gov.

Puerto Rico: Juan A. Martinez, Director, 

Caribbean Area, IBM Building, Suite 

604, 654 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Hato 

Rey, PR 00918–4123; phone: (787) 

766–5206; fax: (787) 766–6563; 

juan.martinez@pr.usda.gov. Rhode 

Island: Judith Doerner, Suite 46, 60 

Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886–

0111; phone: (401) 828–1300; fax: 

(401) 828–0433; 

judith.doerner@ri.usda.gov.

South Carolina: Walter W. Douglas, 

Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 

Room 950, 1835 Assembly Street, 

Columbia, SC 29201–2489; phone: 

(803) 253–3935; fax: (803) 253–3670; 

walt.douglas@sc.usda.gov.

South Dakota: Janet L. Oertly, Federal 

Building, Room 203, 200 Fourth 

Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350–2475; 

phone: (605) 352–1200; fax: (605) 

352–1288; 

janet.oertly@sd.nrcs.usda.gov.

Tennessee: James W. Ford, 675 U.S. 

Courthouse, 801 Broadway, Nashville, 

TN 37203–3878; phone: (615) 277–

2531; fax: (615) 277–2578; 

jford@tn.nrcs.usda.gov.

Texas: Lawrence Butler, W.R. Poage 

Building, 101 South Main Street, 

Temple, TX 76501–7682; phone: (254) 

742–9800; fax: (254) 742–9819; 

larry.butler@tx.usda.gov.

Utah: Sylvia Gillen, W.F. Bennett 

Federal Building, Room 4402, 125 

South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 

84111, phone: (801) 524–4550, fax: 

(801) 524–4403, 

sylvia.gillen@ut.usda.gov.

Vermont: Francis M. Keeler, 356 

Mountain View Drive, Suite 105, 

Colchester, VT 05446; phone: (802) 

951–6795; fax: (802) 951–6327; 

fran.keeler@vt.usda.gov.

Virginia: M. Denise Doetzer, Culpeper 

Building, Suite 209, 1606 Santa Rosa 

Road, Richmond, VA 23229–5014; 

phone: (804) 287–1691; fax: (804) 

287–1737; 

denise.doetzer@va.usda.gov.

Washington: Raymond L. ‘‘Gus’’

Hughbanks, Rock Pointe Tower II, 

Suite 450, W. 316 Boone Avenue, 

Spokane, WA 99201–2348; phone: 

(509) 323–2900; fax: (509) 323–2909; 

raymond.hughbanks@wa.usda.gov.

West Virginia: Lillian Woods, Room 

301, 75 High Street, Morgantown, WV 

26505; phone: (304) 284–7540; fax: 

(304) 284–4839; 

lillian.woods@wv.usda.gov.

Wisconsin: Patricia S. Leavenworth, 

8030 Excelsior Drive, Suite 200, 

Madison, WI 53717; phone: (608) 

662–4422; fax: (608) 662–4430; 

pat.leavenworth@wi.usda.gov.

Wyoming: Lincoln E. Burton, Federal 

Building, Room 3124, 100 East B 

Street, Casper, WY 82601–1911; 

phone: (307) 233–6750; fax: (307) 

233–6753; ed.burton@wy.usda.gov.

[FR Doc. 04–26738 Filed 12–3–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request Food Stamp 

Program Form FNS–521, Food Coupon 

Deposit Document

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, 

USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Food and Nutrition Service is 

publishing for public comment a 

summary of a proposed information 

collection. The proposed collection is 

an extension of a currently approved 

collection of the Food Stamp Program 

for which approval expires on December 

31, 2004. The Food Stamp Act of 1977, 

as amended, requires that all verified 

and encoded redemption certificates 

accepted by insured financial 

institutions from authorized retail food 

stores shall be forwarded with the 

corresponding coupon deposits to the 

Federal Reserve Bank along with the 

accompanying Food Coupon Deposit 

Document (Form FNS–521). 

Requirements in the Food Stamp 

Program regulations are the basis for the 

information collected on Form FNS–

521. 

The Food and Nutrition Service is 

rapidly phasing out the use of paper 

food coupons. Currently, 99.9 percent of 

all food stamp benefits are issued 

electronically. Forty-eight States, the 

District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, 

Guam, and Puerto Rico have online 

operating Electronic Benefit Transfer 

(EBT) systems. Two States operate 

offline food stamp EBT systems and 

issue paper food coupons to recipients 

who move out of State and have 

remaining food stamp benefits. Many 

States have already closed out their 

coupon inventory completely and more 

will be doing the same in the upcoming 

year. Approximately 18,140 Food 

Coupon Deposit Documents were 

processed by financial institutions in 

Fiscal Year 2004 and the number 

continues to decline due to 100 percent 

EBT implementation. Until all of the 

paper food coupons issued are 

redeemed, the Food Coupon Deposit 

Document will remain an essential 

document to the food stamp redemption 

process.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by February 4, 2005, to be 

assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send comments and 

requests for copies of this information 

collection to: Andrea Gordon, Chief, 

Redemption Management Branch, 

Benefit Redemption Division, Food and 

Nutrition Service, U. S. Department of 

Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, 

Room 404, Alexandria, VA 22302. 

Comments may also be faxed to (703) 

305–1863 or e-mailed to: brdhqweb@fns.usda.gov

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

All comments will be summarized 

and included in the request for Office of 

Management and Budget approval of the 

information collection. All comments 

will also become a matter of public 

record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrea Gordon, (703) 305–2456.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Food Coupon Deposit 

Document. 

OMB Number: 0584–0314. 

Expiration Date: December 31, 2004. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Abstract: The Food and Nutrition 

Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture is the Federal Agency 

responsible for the Food Stamp 

Program. The Food Stamp Act of 1977, 

as amended, (the Act) requires that FNS 

provide for the redemption, through 

financial institutions, of food coupons 

accepted by retail food stores from 

program participants. Section 278.5 of 

the Food Stamp Program regulations 

governs financial institution and